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adduce (v.)

to bring forward in argument or as evidence; cite as pertinent or conclusive: to adduce reasons in support of a constitutional amendment.

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A language is the soul of its people. This is nowhere illustrated more profoundly than in the Yiddish language, the language of Jews of eastern and central Europe and their descendants. A tongue full of wit and charm, Yiddish embodies deep appreciation of human behavior in all its colorful manifestations. The word Yiddish comes from German Judisch meaning Jewish. But it is not the same as Hebrew, even though it is written in Hebrew script.

Here's what Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer had to say about the language in his 1978 Nobel Prize acceptance speech:

Yiddish language - a language of exile, without a land, without frontiers, not supported by any government, a language which possesses no words for weapons, ammunition, military exercises, war tactics ...   There is a quiet humor in Yiddish and a gratitude for every day of life, every crumb of success, each encounter of love. The Yiddish mentality is not haughty. It does not take victory for granted. It does not demand and command but it muddles through, sneaks by, smuggles itself amidst the powers of destruction, knowing somewhere that God's plan for Creation is still at the very beginning ...   In a figurative way, Yiddish is the wise and humble language of us all, the idiom of frightened and hopeful Humanity.

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schnorrer

PRONUNCIATION: (SHNOR-uhr) MEANING: noun: One who habitually takes advantage of others' generosity,   often through an air of entitlement. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish, from German schnurren (to purr, hum, or whir), from the sound of a beggar's musical instrument. USAGE: "Wilberforce opens his dining room to every schnorrer who appears at the door." Jan Stuart; Fighting a Good Fight; Newsday (New York); Feb 23, 2007.

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schmendrik

PRONUNCIATION: (SHMEN-drik) MEANING: noun: A foolish, clueless, and naive person. ETYMOLOGY: After the name of the title character in an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden (1840-1908). USAGE: "With his nasal whine and ill-fitting, slush-sprayed suit, comedian Eugene Levy played the sort of obnoxious schmendrik that would prove his trademark." Guy Leshinski; The Importance of Being Eugene; Toronto Life (Canada); Nov 2002.

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golem

PRONUNCIATION: (GO-luhm, -lem)

MEANING: noun:   1. An automaton.   2. A blockhead.

ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish goylem, from  Hebrew golem (shapeless mass). First recorded use: 1897.

NOTES: In Jewish legend a golem was a human-like figure brought to life supernaturally. The most famous of these golem stories is of the golem of Prague, in which a 16th century rabbi created a golem to protect the Jews from anti-Semitic attacks.

USAGE:  "I've created a golem that will continue to live, no matter what I do.   Books get burnt and websites disappear, but my e-mail accounts continue to get spammed."

  Serge Debrebant; Berthold Metz: "I'm Trying To Become The World's   Most-Spammed Person"; Financial Times (London, UK); Apr 17, 2010.

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shamus

PRONUNCIATION: (SHAH-muhs, SHAY-)

MEANING: noun:   1. A private detective.   2. A police officer.

ETYMOLOGY: Perhaps from Yiddish shames/shammes (sexton, a caretaker at a synagogue), from Hebrew shamash (servant). The spelling of the word has altered from the influence of the Celtic name Seamus (equivalent to James) as many police officers in the US at the time, especially in New York, were Irish. First recorded use: 1925.

USAGE:  "A private eye is expected to be whip-smart and tough as nails, but if the guy isn't likable, he's D.O.A. as a genre hero. So it's nice to note that Vlodek Elstrom, a shamus from a tumbledown town in northern Illinois has lost none of his initial appeal in its sequel."

  Marilyn Stasio; A Need for Noir; The New York Times; Jan 23, 2009.

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kvell

PRONUNCIATION: (kvel) MEANING: verb intr.: To feel proud; to beam; to gloat. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish kveln, from German quellen (to gush, to well up). USAGE: "However, Chet landed happily at NECN, where he is admired and coddled by management who can't kvell enough about Chet." Monica Collins; 'Dog Days' a Sunny Walk in the Park; Boston Herald; Oct 20, 2002.

"His tone dared me not to celebrate, dared me not to kvell." Mimi Harrison; Das Kapital; The Washington Post; Mar 12, 2000.

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naches

PRONUNCIATION: (NAKH-es) MEANING: noun: Emotional gratification or pride, especially taken vicariously at the achievement of one's children. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish (nakhes), from Hebrew nakhat (contentment). Earliest documented use: 1929. Also see kvell. USAGE: "So while I love living in this adopted country of mine, I will never get the naches from shopping here that I do in America." Ann Kleinberg; Confessions of a Mad Shopper; The Jerusalem Post (Israel); Sep 5, 2003.

