schmuck / putz

[prettygoodword]

schmuck - n., an obnoxious or contemptible person.

putz - n., a fool, an idiot.


Both terms from Yiddish, where they were vulgar (not to mention obscene) terms for a penis. Well, they also had these metaphoric extensions in Yiddish as well. It is sometimes claimed, but I cannot find an authority to back this up, that schmuck meant literally a big penis and putz a little one. Leo Rosten, among others, claims that in Yiddish putz is the more offensive term, so who knows.

Putz entered Yiddish from German putz, meaning finery, adornment -- its Yiddish meaning is ironic, obviously. The origin of schmuck is more obscure -- suggestions include Polish smok, snake, making it thus a euphemism for penis.

I originally was also going to include dork in this entry, but while it also originally meant penis, it is not a loan word but home-grown in English and so out-of-theme.

---L.

Comments

Putz

[sea-gaagii.livejournal.com]

I was always under the impression that Putz referred to the foreskin that was removed during circumcision - which makes 'adornment' make all the more humorous sense.

You can't have a Yiddish post without the requisite joke!
Herb Greenberg brings his horse to the vet. "Dr.", he says, "I think my horse is sick!".
The Dr. examines the horse, "She is not sick, she is pregnant."
Herb Scratches his head, "What do you mean, this is a male horse".
"What makes you think this horse is male?" asks the Dr.
Herb explains, "Everytime I ride him down the street, all the neighbors yell out, 'Look at the schmuck on that horse!'"
- rim shot -

Re: Putz

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Nope, it's the member itself.

I've heard that joke with a tourist on a camel instead of a horse.

---L.