A Glossary for Yiddish in Portnoy’s Complaint

bonditt: mischievous or clever person

bubala: a term of endearment for children, similar to “sweetheart”

chazerai: trash food, junk food or simply junk. It originates from chazer (khazer) for “pig.”

flaishik, flaishedigeh: meat or meat products

goy, goi: gentile (not Jewish), goyim (plural)

goyishe: adjective for gentile

hebe: pronounced [heeb], slur for a Jewish person

kishkas: guts, intestines

kugel: sweet, egg noodle casserole

kvetch: complain

milchik, or milchig: dairy products, from milch (milk)

mishegoss: [mish-uh-goss] craziness

meshuggeneh: crazy

pishachs: [pish-akhs] piss

pisher: pisser, worthless person

putz: penis

rachmones, rachmonis: [rach-mo-nis] sympathy, compassion

schmegeggy: idiot

schmuck: idiot

shande: shame

shiva: Jewish tradition of seven days of mourning following a funeral

shaygets, shegetz: young, non-Jewish man

shikse, shiksa: non-Jewish woman

shkotzim: non-Jewish men

shlemiel: unlucky, foolish person

shlong: penis

shmendrick: fool, stupid person

shmutzig: dirty

shmatta: rags

shnoz nose

shvantz: penis

shvartze, schvartze, shvartzer: black person (politically incorrect)

shvitz: sweat

shtark: religiously intense, rigid

shtunk: nasty person (an insult)

shtup: have sex

tateleh: little boy

tsatskeleh: toy

tsura: trouble

vantz: bedbug

yiddel: little boy

zaftig: plump, or fat, in an attractive way

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