Jewish English Lexicon

[may you/he/she live] "until a hundred and twenty [years]" -- often used as a birthday wish for long life, or when mentioning a person who is getting on in years.

boychick

"A young boy...equivalent of the American expression 'buddy'" (JPS)

boydem

attic

broiges

a dispute (n)

angry, annoyed (adj.)

bubbale

sweetie, darling [term of endearment]

bubbe

grandmother

bubbe meise

"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)

"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition

bulvan

loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)

chrain

A spicy paste made from grated horseradish.

chrein

horseradish

chutzpahdik

impertinent

dybbuk

a spirit, "often thought to be the soul of a dead person, that wanders the earth looking for a living body to inhabit" (JPS)

einikel

grandchild

ess

Eat

farbissiner

adj. embittered, sullen, mean

n. sourpuss, mean person

farchadat

"confused; dazed; stunned" (Steinmetz)

"Dizzy, confused, dopey, 'punchy.'" (Rosten)

"Having a headache." (Rosten)

"Smitten, charmed, beguiled." (Rosten)

"Surprised, stunned, shocked." (Rosten)

"Confused, distracted, mixed up." (JPS)

farfel

a side dish including bits of noodle, often sauteed with vegetables and beef or chicken stock

noodle pellets

farmisht

mixed up, confused, crazy

frosk

a slap

gantseh

entire, complete

geferlech

Dangerous, terrible

gelt

Money (slang usage)

"The foil wrapped chocolate coins that are a traditional Hanukkah treat for children." (JPS)

genug

enough

geschrei

yell, shout

geshmak

delicious, delightful

gevald

an interjection of alarm

gey avek

"Go away!"

gezunt

n. health

adj. healthy

gorgel

neck, throat (generally of poultry)

goyish

"in the manner or style of a non-Jewish person" (JPS), especially something WASPy or "white bread"

gurnisht

"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)

gut voch

"Good week!" Ashkenazi greeting at the conclusion of the Sabbath.

gut yontef

"Happy holiday!" Ashkenazi greeting used on any of the holidays, including Rosh Hashanahh and Yom Kippur.

gut yor

"Good year!" Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Hashanah.

Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik

Don't bother me

Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me

Stop annoying me

handl

to bargain, do business

hazarai

"Junk, trash" (Rosten)

treyf (non-kosher) food

junk food

hoo-ha

hullabaloo, commotion

vagina

interjection of admiration or astonishment

keinehora

"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)

khnyok

a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou religious person

an unkempt or slovenly person

a mean or bigoted person

kichel

small cookie or biscuit

cookies (plural)

kishka

"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)

kochleffel

A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.

kreplach

(meat-) stuffed dumplings usually served in soup; Jewish wontons

kuntz

feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity

peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)

strategy (Weiser)

kvater

one of the people honored to hold the baby at a circumcision ceremony; godfather

kvell

feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)

kvetch

"to chronically complain or gripe to others over minor issues" (JPS)

l'hachis

spitefully; deliberately; literally "in order to anger"

leibedik

lively, enthusiastic; warm, heartfelt

lekech

"Honey cake, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah... made with honey, eggs, cinnamon, and, often, coffee" (JPS).

ligner

liar

linker

leftist, socialist, secularist

lokshen

noodles

luftmensch

"an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income" (Merriam-Webster)

mazume

"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)

"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).

mechuten

the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.

In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).

mechuteneste

the mother of one's child's spouse

mieskeit

someone/something ugly

ugliness

naches

"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)

nebbish

noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)

noch

still, yet, moreover

nosherai

snacks

okh un vey

"a pity on him"

an unenviable position

ongepotchket

overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly, overdone, tacky, ostentatious, overcomplicated.

"Excessively and unaesthetically decorated; overly baroque." (Rosten)

oysgeputst

dressed-up, decked out in finery (Steinmetz), overembellished.

patshke

"1. To fuss or "mess around" inefficiently and inexpertly. 2. To dawdle, to waste time." (Rosten)

pekel

little bundle

pintele yid

"essential Jewishness"

pisk

(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)

Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)

mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.

pitseleh

little one, dear

prost

coarse, base, not classy, vulgar, common

pushke

"The little container...in which money to be donated to charity is accumulated." (Rosten)

schlimazel

Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings

schmegege

"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).

"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)

"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)

big shot, an arrogant person

"At a more advanced point: Further." (Weiser)