List of Yiddish Words and Expressions

U

• Um-be-rufen - Unqualified, uncalled for; God forbid; (A deprecation to ward off the evil eye)
• Um-be-shrien - God forbid!  It shouldn't happen!
• Umgeduldik - Petulant
• Ummeglich! - Impossible!
• Umglick - A misfortune; (masc) A born loser; an unlucky one
• Umshteller - Braggart
• Umzist - For nothing
• Umzitztiger fresser - free loader, especially one who shows up only to eat (and EAT!)
• Unger bluzen - Bad mood.  Swollen with anger.
• Ungerissen beheiman - A totally stupid person. Lit., an untamed animal. Not wild, just dumb.
• Un langeh hakdomes! - Cut it short! (lit., Without a long introduction)
• Unter fir oygn - Privately
• Unterkoifen - To bribe
• Untershmeichlen - To butter up
• Untervelt mentsh - Racketeer
• Untn - Below
• Utz - To goad, to needle

V

• Vahksin zuls du vi a tsibeleh, mitten kup in drerd - May you grow like an onion, with your head in the ground!
• Vahksin zuls du, tsu gezunt, tsu leben, tsu langeh yor - May you grow to health, to life, to long years. (Each may me said when someone sneezes)
• Vai! - Woe, pain; usually appears as "oy vai!"
• Vai is mir! - Woe is me!
• Vai vind iz meine yoren - "Woe is me!"
• Vais ich vos - Stuff and nonsense!  Says you! (Lit., Know from what)
• Vaitik - An ache
• Valgeren zich - Wander around aimlessly
• Valgerer - Homeless wanderer
• Vaneh - Bath, bathtub
• Vannit - Where (from) "Fon vannit kimmt ihr?" (Where do you come from?)
• Vantz - Bedbug; (slang) a nobody
• Varenikehs - Round shaped noodle dough stuffed with meat, potato, etc. and fried
• Varfen an oyg - To look out for; to guard; to mind (Lit., To throw an eye at)
• Varnishkes - Kasha and noodles
• Vart! - Wait! Hold on!
• Vash-tsimmer - Bathroom, washroom
• Vash-tsimmer far froyen - Ladie's room
• Vash-tsimmer far menner - Men's room
• Vayt fun di oygn,vayt fun hartsn - Far from the eyes, far from the heart. Equivalent to "Out of sight, out of mind."
• Vechter - Watchman
• Veibernik - Debauchee
• Veibershe shtiklach - Female tricks
• Veis vi kalech! - Pale as a sheet!
• Vek-zaiger - Alarm clock
• Vemen barestu? - (taboo) Whom are you kidding? (Lit., Whom are you screwing?)
• Vemen narstu? - Whom are you fooling?
• Ver derharget! - Get killed!  Drop dead! (Also "ver geharget)
• Ver dershtikt! - Choke yourself!
• Ver farblondjet! - Get lost!  Go away!
• Verklempt - Extremely emotional.  On the verge of tears. (See "Farklempt")
• Ver tsuzetst - "Go to hell" (or its equivalent)
• Ver vaist? - Who knows?
• Ver volt dos gegleybt? - Who would have believed it?
• Veren a tel - To be ruined
• Veren ferherret - To get married
• Vi a barg - Large as a mountain
• Vi der ruach zogt gut morgen - Where the devil says good morning! (has many meanings; usually appended to another phrase)
• Vi gait dos gesheft? - How's business?
• Vi gait es eich? - How goes it with you? How are you? How are you doing?
• Vi gaits? - How goes it? How are things? How's tricks?
• Vi haistu? - What's your name?
• Vi ruft men...? - What is the name of...?
• Vi ruft men eich? - What is your name?
• Viazoy? - How come?
• Vie Chavele tsu der geht - Literally: Like Chavele on her way to her divorce; meaning "all spruced up."
• Vifil? - How much?
• Vilder mentsh - A wild one; a wild person
• Vilder chaiah - Wild animal or out of control child or adult
• Vilstu - Do you want...
• Vo den? - What else?
• Voglen - To wander around aimlessly
• Voiler yung! - Roughneck (sarcastic expression)
• Voncin - Bed bug
• Vortshpiel - Pun, witticism
• Vos art es (mich)? - What does it matter (to me)? What do I care?
• Vos barist du? - (taboo) What are you screwing around for? What are you fooling around for?
• Vos bei a nichteren oyfen lung, is bei a shikkeren oyfen tsung. - What a sober man has on his lung (mind), a drunk has on his tongue. 
• Vos draistu mir a kop? - What are you bothering me for? (Lit., Why are you twisting my head?)
• Vos failt zai? - What are they lacking?
• Vos gicher, alts besser - The faster, the better
• Vos hakst du mir in kop? - What are you talking my head off for?
• Vos hert zich? - What do you hear around?  What's up?
• Vos hert zich epes nei-es? - What's new?
• Vos heyst - what does it mean?
• Vos hob ich dos gedarft? - What did I need it for?
• Vos-in-der-kort - Capable of doing anything bad (applied to bad person; Lit., everything in the cards)
• Vos iz? - What's the matter?
• Vos iz ahfen kop, iz ahfen tsung! - What's on his mind is on his tongue!
• Vos iz der chil'lek? - What difference does it make?
• Vos iz der tachlis? - What's the purpose? Where does it lead to? 
• Vos iz di chochmeh? - What is the trick?
• Vos iz di untershteh shureh? - What's the point? What's the outcome? (Lit., What on the bottom line?)
• Vos iz mit dir? - What's wrong with you?
• Vos kocht zich in teppel? - What's cooking?
• Vos macht a yid? - How's it going?
• Vos macht vos oys? - What difference does it make?
• Vos macht es mir oys? - What difference does it make to me?
• Vos macht ir? - How are you? (pl.); How do you do?
• Vos Machstu? - How are you? (singular)
• Vos maint es? - What does it mean?
• Vos noch? - What else?  What then?
• Vos ret ir epes? - What are you talking about?
• Vos tut zich? - What's going on? What's cooking?
• Vos vet zein - What will be
• Vos vet zein, vet zein! - What will be, will be!
• Vos zogt ir? - What are you saying?
• Vu tut dir vai? - Where does it hurt?
• Vus du vinsht mir, vinsh ikh dir. - What you wish me, I wish you.
• Vuhin gaitsu? - Where are you going?
• Vund - Wound
• Vursht - Bologna
• Vyzoso - Idiot (named after youngest son of Haman, archenemy of Jews in Book of esther); also, penis

