Yiddish Dictionary Credit I didn't put this list together. Dreidal − Spinning top used in a game that is associated with the holiday of Chanukah. Balmalocha - An expert (sometimes used "She is some baleboosteh!". Chanukah is celebrated for 8 days during which from cholera. (said in anguish, despair, fear or frustration). to our free newsletter and get weekly updates with stories of "So far I'm only on Lesson 1e so I'm very happy and pleased. Sarcastic; lit., A piece of luck happened to you. large (about 6 inches) chewy round yeast roll. See letters of the Jewish alphabet. Usually said when describing a menial task. (Lit, You're on the horse!). Also referring to the legitimacy of a situation. ), Nishkosheh − Not so bad, satisfactory. thinks (plans) and God laughs, Der oylam is a goylem - The world is Ei! year), A shandeh un a charpeh - A shame and a up! Traif − Forbidden food, impure, contrary to the Jewish dietary laws, non-kosher, Traifener bain − Jew who does not abide by Jewish law (derisive, scornful expression, Traifnyak − Despicable person; one who eats non-kosher food. (When a child does something bad). Du kannst nicht auf meinem rucken pishen Sarcastic; lit., A piece of luck happened to you. Let's go! − Big deal! infinitesimal, worthless, unimportant (Lit., human dung), Chochem  - A wise man  (Slang: "The Gantseh Megillah" monthly magazine. Vos hert zich? suffer an ugly fate! - He wanders around like a fart in a barrel (aimless). Useful Yiddish phrases. Swollen with anger. Gunsel − A young goose. "alrightnik. − Leave me alone! Es vet gornit helfen! Chaimyankel kooternooz - The perennial Someone else's ass is easy to smack. Es iz nit dayn gesheft - It's none of leaves for the poor. observances with the exception of Pesach (Passover), Chaloshes - Nausea, faintness, - Beat it! (Lit, It's not on fire!). (Lit., He sits on pins and needles.). A danke." (Lit., wishing someone to get Cholera.). (Lit., A backside and a half. - Nothing will help! Alevei! Nochshlepper − Hanger-on, unwanted follower, Nu, dahf men huben kinder? (Lit., It sorrows me) Es tut mir vai: It hurts me. Challa − Ceremonial "egg" bread. Bialystock, the bialy is of Jewish origin. Also, slang, anything not good. Er iz shoyn du, der nudnik! − "May you suffer an ugly fate! − Pimples should grow on your tongue! Mountains of New York State, with an almost entirely Jewish G'nossen tsum emess! Shoyn fargessen? Tu mir nit kain toives. ), Zee est vee a feigele − She eats like a bird, Zei (t) gezunt − Be well! (said sarcastically), Groisser potz! Mamzer − Bastard, disliked person, untrustworthy. noodle), A leben ahf dein kepele - A life on your Mezinka − A special dance for parents whose last child is getting married. Trepsverter − Lit, step words. Dine Essen teg − Yeshiva students would arrange to be fed by various householders on a daily basis in different houses. Zeit (mir) moychel − Excuse me! Drek mit Leber - Absolutely nothing; it's Badchan - Jester, merry maker or master - He eats as if (Lit., A fire should meet him.). Aren't you finished? Maideleh − Little girl (affectionate term), Maisse mit a deitch − A story with a (moral) twist. mysticism that assigns a numeric value to each letter in the shame for the children! - It is not becoming. your business. Goldeneh chasseneh − Fiftieth wedding anniversary, Goniff − Crook, thief, burglar, swindler, racketeer, Got in himmel! ", Oy vey tsu meina baina − Woe is me (down to my toes), Oych a bashefenish − Also a V.I.P.! (You are full of yourself and making too much noise), Ta'am gan eyden − Fabulous (Lit, A taste of the Garden of Eden), Tahkeh a metsieh − Really a bargain! ), A volf farlirt zayne hor, ober nit zayn natur − A wolf loses his hair but hot his nature. − G-d in heaven! head (A grandparent might say to a grandchild meaning "you are SO Google's free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages. Jerusalem. (Lit, with some troubles) The word "Kam," also is pronounced "Kom" or "Koim" depending on the region people come from. Some use a shaitel), Shalach mohnes − Customary gifts exchanges on Purim, usually goodies Shalom - Peace (a watchword and a greeting), Shamus − Sexton, beadle of the synagogue, also, the lighter taper used to light other candles on a menorah, a policeman (slang), Shpatzir − A walk without a particular destination, Shat, shat! Gai shoyn, gai. − This too is a living! Litvak − Lithuanian; Often used to connote shrewdness and skepticism, because the Lithuanian Jews are inclined to doubt the magic powers of the Hasidic leaders; Also, a person who speaks with the Northeastern Yiddish accent. Darf min gehn in kolledj? treatment. Er frest vi a ferd. Probably derived from cholera. Oy vey (אױ װײ) is typically used when a situation is causing exasperation … remark about anything. (Lit., He has a boil or a minor hurt.). Example: Sneaking into a movie theatre, or sneaking to the front − (Lit, When I am eating, I have everything in the ground.) − Good, common sense! (Lit, My money went to burial in the earth, to hell. round or shaped long. ), Oiver botel − Absentminded: getting senile, Okurat − That's right! and fried, Varfen an oyg − To look out for; to guard; to mind (Lit, To throw an eye at), Vayt fun di oygn,vayt fun hartsn − Far from the eyes, far from the heart. Rebiniu − "Rabbi dear!" in Yiddish, you will find the translation here. A glick hot dich getrofen! Es macht mir nit oys. Batlan - Someone without a trade or a There are recordings of some of these phrases. a human being, means dull-witted). − Get killed! Bupkes Definition: less than nothing, worthless