- schlemiel
- \ \ see SHEMOZZLE
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
schlemiel
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schlemiel — (n.) awkward, clumsy person, 1892, from Yiddish shlemiel bungler, from main character in A. von Chamisso s German fable The Wonderful History of Peter Schlemihl (1813), probably from Biblical name Shelumiel (Num. i:6), chief of the tribe of… … Etymology dictionary
schlemiel — [n] dolt blockhead*, boob*, bungler, dimwit*, dope, dork*, dumbbell*, dunce, fool, goof*, goon*, idiot, ignoramus, jerk, lunkhead*, meathead*, nincompoop*, ninny*, nitwit*, sap*, schmuck, simpleton, stooge*, stupid; concepts 412,423 … New thesaurus
schlemiel — ☆ schlemiel [shlə mēl′ ] n. [W Yiddish shlemil < Heb shelumiel, name of a tribal chief (see Num. 1:6), identified in the Talmud with a prince who met an unfortunate end] Slang an ineffectual, bungling person who habitually fails or is easily… … English World dictionary
Schlemiel — Der Ausdruck Schlemihl (von jiddisch: Schlamassel) bezeichnet in der ostjüdischen Kultur den sprichwörtlichen Pechvogel, Unglücksraben, Narren. Massel (מזל mazal) bedeutet Glück im Jiddischen. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Zur Figur des Schlemihl 2 Der… … Deutsch Wikipedia
schlemiel — UK [ʃləˈmiːl] / US [ʃləˈmɪl] noun [countable] Word forms schlemiel : singular schlemiel plural schlemiels American informal someone who is not very intelligent or lucky and who makes a lot of mistakes … English dictionary
schlemiel — AND schlemihl; shlemiel[Jla”mil] n. a gullible person; a loser. (From Hebrew Shelumiel via Yiddish.) □ See if you can get that schlemiel to buy the Brooklyn Bridge. □ The stupid schlemiel says he already bought it yesterday … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
schlemiel — n a fool, clumsy unfortunate, loser. A Yid dish word (pronounced shler meal ) used with a mixture of pity and con tempt. In 1813 von Chamisso wrote Peter Schlemihl s Wunderbare Geschlichte; a parable describing a man selling his shadow and his… … Contemporary slang
schlemiel — , shlemiel (shleh MEEL) [Yiddish, from Hebrew] In slang, an awkward, inept, or clumsy person; a bungler; one who is easily deceived. See also klutz, schlimazel. Benny Profane, self styled schlemiel wanderer through the streets of… … Dictionary of foreign words and phrases
Schlemiel the painter's Algorithm — In software development, a Schlemiel the Painter [ s] algorithm denotes any methodology that is inefficient because the programmer has overlooked some fundamental issues at the very lowest levels of software design. The term was coined by… … Wikipedia
schlemiel — also shlemiel noun Etymology: Yiddish shlemil Date: 1892 an unlucky bungler ; chump … New Collegiate Dictionary
schlemiel — /shleuh meel /, n. Slang. an awkward and unlucky person for whom things never turn out right. Also, schlemihl, shlemiel. [1890 95; < Yiddish shlemil < Heb shalumi el Shelumiel, a Biblical and Talmudic figure] * * * … Universalium
