שלימזל
Yiddish
Etymology
From Middle High German slim (“crooked”) and Hebrew מַזָּל (mazzāl, “luck”)
Pronunciation
Noun
שלימזל • (shlimazl) n
Derived terms
- שלימזלדיק (shlimazldik, “unlucky, misfortunate”)
Descendants
- → English: shemozzle, schlimazel
- → German: Schlamassel
Noun
שלימזל • (shlimazl) m, plural שלימזלען (shlimazlen)
- unlucky person, luckless person, person with perpetual bad luck
- 2014 May 18, Sergo Bengelsdorf, “מײַן ערשטע באַגעגעניש מיט „ייִדישפּיל‟”, 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.
- clumsy person
- (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