Although schmuck is considered an obscene term in Yiddish, it has become a common American idiom for "jerk" or "idiot". It can be taken as offensive, however, by some Jews, particularly those with strong Yiddish roots.
What is the word schmuck slang for?
Next we come to 'schmuck', which in English is a rather vulgar definition of a contemptible or foolish person in other words, a jerk. In Yiddish the word 'שמאָק' (schmok) literally means 'penis'.Jun 3, 2015
What is a putz in Yiddish?
Noun. Yiddish puts, literally, "finery, show," probably from putsn "to clean, shine"; akin to German putzen "to adorn, clean"
Does schmuck mean foreskin?
So, the word schmuck has nothing to do with the word foreskin. The best explanation I've ever heard for its origins derives from a word for a little boy's penis, shmekl, which would be a Yiddish equivalent to referring to a boy's penis as a “pee-pee” in English.
What is the difference between a schmuck and putz?
In Jewish, a schmuck and a putz are both about stupid people. The difference is that a schmuck is out for number one, and a putz doesn't know his kop from his tuches. The guy who cuts you off in traffic to get home 10 seconds earlier is a schmuck. A putz is harmless, but a schmuck can give you tsuris.
What does Putz mean in Hebrew?
putz. A stupid fellow, a fool, a jerk; also a slang term for the penis, and for this reason, as Leo Rosten cautions in The Joys of Yiddish (1968), “Putz is not to be used lightly, or when women or children are around.” schlep (also schlepp, shlep).
What is the origin of the word putz?
putz (n.) "obnoxious man, fool," by 1964, from Yiddish, from German putz, literally "finery, adornment," obviously used here in an ironic sense. Attested in writing earlier in slang sense of "penis" (1934, in "Tropic of Cancer").