FERSHTAY?: Do you understand?  Most of the time I didn’t.

My parents were fluent in Yiddish.  They would talk to each other in that language but never to my sister and me.  The consequence is that I learned a few words but not enough to hold a conversation.  With the passing of time I have come to realize that many of those words are now part of American English.

Most recently it was brought to my attention when a Businessweek article about a Japanese business man was referred to as a Maven in his area of expertise on advising his clients on investments. Maven is a Yiddish word for expert.  How many of you knew that?

I used the word Mishigas to describe Washington today.  It means craziness in Yiddish.

What other Yiddish words are now part of the American English vocabulary?

Chutzpah – Extreme nerve or arrogance; confidence with a negative connotation. “Donald Trump’s campaign is all chutzpah.” Or Donald Trump has lots of Chutzpah.

Spritz or Shpritz – comes from Yiddish meaning a spray

Klutz – Directly translates to “block of wood”; commonly used in English to describe a particularly clumsy person.

Schlep – To carry something heavy, or to make a long and tedious journey. “I schlepped all the way to class, only to find out that it was cancelled.”

Kvetch – To complain or whine. “We know that you have a lot of work to do, but quit kvetching about it.”

Schmooze – If you schmooze you  Chat, make small talk, converse about nothing in particular.

Mensch – A person of integrity and honor.

Nosh – To eat or nibble, as in “I’d like something to nosh on before dinner.”

Spiel – a sale pitch or an otherwise (un)persuasive speech. Alternatively spelled shpiel, this comes from the German word spiel, meaning “play”.

Oy Vey – exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise. “Oy, Jessica is such a pretty and smart girl. Why can’t she find a husband already?”

Putz – A jerk, or a self-made fool, but this word literally means penis.

Shmatte – A rag or old garment.

Tookis (tuchis) – Butt, behind, sometimes shortened to tush or tushy.

Care to add to this list?