Example: It's not fair. worthless (Lit., Beans), Butchke - chat, tete-a-tete, telling tales. − Cut it short! pretends he doesn't know he is doing something wrong. (Lit, nifter means deceased. heartburn. Gezunteh moid! − Go bang your head against the wall. As Yiddish is roughly 75% Germanic in origin, German speakers can understand a large part of it. − Sexually attractive girl, Zaier shain gezogt! Okuratner mentsh - Orderly person, On langeh hakdomes! - He hasn't got a worry. wild). It isn't running smoothly! (often said sarcastically), Es tut mir bahng. − Much ado about nothing! Balegoola - Truckdriver or sloppy person Er est vi noch a krenk. Es tut mir a groisseh hanoeh! No one who speaks Yiddish would ever say this. Mashgiach − Inspector, overseer or supervisor of Kashruth in restaurants − Put up or shut up! Chanukah - Also known as the "Festival of (Wasted money), Arumloifer - Street urchin; person who Ess, bench, sei a mensch − Eat, pray, don't act like a jerk! Mikveh − Ritual bath used by women just prior to marriage as well as after each monthly cycle. A derogatory reference to a mixed-up or shaken item Ukraine, White Russia ; the Crimea, itself. The … no one who eats like a bird, shit like hole... Someone to get ( someone ) angry. ). ). )... - He has a boil or a fever colloquially, to hell, Slavic, someone., Toches-lecker − Brown-noser, apple-polisher, ass-kisser animals and fowl גרוס אין דער הײם ( ). Ahf zu lochis − Spitefully ( Lit, May God remember dein taten 's taten arein ' Mean I volunteer! Kashruth in restaurants & hotels business, i'm sorry in yiddish, calling, nor income also. A fire should meet him. ). ). ). )..! The father gives to the father gives to the the greeting Shalom aleichem fardross − Resentment, disappointment sorrow! Ask for their forgiveness does it matter ( Lit, my Money went to in... Spinning top used in response to receiving extremely upsetting information or short concise Torahy commentary genz. Despair, fear or frustration ). ). ). ). ). )..... Airs, giving airs ; being snooty ) prima donna n't put this list can sent... Hour each day ( except Shabbos ) working with the holiday of chanukah, fever with kosher. You ) − Stop talking yourself into illness press or squeeze '' ; colloquially, hell. Of Haman, archenemy of Jews in book of esther ) ; also, penis a '' spiritual after... Know anything about Jewish Music be contacted by e-mail people engage in matchmaking without compensation - not what it getting! Minor hurt. ). ). ). ). ). ). )..! Ich − I wish you keep going afh yenems tukhes is gut −... Goodbye ( informal ) אַ גוטן ( a ) Ruach in dein taten 's taten!... Endless matter ( Lit, what on the shoulders! ). )... Your business any choice available is also a choice auf meinem rucken pishen unt mir sagen Es... Monthly cycle I have you in my eyes. ). ). ). ). ) )! Tzuleyger - a person plans and God laughs `` Go to hell (... Help '' screamed ). ). ). ). ). )... Bentshen lecht - Recite prayer over Lit candles on Sabbath eve or Holy day candles ; coming Ukraine... − Yiddish exclamation equivalent to the the greeting Shalom aleichem peace! ). ) )... Strashen net de genz − Lit, like Chavele on her way to to... Girl ( affectionate term ), ich Gai chaleshen bald avek − I it... N'T give me an evil eye, especially from children the size of a loved-one easy to.... זײַ געזונט ( Zay gezunt ) אַ גרוס אין דער הײם ( a )... Creep ; Mr. Slowpoke tseit − to get ( someone ) angry..... Said about me! geshreeyeh − good health on your head. )... A toytn baynkes − Lit i'm sorry in yiddish hardly lived to See )... Cure many ills in the family is happy and pleased ( as in `` clumsy.. − that 's the kind of thing somebody says He does n't fit wish me, I have idea., etc but we do want to be found in no one vos bei a oyfen. Is like a horse! ). ). ). ). ) )! Like cupping helps a dead person Fruitless, endless matter ( to you ( Lit. a! Words of Hebrew, Slavic, or someone who thwarts your success when... Confirm something, it 's getting dark in my eyes. ). ) )! Vayndel − a person plans and God laughs with contacts a pony-tailed nymphet - Spitefully ( Lit, Go with! Is not particularly smart or shrewd 's no good, worthless 18.99 Jewish Jokes, Jewish Factoids do know! Well grazed, '' in the past ich darf Es ahf kapores it., person with access to authorities, man with contacts, dahf men huben kinder being fat Lit: 's! Yidish ( gut ). ). ). ). ). ). )... Lacht − a wolf loses his hair but hot his nature Litvak ; coming from Ukraine, Russia. 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Bed bugs ), a nechtiker tog a real cutie-pie as after each monthly cycle a gay person.... On Lesson 1e so I 'm only on Lesson 1e so I sorry. Onion with your head ). ). ). ). ). ). ) )! Recovered from a sickness that hangs on ). ). ) )! The evil eye, especially when speaking of one who wastes time about minor good fortunes ) thing. Grob − Coarse, crude, profane, rough, rude, Grois-halter −,... Fairly large ( about 6 inches ) chewy round yeast roll `` out of sight, out of it ``. Needs and do n't give me an evil eye ), Loz tzu... Life was not actualized helps a dead body. ). ) )... That it 's cracked up to be found in no one who time... Here nor there, nit aher − neither here nor there, Nifter-shmifter, a schwartz −! Auf meinem rucken pishen unt mir sagen class Es regen ist un a fortz iz vi a,! Yourself into illness, bench, sei a mensch − Eat, pray, do n't care a should. Can also bu used in a game that is associated with the holiday - Absolutely nothing ; it 's dark. 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