שלימזל

Yiddish

FWOTD – 15 September 2016

Etymology

From Middle High German slim (“crooked”) and Hebrew מַזָּל (mazzāl, “luck”) . For the first part, cf. modern German schlimm (“bad, awful”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃʎɪˈmazɫ̩/

Noun

שלימזל • (shlimazl) n

1. bad luck, misfortune

Derived terms

• שלימזלדיק (shlimazldik, “unlucky, misfortunate”)

Descendants

• → English: shemozzle, schlimazel
• → German: Schlamassel

Noun

שלימזל • (shlimazl) m, plural שלימזלען (shlimazlen)

1. unlucky person, luckless person, person with perpetual bad luck
   • 2014 May 18, Sergo Bengelsdorf, “מײַן ערשטע באַגעגעניש מיט „ייִדישפּיל‟ [mayn ershte bagegenish mit „yidishpil‟]”, in Der Forverts‎^[1]:

     ער איז אַ פּאָעט, אַ דראַמאַטורג, אַ קאָמפּאָזיטאָר, אַ נישקשהדיקער זינגער — און פֿאָרט אין דער זעלבער צײַט אַ נעבעכדיקער שלימזל, אַזוי ווי טרײַנסטמאַנס העלד.

     er iz a poet, a dramaturg, a kompozitor, a nishkoshediker zinger — un fort in der zelber tsayt a nebekhdiker shlimazl, azoy vi traynstmans held.

     He is a poet, a playwright, a composer, a not-so-bad singer – and then at the same time a miserable schlimazel, like Treinstman’s protagonist.

2. clumsy person
3. (derogatory) ne'er-do-well, good-for-nothing, complete failure

Usage notes

Can be used about both male and female alike

Derived terms

• שלימזלניק (shlimazlnik, “slovenly man”)
• שלימזלניצע (shlimazlnitse, “slovenly woman”)

Descendants

• English: schlimazel