Yiddish-English Glossary

S

• Saichel - Common sense, good sense; tact, diplomacy

• S'art eich? - What does it matter to you? Does it matter to you?

• Se brent nit! - Don't get excited! Slow down  (Lit., It's not on fire!)

• Se shtinkt! - It stinks!

• Se zol dir grihmen in boych! - You should get a stomach cramp!

• Sha! (gently said) - Please keep quiet.

• Shabbes goy - Someone doing the chores for others (Lit;, gentile doing work for a Jew on Sabbath)

• Shadchen - Matchmaker or marriage broker; (There is the professional type who derives his living from it, but many Jewish women used to engage in matchmaking without compensation only from religious motives)

• Shaigitz - Non-Jewish boy; wild Jewish boy

• Shaigetz ainer! - Berating term for irreligious Jewish boy, one who flouts Jewish law

• Shain vi di zibben velten - Beautiful as the seven worlds

• Shaineh maidel - pretty girl

• Shainer gelechter - Hearty laugh (sarcastically, Some laughter!)

• Shainkeit - Beauty

• Shaitel, (sheitel) - Wig (at the wedding the ultra-orthodox bride has her hair cut off and she wears a shaitel ever after)

• Shalach mohnes - Customary gifts exchanges on Purim, usually goodies

• Shalom - Peace (a watchword and a greeting)

• Shammes - Sexton, beadle of the synagogue, also, the lighter taper used to light other candles on a menorah, a policeman (slang)

• Shandhoiz - Brothel, whorehouse

• Shat, shat! Hust! - Quiet! Don't get excited

• Shatnes - Proscription against wearing clothes that are mixed of wool and linen

• Shemevdik - Bashful, shy

• Shepen naches - Enjoy; gather pleasure, draw pleasure, especially from children

• Shidech (pl., shiduchim) - Match, marriage, engagement, betrothal

• Shihi-pihi - Mere nothings

• Shik-yingel - Messenger

• Shikker - Drunkard

• Shikseh - Non-Jewish girl

• Shiva - Mourning period of seven days observed by family and friends of deceased

• Shkapeh - A hag, a mare; worthless

• Shkotz - Berating term for mischivous Jewish boy

• Shlak - Apoplexy; a wretch, a miserable person; shoddy; shoddy merchandise , fake

• Shlang - Snake, serpent; a troublesome wife; penis (taboo)

• Shlatten shammes - Communal busybody, tale bearer; messenger

• Shlecht - Bad

• Shlecht veib - Shrew (Lit., a bad wife)

• Shlemiel - Clumsy bunglar, an inept person, butter-fingered; dopey person, a loser 

• Shlep - Drag, carry or haul, particularly unnecessary things, parcels or baggage; to go somewhere unwillingly or unwantedly

• Shleppen - To drag, pull, carry, haul

• Shlepper - Sponger, panhanddler, hanger-om; dowdy, gossipy woman, free-loader

• Shlimazel - Luckless person. Unlucky person; one with perpetual bad luck (it is said that the shlemiel spills the soup on the shlimazel!)

• Shlog zich kop in vant. - Break your own head! (Lit., bang your head on the wall)

• Shlog zich mit Got arum! - Go fight City Hall! (Lit., Go fight with God.)

• Shlogen - To beat up

• Shlok - A curse; apoplexy

• Shlosser - Mechanic

• Shlub - A jerk; a foolish, stupid or unknowing person, second rate, inferior, poorly dressed 

• Shlump - Careless dresser, untidy person; as a verb, to idle or lounge around

• Shlumperdik - Unkempt, sloppy

• Shmaltz - Grease or chicken fat; (slang) flattery; to sweet talk, overly praise, dramatic

• Shmaltzy - Sentimental, corny

• Shmatteh - Rag, anything worthless , old dress

• Shmeis - Bang, wallop

• Shmek tabik - Nothing of value (Lit., a pinch of snuff)

• Shmeer - The business; the whole works; to bribe, to coat like butter

• Shmegegi - Buffoon, idiot, fool

• Shmeichel - To butter up

• Schmeikel - To swindle, con, fast-talk.

• Shmendrik - nincompoop; an inept or indifferent person; same as shlemiel

• Shmo(e) - Naive person, easy to deceive; a goof (Americanism)

• Shmok (taboo) - Self-made fool; obscene for penis: derisive term for a man , dumb

• Shmontses -Trifles, folly

• Shmooz; (shmuess) - Chat, talk, gossip 

• Shmulky! - A sad sack!

• Shmuts - Dirt, slime, stains 

• Shmutzik - Dirty, soiled

• Shnapps - Whiskey, same as bronfen

• Shnecken - Little fruit and nut coffee rolls

• Shneider - Tailor; in gin rummy card game, to win game without opponent scoring

• Shnell - Quick, quickly

• Shnook - A patsy, a sucker, a sap, easy-going, person easy to impose upon, gullible

• Shnorrer - A beggar who makes pretensions to respectability; sponger, a parasite, lives off others 

• Shnur - Daughter-in-law

• Shoymer - Watchman; historically refers also to the armed Jewish watchman in the early agricultural settlements in the Holy Land

• Shoymer mitzves - Pious person

• Shoyn ainmol a' metsei-eh! - Really a bargain

• Shoyn fargessen? - You have already forgotten?

• Shoyn genug! - That's enough!

• Shpilkes - Pins and needles, impatient 

• Shpitsfinger - Toes

• Shpogel nei - Brand-new

• Shreklecheh zach - A terrible thing

• Shtark, shtarker - Strong, brave

• Shtark gehert - Smelled bad (used only in reference to food; Lit., strongly heard)

• Shtark vi a ferd - Strong as a horse , healthy

• Shav - Cold spinach soup, sorrel grass soup, sour leaves soup

• Shtik - Piece, bit: a special bit of acting or comedy

• Shtik drek (taboo) - Piece of shit; shit-head, bad person 

• Shtik goy - Idiomatic expression for one inclined to heretical views, or ingnorance of Jewish religious values

• Shtik naches - Grandchild, child, or relative who gives you pleasure; a great joy

• Stikel - Small bit or piece; a morsel

• Shtiklech - Tricks; small pieces

• Shtilinkerait - Quietly

• Shtoltz - Pride; unreasonably and stubbornly proud, excessive self-esteem

• Shtrudel - Sweet cake made of paper-thin dough rolled up with various fillings

• (A) Shtunk - A guy who doesn't smell too good; a stink (bad odor) a lousy human

• Shtup - Push, shove; vulgarism for sexual intercourse

• Shtup es in toches! (taboo) - Shove (or stick) it up your rectum (ass)!

• Shul - Colloquial Yiddish for synagogue

• Shule - School

• Shushkeh - A whisper; an aside

• Shutfim - Associates

• Shvachkeit - Weakness

• Shvegerin - Sister-in-law

• Shvengern - Be pregnant

• Shver - Father-in-law; heavy, hard, difficult

• Shviger - Mother-in-law

• Shvindel - Fraud, deception, swindle

• Shvindeldik - Dizzy, unsteady

• Shvitz bod - Steam bath

• Shvoger - Brother-in-law

• Sidder - Jewish prayer book for weekdays and Saturday

• Simcheh - Joy; also refers to a joyous occasioin

• Sitzfleish - Patience that can endure sitting (Lit., sitting flesh)

• Smetteneh - Sour cream; Cream

• Sof kol sof - Finally

• S'teitsh! - Listen! Hold on! How is that? How is that possible? How come?

• Strasheh mich nit! - Don't threaten me!