The Yiddish language is a wonderful source of rich expressions: they’re expressive, humorous and cut right to the core
. No wonder they are so common in the English language
Keep reading to discover some of the best Yiddish words to spice up your speech!
︎Spiel
- a lengthy and extravagant speech or argument
- I listened to the car salesman's spiel but still refused to buy anything.
- She had been hearing this kind of spiel for thirty years now.
︎Klutz
- someone often dropping things or having accidents
- That kid drops everything all the time, he's such a klutz
- She always walks into doorframes - she's such a klutz!
︎Shtick
- a particular ability that somebody has
- Dancing really isn't my shtick.
- So people are saying that his slurred speech thing is actually his shtick.
︎Glitch
- a problem affecting function
- It’s probably just a computer glitch, try turning it off and then on again.
- If your phone keep glitching, call technical support.
︎Chutzpah
- supreme self-confidence
- It takes a lot of chutzpah to start your own business. Not everybody is cut out to be a business owner.
- Full of chutzpah, the arrogant man wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion to anyone.
VIDEO QUIZ extra vocabulary
Can you make out the words in the videos? What do you think they mean? 1. I just _____ up these bags five flights, this is the fifth floor. 2. You’re better than this _____ Haimlin. 3. Did you ever hear the phrase: ‘you get what you pay for’, you _____?