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kibitzer

PRONUNCIATION: (KIB-it-suhr) MEANING: noun: An onlooker who offers unwanted advice or criticism, for example at a card game. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish kibitsen, from German kiebitzen (to look on at cards), from Kiebitz (busybody, literally pewit or lapwing, a bird with a bad reputation as a meddler). Earliest documented use: 1927. USAGE: "Don't listen to the Internet kibitzers. Arthur Chu is playing the game right." Ken Jennings; Arthur Chu Is Playing Jeopardy! the Right Way; Slate (New York); Feb 10, 2014.

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macher

PRONUNCIATION: (MAHKH-uhr) MEANING: noun: 1. A person of influence, one who gets things done. 2. A self-important overbearing person. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish makher, from German macher (maker or doer). Earliest documented use: 1911. USAGE: "They weren't all his ideas, but he -- he, Andrew Cuomo -- was the macher who'd do it." Scott Raab; The Perfect Prince of Cool; Esquire (New York); Nov 2000.

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ganef

PRONUNCIATION: (GAH-nuhf) MEANING: noun: A thief, swindler, or rascal. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish, from Hebrew gannabh (thief). Earliest documented use: 1920. USAGE: "Seniors, particularly women, are the largest and most frequent target of financial scamsters, and this ganef takes the cupcake." Malcolm Berko; Life Insurance, Farmland, and Facebook; Creators Syndicate (Los Angeles); Nov 6, 2013.

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pisher

PRONUNCIATION: (PISH-uhr) MEANING: noun: 1. A bedwetter. 2. A young, inexperienced person. 3. An insignificant person: a nobody. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish pisher (pisser), from German pissen (to urinate). Earliest documented use: 1941. USAGE: "Natey said, 'I wanted to impress you, to show you that the pisher from Cabin Three at Camp Ojibwa was now a serious player.'" Joseph Epstein; Onto a Good Thing; Commentary (New York); May 2013.

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luftmensch

PRONUNCIATION: (LOOFT-mensh)

MEANING: noun: An impractical dreamer.

ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish, from luft (air) + mensch (man, person), from German. Earliest documented use: 1907.

NOTES: A luftmensch is, literally, an airman, someone with his head in the clouds. A luftmensch is unconcerned with such practical matters as earning a living. Read about a luftmensch ("Dentist and Restaurateur") in this short story by Israel Zangwill.

USAGE: "Shavit thinks himself a hardened realist, but maybe he's another kind of luftmensch." Geoffrey Wheatcroft; A Romantic Dream; The Spectator (London, UK); Feb 22, 2014.

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schlockmeister

PRONUNCIATION: (SHLOK-my-stuhr) MEANING: noun: One who deals in inferior goods. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish shlak (evil, nuisance) + German Meister (master). Earliest documented use: 1965. USAGE: "Schlockmeister Ed Wood was supposedly the world's worst director." Philippa Hawker and Jake Wilson; Top 10 Films; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Jul 17, 2010. "You're a Harvard historian, for god's sake, not a pop schlockmeister looking for a quick buck." Dan Brown; The Da Vinci Code; Doubleday; 2003.

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schmegeggy or schmegegge

PRONUNCIATION: (shmuh-GEG-ee)

MEANING: noun: 1. A stupid person. 2. Nonsense.

ETYMOLOGY: Formed on the pattern of other Yiddish words starting with schm-, for example, schmuck. Also see meshuga. First recorded use: 1964.

USAGE:  "Dr. Eric Kandel*: I was a schmegeggy. To think that each one of these   complex mental structures had a single locale and that I could find them   in six months was absurd. I learned to be more realistic."   Claudia Kalb; Interview: Biology of the Mind; Newsweek (New York);   Mar 27, 2006.   *2000 Nobel Prize in physiology / medicine

"What did you have to do with it? Your parents were Mormon. What kind of   schmegeggy is this?"   Jess Stearn; Soulmates; Bantam; 1984.

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potch

PRONUNCIATION: (poch) MEANING: verb. tr.: To slap or spank. noun: A slap or spanking. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish patshn (to slap), of imitative origin. Earliest documented use: 1892. USAGE: “There are two schools of thought on the subject of potching. The first is that parents should never potch, no matter what was done and regardless of the circumstances.” Dovid Kaplan; Polishing Diamonds: Bringing Out the Sparkle in Our Children; Hamodia; 2005.

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verklempt

PRONUNCIATION: (fuhr-KLEMT, vuhr-) MEANING: adjective: Overcome with emotion; choked up. ETYMOLOGY: From Yiddish farklempt (overcome with emotion), from German verklemmt (inhibited). Earliest documented use: 1991. USAGE: “But it always makes me a little verklempt too, like my heart’s in my throat and I’m overcome with love.” Christie Blatchford; All Connected to the Hip; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); May 28, 2016.