Jewish English Lexicon

"Complimentary term for a talented, competent, energetic woman, especially one who gets a lot done - and does it well - around the house." (JPS Dictionary of Words)

bisl

"a little bit of something, a tiny piece" (JPS)

biz hundert un tsvantsik

[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.

Borscht Belt

region in the Catskill Mountains with many summer resorts frequented by Jews, especially in the mid twentieth century

boychick

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

bubbe meise

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

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

bulbenik

One who is inept, clumsy, all thumbs, who fouls things up (Rosten)

An actor "who talks as though he has a potato in his mouth"—that is, an actor who "blows" his lines, mixes them up, commits embarrassing spoonerisms, a malaprop

bulvan

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

chaleria

Plague or cholera (literal or metaphorical)

"wreck," in the phrase "nervous choleria." A person who behaves wildly or badly.

Chelm

from Yiddish literature/folklore, "The 'legendary' town inhabited by befuddled, stupid, foolish, but endearing people." (JPS). Also a real town in Poland (Chełmno).

dreck

"Trash, junk, garbage; cheap or worthlesss things." (Rosten), sh*t

farbissiner

adj. embittered, sullen, mean

n. sourpuss, mean person

farblondzhet

Rosten: "Lost...mixed up, wandering about without any idea of where you are." Can refer to being physically or intellectually lost.

farfufket

befuddled, taken aback, disoriented, confused

faribel

to have a grievance, to be aggrieved

grievance

farshtunken(e)

literally 'stinking' (Rosten); contemptible

fartootst

"The state of being bewildered, disoriented, discombobulated; slightly more intense than tsedrayt." (Rosten)

feh!

an expression of disgust; "portraying...negative feelings" (Rosten)

fluden

log-shaped pastry stuffed with apricot preserves, chopped dates, walnuts, and raisins

fress

To gobble up food; to gorge oneself. "To eat quickly or noisily, like an animal" (JPS)

gezunterheyt

lit., while in good health

"Fine, go ahead" (ironic).

ghattis

derogatory term for working-class or boorish Afrikaaner person

golem

"A creature of Jewish medieval folklore, a golem is a figure made into the form of a human and given life." (JPS)

gribines

Deep-fried skin of chicken or goose, often prepared with onion and schmatlz. Also called cracklings.

Hak mir nisht keyn tshaynik

Don't bother me

Literally, don't knock a teakettle at me

Stop annoying me

hazarai

junk food

"Junk, trash" (Rosten)

treyf (non-kosher) food

helzel

chicken neck, poultry neck, stuffed poultry neck, the skin around the chicken's neck which is then stuffed

I wish you well to wear it

A saying uttered on seeing a friend or relative wearing a new garment or accessory. It is value-neutral, not implying that the garment is nice, just that it is new.

kaddishl

A son who will say kaddish for a parent (literally, "little kaddish").

kasha

buckwheat groats, commonly served with bowtie noodles ('kasha varnishkes'); porridge

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)

keppy

head, little head (informal, diminutive, often in child-directed speech)

khremzl

"A fried fritter or latke, made of matzah meal and eggs, that may be stuffed with ground meat, nuts, or fruit. An old-fashioned Pesach recipe." (JPS Dictionary)

kimmel

"kimmel bread" is rye bread with caraway seeds on top

kishka

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

knaidel

matzah ball; "a dumpling made of matzah meal meal and beaten eggs, usually served in chicken broth, often at the Pesach seder" (JPS)

kochleffel

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

Kratsmach

Tongue-in-cheek way of referring to "Christmas," especially among Jews who want to avoid uttering the name of Christ.

kuntz

feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity

peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)

strategy (Weiser)

kvell

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

kvetch

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

Someone who comes from the same or nearby hometown, especially if one or both of you no longer lives there and all the more so if one or both now live far away from home, in which case an entire region (e.g., metro NY) or country e.g., Poland) may be the point of connection.

ligner

liar

linker

leftist, socialist, secularist

lobbus

a young mischievous person with a lot of chutzpah

a rascal, mischievous or cheeky child (usually a boy)

lokh in cup

"hole in the head" (Rosten)

maidel

girl

make

To urinate or defecate

mamaleh

diminutive term for a young girl [lit. 'little mama']

mame-loshn

"mother tongue", usually refers to Yiddish

mamzer

bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)

mayofes

a servile person (see note below)

mazume

"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)

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

mechaye

"Pleasure, enjoyment, a real joy" (Rosten); something that gives great joy

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

mutche

harass, torment, bother, annoy, nag

(obsolete) to struggle financially

naches

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

narishkeit

"1. Foolishness 2. A triviality" (Rosten)

nebach

interjection, adverb: "unfortunately"; noun: an unfortunate person

nebbish

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

nicht shabbos geret

Not to speak of on Shabbat (used when a subject is not suitable for the Holy Shabbat, primarily business and money manners, to indicate that one shouldn't discuss it). Usually followed by a short comment about the "forbidden" subject.