W

• Wen der tati/fater gibt men tsu zun, lachen baiden.  Wen der zun gibt men tsu tati/fater, vainen baiden. - When the father gives to his son, both laugh.  When the son gives to the father, both cry.
• Wen ich ess, ch'ob ich alles in dread. - (Lit. When I am eating, I have everything in the ground.)  When I am eating, everybody can go to hell!

Y

• Yachneh - A coarse, loud-mouthed woman; a gossip; a slattern
• Yachsen - Man of distinguished lineage, highly connected person, privileged character
• Yarmelkeh - Traditional Jewish skull cap, usually worn during prayers; worn at all times by observant Orthodox Jews.
• Yahrtzeit - Anniversary of the day of death of a loved-one.
• Yashir koyech - May your strength continue
• Yatebedam - A man who threatens; one who thinks he's a "big shot"; a blusterer
• Yedies - News; cablegrams; announcements
• Yefayfiyeh - Beauty; woman of great beauty
• Yenems - Someone else's; (the brand of cigarettes moochers smoke!)
• Yeneh velt - The other world; the world to come
• Yenteh - Gabby, talkative woman; female blabbermouth
• Yente telebente - Mrs. National Enquirer
• Yentzen (taboo) - To fornicate, to whore
• Yeshiveh - Jewish traditional higher school, talmudical academy
• Yeshiveh bocher - Student of talmudic academy
• Yeshuvnik - Farmer, rustic
• Yichus - Pedigree, ancestry, family background, nobility
• Yiddisher kop - Jewish head
• Yiddishkeit - Having to do with all things relating to Jewish culture.
• Yingeh tsats-keh! - A young doll! A living doll!
• Yiskor - Prayer in commemoration of the dead (Lit., May God remember.)
• Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement (the most holy of holy days of the Jewish calendar)
• Yontefdik - Festive, holiday-ish; sharp (referring to clothes)
• Yortseit - Anniversary of the day of death of parents or relatives; yearly remembrance
• Yoysher - Justice, fairness, integrity
• Yukel - Buffoon
• (A) Yung mit bainer! - A powerhouse! Strongly built person
• Yung un alt - Young and old
• Yungatsh - Street-urchin, scamp, young rogue
• Yungermantshik - A young, vigorous lad; A newlywed
• Yusoimeh - Orphan

