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It means a person who never got it together in his life, a sap for whom things never seemed to work out. Closely related to a "schlimazel" ... a person beset at every turn with bad luck. In the Seinfeld ensemble, George Constanza was one part schlemiel and one part schlimazel. Surprisingly, the word is a biblical name. See B'midbar (Numbers) 1:6. "Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai" was a top man in the tribe of Simeon during the 40-year trek through the desert. The Torah doesn't recount any details of his personal story, but the Midrash describes a string of sad experiences that befell him, and his name became a symbol for unproductive life, in Jewish folklore.

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2w ago

In Yiddish, "schlemiel" refers to a socially awkward or clumsy person who is prone to making mistakes or causing problems inadvertently. It is often used humorously to describe someone who is a bit of a goof or a bumbler.

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Q: What does schlemiel mean in yiddish?
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How do you spell schlemiel?

That is the correct spelling of the Yiddish term "schlemiel" (jerk, bungler).


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In Yiddish slang, a "dimwit" is often referred to as a "schlemiel" or a "schlemazel." These terms are used to describe someone who is clumsy, unlucky, or foolish.


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How do you use shlemiel in a sentence?

Secret Agent 86 (MaxwellSmart) from the sitcom GetSmart! is an excellent example of a shlemiel.This Yiddish word can be spelt in a variety of ways: shlemiel, schlemihl, or schlemiel.Every schlemiel has his schlemazel.The schlemiel is the guy in the restaurant that spills his soup. The schlemazel is the guy he happens to spill it on.See the related link(s) listed below for more information:


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Ruth R. Wisse has written: 'Jews and Power (Jewish Encounters)' 'What shall live and what shall die' -- subject(s): History and criticism, Translations into English, Yiddish poetry 'I.L.PERETZ READER,THE' 'Jews and power' 'The schlemiel as modern hero' -- subject(s): American fiction, Heroes in literature, History and criticism, Intellectual life, Jewish authors, Jewish fiction, Jews, Jews in literature, Judaism and literature, Schlemiel in literature, Yiddish literature


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"Redstu Yiddish" is Yiddish for "Do you speak Yiddish?"


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In Yiddish, the one word would be "schlemiel", a person of whom you'd say "If it weren't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all." Other words to describe him are unfortunate, or jinxed.


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