Ykhjuy

Yinglish words (also referred to colloquially as Hebronics) are neologisms created by speakers of Yiddish in English-speaking countries, sometimes to describe things that were uncommon in the old country. Leo Rosten's book The Joys of Yiddish^[1] uses the words Yinglish and Ameridish to describe new words, or new meanings of existing Yiddish words, created by English-speaking persons with some knowledge of Yiddish. Rosten defines "Yinglish" as "Yiddish words that are used in colloquial English" (such as kibitzer)^[2] and Ameridish as words coined by Jews in the United States;^[3] his use, however, is sometimes inconsistent. According to his definition on page x, alrightnik is an Ameridish word; however, on page 12 it is identified as Yinglish.

The Joys of Yiddish describes the following words as Yinglish except where noted as Ameridish:

• 
  alrightnik, alrightnikeh, alrightnitseh – male, female, female individual who has been successful; nouveau riche^[4]
  


• 
  bleib shver  – from German bleibt schwer, meaning remains difficult - unresolved problem, especially in Talmud learning (cf. wikt:תיקו)


• 
  blintz (Yinglish because the true Yiddish is blintzeh)^[5]
  


• 
  bluffer, blufferkeh – male, female person who bluffs^[6]
  


• 
  boarderkeh, bordekeh – (Ameridish) female paying boarder^[7]
  


• 
  boychick, boychikel, boychiklekh – young boy, kiddo, handsome^[8]
  


• 
  bulbenik (Ameridish) – an actor who muffs his lines, from bilbul - mixup (alternative theory - bulba, literally potato, figuratively error)^[9]
  


• 
  bummerkeh (Ameridish) – a female bum


• 
  chutzpah (Ameridish) – audacity


• 
  cockamamy false, ersatz, crazy (of an idea), artificial, jury-rigged (prob. from Eng. "decalcomania," a "decal," a sticker, a cheap process for transferring images from paper to glass.) In the Bronx, in the first half of the 20th century, a "cockamamie" was a washable temporary "tattoo" distributed in bubblegum packets.


• 
  donstairsikeh, donstairsiker – female, male living downstairs


• 
  dresske – bargain-basement dress


• 
  fin – five, or five-dollar bill, shortened form of Yiddish פינף finif (five)


• 
  kosher – Yinglish, not in its religious or Yiddish meanings, but only in five slang senses: authentic, trustworthy, legitimate, fair, and approved by a higher source. Its pronunciation, as "kōsher", is another distinguishing factor, as in true Yiddish it is pronounced "kūsher" or "kösher"


• 
  mensch – a person of uncommon maturity and decency


• 
  nextdoorekeh, nextdooreker – female, male living next door


• 
  opstairsikeh, opstairsiker (Ameridish) – female, male living upstairs


• 
  pisha paysha – corruption of English card game "Pitch and Patience"


• 
  sharopnikel (Ameridish) – a small object that causes quieting, such as a pacifier, teething ring


• 
  shmata - everyday clothing (literally "rags")


• 
  shmegegge (Ameridish) – an unadmirable or untalented person


• 
  shmo – shortened version of 'shmock' or 'shmearal', see 'shnuk'


• 
  shnuk (Ameridish) – an idiotic person


• 
  tararam – a big tummel
  


• 
  tuchas – buttocks
  

See also

• Ashkenazi Hebrew


• Coffee Talk


• Denglisch


• Scots-Yiddish

References

Bibliography

External links

• A nice list of choice Yiddish/Ameridish words