Z

• Zaft - Juice
• Zaftik - Pleasantly plump and pretty. Sensuous looking (Lit., juicy)
• Zaftikeh moid! - Sexually attractive girl
• Zaideh - Grandfather
• Zaier gut - O.K. (Lit., very good)
• Zaier shain gezogt! - Well said! (Lit., Very beautifully said!)
• Zee est vee a feigele - She eats like a bird
• Zeh nor, zeh nor! Look here, look here!
• Zei (t) gezunt - Be well! Goodbye! Farewell
• Zei mir frailich! - Be Happy!
• Zei mir gezunt! - Be well!
• Zei mir matriach - Be at pains to... Please; make an effort.
• Zei nit a nar! - Don't be a fool!
• Zei nit kain vyzoso! - Don't be an idiot!  Don't be a damn fool!
• Zeit azoy gut - Please (Lit., Be so good)
• Zeit ir doch ahfen ferd! - You're all set! (Lit., You're on the horse!)
• Zeit (mir) moychel - Excuse me! Be so good as...Forgive me!
• Zelig - Blessed (used mostly among German Jews in recalling a beloved deceased ----- mama zelig)
• Zeltenkeit - Rare thing
• Zetz - Shove, push, bang!  Also slang for a sexual experience (taboo)
• Zhaleven - To be sparing, miserly
• Zhlob - A jerk; slob, uncouth
• Zhu met (mir) in kop - A buzzing in one's (mind) head
• Zhulik - Faker
• Zi farmacht nit dos moyl - She doesn't stop talking (Lit., She doesn't close her mouth)
• Zindik nit - Don't complain. Don't tempt the Gods.
• Zingen - To sing
• Ziseh neshomeh - Sweet soul
• Ziseh raidelech - Sweet talk
• Ziskeit - Sweetness, sweetheart, (Also endearing term for a child)
• Zitsen ahf shpilkes - Sitting on pins and needles; to fidget
• Zitsen shiveh - Sit in mourning (Shiveh means 7 which is the number of days in the period of mourning
• Zitsflaish - Patience (Lit., Sitting meat)
• Zog a por verter - Say a few words!
• Zogen a ligen - Tell a lie
• Zogerkeh - Woman who leads the prayers in the women's section in the synagogue
• Zoineh - Prostitute
• Zok nit kin vey - Don't worry about it (Lit: Do not say woe)
• Zol dich chapen beim boych. - You should get a stomach cramp!
• Zol dir klappen in kop! - It should bang in your head (the way it is bothering me!)
• Zol er tsebrechen a fus! - May he break a leg!  He should break a leg!
• Zol es brennen! - The hell with it! (Lit., Let it burn!)
• Zol Got mir helfen!- May God help me!
• Zol Got ophiten! - May God prevent!
• Zol ich azoy vissen fun tsores! - I haven't got the faintest idea! (Lit., I should so know from trouble as I know about this!)
• Zol makekhs voxen offen tsung! - Pimples should grow on your tongue!
• Zol vaksen tzibbelis fun pipek! - Onions should grow from your bellybutton! 
• Zol ze vaksen ze ve a tsibble mit de kopin dreid - You should grow like an onion with your head in the ground. 
• Zol zein! - Let it be! That's all!
• Zol zein azoy! - O.K.! Let it be so!
• Zol zein gezunt! - Be well! 
• Zol zein mit glik! - Good luck!
• Zol zein shah! - Be quiet.  Shut up!!
• Zol zein shtil! - Silence! Let's have some quiet!
• Zolst geshvollen veren vi a barg! - You should swell up like a mountain!
• Zolst helfen vi a toyten bankes - It helps like like cupping helps a dead person.
• Zolst hobn tzen haizer, yeder hoiz zol hobn tzen tzimern, in yeder tzimer zoln zain tzen betn un zolst zij kaiklen fun ein bet in der tzweiter mit cadojes! - I wish you to have ten houses, each house with ten rooms, each room with ten beds and you should roll from one bed to the other with cholera. (not a very nice thing to say.)
• Zolst leben un zein gezunt! - You should live and be well!
• Zolst ligen in drerd! - Drop dead! (Lit., You should lie in the earth!)
• Zolst nit vissen fun kain shlechts. - You shouldn't know from evil.
• Zolst es shtipin in toches! - (taboo) Shove it up your rectum!
• Zolst zein vi a lomp-am tug sollst di hangen, in der nacht sollst di brennen - You should be like a lamp, you should hang during the day and burn during the night!
• Zolstu azoy laiben! - You should live so!
• Zorg zich nit! - Don't worry!
• Zuninkeh! - Dear son! Darling son!

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