So You Think You’re a Mensch? Advanced Yiddish for Show-Offs

Sure, you know your oy veys from your kvetching. But can you drop a perfectly timed ongeblozen at brunch? Impress your Bubbe (and confuse your goyish friends) with these advanced Yiddish words that deserve a comeback—along with some Mazel Tees to match.

Ongeblozen (ohn-geh-BLOH-zen)

Adjective. Full of yourself. Inflated ego.
Example: “He gave a 20-minute TED Talk about his sourdough starter. So ongeblozen.”
👉 Our designs will keep you stylish without the ego.

Farkakte (far-KAHK-teh)

Adjective. Screwed up, ridiculous, a total mess.
Example: “This farkakte printer jammed during my Zoom job interview.”
👉 Wear the chaos proudly with Mazel Tees.

Tsuris (TSOO-ris)

Noun. Trouble, aggravation, heartache. The baggage life hands you when you’re just trying to eat a bagel in peace.
Example: “My cat gave me tsuris by throwing up on the rug five minutes before guests arrived.”
👉 We can’t fix your tsuris, but we’ve got mugs to sip through it.

Nebbish (NEH-bish)

Noun. A timid, ineffectual person. The guy who apologizes when you bump into him.
Example: “Such a nebbish—he texted ‘sorry’ three times before asking for extra cream cheese.”

Your Advanced Placement in Yiddish Studies

If the beginner’s guide was bagels and schmear, this list is like adding lox, tomato, capers, and a side of Bubbe’s unsolicited advice. Drop these words into conversation and watch everyone think you’re a linguistic genius. Or at least, that you’ve got style.