A semi-regular feature in which I share a handful of curious words or expressions.
Growing up vaguely Italian in the Rust Belt, I didn’t meet many Jews. We had lots of Poles, some Germans, and some English and Irish. There were enough Finns for an annual cultural festival but there wasn’t much flag waving, just some pinup prints of Maila Nurmi. (She lived there as a kiddo. Apparently the food was bad enough her family moved to the West Coast and she never ate again.)
Anyway, when I got to college, I met some Jews. My roommate was Jewish. I went to Shabbat a few times. I even taught myself how to cook kugel. And I was surprised to discover I already knew a fair amount of Yiddish slang. Maybe my hometown was more diverse than I realized.
Regardless, here are some cool Yiddish words borrowed into English.
1. Chutzpah. A noun describing extreme nerve, arrogance, courage, impudence, self-confidence, or presumption.
Example: It took a lot of chutzpah to call her boss an asshole, especially because she was self-employed.
2. Kvetch. A verb for complaining, whining, or fretting.
Example: If you kvetch about every little thing, people aren’t going to pay attention when you contract a serious disease or run for public office.
3. Schmooze. A verb for chitchat.
Example: The public defender was always schmoozing with the court clerks and secretaries. Maybe that’s why all of his cases were scheduled for after lunch.
4. Bubkes. A noun describing nothing or the very least amount.
Example: She toughed it out, toiled, put in overtime, and worked her ass off, but what did it get her? Bubkes. When you’re an elephant, you always work for peanuts.
5. Zaftig. An adjective for a healthy, plump, full-figured woman.
Example: Body shapes go in and out of fashion, but it’s hard to argue with the appeal of a proper zaftig figure.