560 Sayings
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EVENTS
Shalom Zochor
Preferred:
Tizku le-hachniso bi-vriso shel Avrohom Avinu, b’eeto u-biz-mano!
(May you merit to bring him into the covenant of Abraham, our forefather, in the appointed time).
Default:
Mazel Tov!
Naming of Girl
Mazel Tov!
Circumcision
Preferred:
Tizku LeGadlo LaTorah, U’LeChupah U’ LeMaasim Tovim!
(May you merit to raise him to The Torah, The wedding Canopy, and Good Deeds)
Default:
Mazel Tov!
Pideon HaBen
Mazel Tov!
Bar Mitzvah
Preferred:
For Ashkenazim: Mazel Tov! A Sach Nachas! (Lot’s of Jewish pride)
For Sefardim: Mazel Tov! Harbeh nachat! ! (Lot’s of Jewish pride)
Default:
Mazel Tov!
Wedding/Sheva Berachos
Preferred:
Tizku livnos bayis ne-eman be’yisoel.
(May you merit to build a faithful home in Israel)
Default:
Mazel Tov!
Death
Boruch Dayan Emess
(Blessed is the True Judge)
Shiva
For Ashkenazim: HaMakom Yenachem Eschem Besoch Shar Aveli Tzion Virushalayim
(May Hashem console you among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.)
For Sefardim: Min Hashamayim Tinuchamu (From shamayim you should be consoled/comforted)
HOLIDAYS
Rosh Chodesh
For Ashkenazim: A gut chodesh! (Have a good month!)
For Sefardim: Chodesh Tov! (Have a good month!)
Rosh HaShanah
To a Man:
LeShanah Tova Tikasev Vesaichaseim Lealtar Lechaim Tovim Uleshalom
May you be signed and sealed for a good year immediately for a life that is good and for peace.
To a Women:
LeShanah Tova Tikaseivi Vesaichaseimi Lealtar Lechaim Tovim Uleshalom
May you be signed and sealed for a good year immediately for a life that is good and for peace.
To a group of Men:
LeShanah Tova Tikaseivu Vesaichaseimu Lealtar Lechaim Tovim Uleshalom
May you be signed and sealed for a good year immediately for a life that is good and for peace.
To a group of Women:
LeShanah Tova Tikasavna Vesaichasamna Lealtar Lechaim Tovim Uleshalom
May you be signed and sealed for a good year immediately for a life that is good and for peace.
Yom Kippur
Gemar Chasima Tova! (A good sealing)
Shabbas Before and During
For Ashkenazim: Goot Shabbos (Have a good Shabbos!)
For Sefardim: Shabbat Shalom (Have a peaceful Shabbos!)
Motzei Shabbos
For Ashkenazim: A gut voch! (Have a good week!)
For Sefardim: Shavua Tov! (Have a good week!)
Pesach/ Shavuos/ Sukkos
For Ashkenazim: A gut yuntif (A joyous festival!)
For Sefardim: Chag Sameach! (A joyous festival!)
Chol HaMoed
Good Moed
Chanukah
For Ashkenazim: A freilichen Chanuka! (Happy Chanukah!)
For Sefardim: Chanukah Sameach! (Happy Chanukah!)
Purim
For Ashkenazim: A Frelichen Purim! (Happy Purim!)
For Sefardim: Purim Sameach (Happy Purim!)
A BI GEZUNT: So long as you're healthy. Expression means, "Don't worry so much about a problem, whatever it is. You've still got your health."
ALTER COCKER: An old and complaining person.
AY-YAY-YAY: A Joyous, or at times sarcastic, exclamation.
BALABUSTA: The wife of an important person.
BEI MIR BIST DU SHAYN: To me you're beautiful.
BERRYER: Denotes a woman who has excellent homemaking skills.
BISSEL, BISSELA: A little.
BOBBEMYSEH: Old wive's tales, nonsense.
BOYCHICK: An affectionate term for a young boy.
BROCHE: A prayer.
BUBBA: A grandmother.
BUBBALA: A term of endearment, darling.
BUPKES: Something worthless or absurd.
CHAYA: An animal. "Vilda Chaya," a wild animal, is a term used to describe unruly children.
CHAZEREI: Food that is awful, junk or garbage.
CHUTZPAH: Nerve; gall.
ESS: Eat.
FERBLUNJIT: Lost, mixed up.
FERDRAYT: Dizzy, confused.
FARPITZS: All dressed up.
FERMISHT: All shook up, as in an acute disturbance.
FERSHLUGINA: Beaten up, messed up, no good.
FERSHTAY?: Do you understand.
FERSHTINKINER: A stinker, a louse.
FERTUMMELT: Befuddled, confused.
FRESS: To eat like an animal, i.e., quickly, noisily, and in great quantity. (Compare with ess, to eat like a human being.)
GAVALT: A cry of fear or a cry for help. Oy Gevalt is often used as expression meaning "oh how terrible."
GAY AVEK: Go away, get out of here.
GAY GA ZINTA HATE: Go in good health. Often said in parting but can be spoken with irony to mean, "go do your own thing."
GAY SHLAFEN: Go to sleep.
GELT: Money.
