The Best Yiddish Words

"If you don't have anything nice to say, say it in Yiddish!" ~ Yiddish Proverb

Yiddish is arguably the most fun language ever. It's both humorous, dark, and largely insulting. Spoken by Ashkenazi Jews, Yiddish is similar to German, with some Hebrew and other Slavic languages thrown in for kicks. How many ways to call someone an “idiot” does one person need? Apparently a lot! Here are some of the best Yiddish words ever:

• Balaboosta: The ultimate Jewish homemaker — she cooks, she cleans, she fries latkes.
• Bubbe: Grandmother.
• Bubbeleh: A term of endearment, darling.
• Bupkis: Worthless or nada.
• Chutzpah: Nerve. As in, “It took a lot of chutzpah for you to take the last bagel!”
• Klutz: A clumsy person.
• Kvell: To beam with pride.
• Kvetch: To complain.
• Mazel Tov: Literally means “good luck” but it's an expression for “congratulations”.
• Mensch: A good person.
• Meshugina: Craziness.
• Nosh: To snack.
• Oy vey: An expression of dismay.
• Plotz: To collapse.
• Putz / Schmuck: An idiot.
• Schlep: To drag.
• Shlemiel: A clumsy person.
• Shlimazel: Someone with bad luck.
• Shmooze: To make small talk.
• Schmutz: Dirt.
• Shvitz: Sweat.
• Tchatchke: A knick-knack.
• Yenta: A female gossip.