GONIF: A thief, a tricky clever person, a shady character.
GOY: A derogatory term meaning gentile, goyim is the plural, and goyisher is the adjective.
GREPSE: To belch.
GORNISHT: Nothing. Often used in a sarcastic manner.
HAYMISH: Informal, friendly. A haimisher mensch is someone you feel comfortable with.
HOK A CHAINIK: To talk too much, to talk nonsense.
KIBITZ: To offer comments which are often unwanted during a game, to tease or joke around. A kibitzer gives unasked for advice.
KINE-AHORA: A phrase to ward off the evil eye or to show one's praises are genuine and not tainted by envy.
KISHKA: Intestines, belly. To hit someone in the "kishka" means to hit him in the stomach or guts.
KLUTZ: An awkward, uncoordinated person.
KOSHER: Refers to food that it prepared according to Jewish law. More generally kosher means legitimate.
KVELL: To beam with pride and pleasure, Jewish parents are prone to kvell over their children's achievements.
KVETCH: To annoy or to be an annoying person, to complain.
LOCH IN KOP: Literally a hole in the head, refers to things one definitely does not need.
LUFTMENSH: A dreamer, someone whose head is in the clouds.
LUZZEM: Leave him be, let her or him alone.
MACH SHNEL: Hurry up.
MACHER: An ambitious person; a schemer with many plans.
MAVEN: An expert, a connoisseur.
MAZEL TOV: Good luck, usually said as a statement of support or congratulations.
MEGILLAH: Long, complicated and boring.
MENSCH: A person of character. An individual of recognized worth because of noble values or actions.
MESHUGGE or MESHUGGINA: Crazy, refers to a more chronic disturbance.
MISHEGOSS: Inappropriate, crazy, or bizarre actions or beliefs.
MISHPOCHA: Family, usually extended family.
MOYL: The man who circumcises baby boys at a briss.
NACH A MOOL: And so on.
NACHES: Joy. To "shep naches" means to derive pleasure. Jewish children are expected to provide their parent with naches in the form of achievement.
NARRISHKEIT: Foolishness, trivia.
NOODGE: To bother, to push, a person who bothers you.
NOSH: To snack. NOSHERYE refers to food.
NU: Has many meanings including, "so?; How are things?; how about it?; What can one do?; I dare you!"
NUDNIK: A pest, a persistent and annoying person.
ONGEPOTCHKET: Messed up, slapped together without form, excessively and unesthetically decorated.
OY-YOY-YOY: An exclamation of sorrow and lamentation.
OY VEY: "Oh, how terrible things are". OH VEZ MEAR means "Oh, woe is me".
PLOTZ: To burst, to explode, "I can't laugh anymore or I'll "plotz." To be aggravated beyond bearing.
POTCHKA: To fool around; to be busy without a clear goal.
PUPIK: Belly button.
RACHMONES: Compassion.
SAYKHEL: Common sense.
SCHLOCK: A shoddy, cheaply made article, something thats been knocked around.
SCHMALTZ: Literally chicken fat. Usually refers to overly emotional and sentimental behavior.
SEI GAZUNT: Wishing someone good health.
SHADKHEN: a professional matchmaker.
SHANDA: A shame, a scandal. The expression "a shanda fur die goy" means to do something embarrassing to Jews where non-Jews can observe it.
SHAYGETS: A gentile boy and man, also means a clever lad or rascal.
SHAYNER: Pretty, wholesomely attractive, as in shayner maidel (woman.)
SHIKSA: A gentile girl or woman.
SHLEP: To carry or to move about. Can refer to a person, a "shlepper," who is unkempt and has no ambition.
SHLIMAZL: A chronically unlucky person.
SHMENDRICK: A weak and thin pipsqueak. The opposite of mensch, a a physically small shlemiel.
SHMEGEGGE: A petty person, an untalented person.
SHMATTA: A rag, often used as a putdown for clothes of the unfashionably dressed.
SHMEER: To spread as in to "shmeer" butter on bread.
SHMOOZ: To hang out with, a friendly gossipy talk.
SHMUTZIK: Dirt.
SHNORRER: A begger, a moocher, a cheapskate, a chiseler.
SHNOZ: A Nose.
SHTETL: A Jewish ghetto village.
SHTIK: A stick or thing. Often refers to an individual's unique way of presenting themselves.
SHVITZ: To sweat.
SPIEL: To play, as in to play a game.
TCHOTCHKA: An inexpensive trinket, a toy.
TSETUMMELT: Confused, bewildered.
TSIMMES: A side dish, a prolonged procedure, an involved and troubling business.
TSORISS: Suffering, woes.
TSUTCHEPPENISH: Something irratating that attaches itself like an obsession.
TUMMEL: Noise, commotion, disorder.
UNGABLUZUM: To look as if one is going to cry.
VER CLEMPT: All choked up.
VUS MACHS DA: What's happening? What's up?
YENTA: A busybody, usually refers to an older woman.
ZAFTIG: Juicy, plump. Can refer to food, ideas or people.
ZETZ: A strong blow or punch.
ZEYDE: Grandfather, or old man.
ZHLUB: An insensitive, ill-mannered person, a clumsy individual.