Ai-ai-ai (sometimes spelled “ai-yi-yi”) – an exclamation of strong emotion
Bagel – a hard ring-shaped bread roll
Blintz – a sweet cheese-filled crepe (from Yiddish blintse)
Bubkes (also spelled “bupkis”) – nothing, as in He isn’t worth bubkes (from Yiddish bobkes ‘little beans’)
Chutzpah – audacity, effrontery (from Yiddish khutspe)
Genug – enough
Gonef – thief (from Yiddish ganef, from Hebrew ganav)
Klutz – clumsy person (perhaps from Yiddish klots ‘wooden beam’)
Kosher – conforming to Jewish dietary laws. Slang: appropriate, legitimate.
Kvell – beam/ be proud
Kvetch – complain (from Yiddish kvetshn ‘press, squeeze’)
Lox – smoked salmon (from Yiddish laks ‘salmon’)
Macher – big shot, important person (e.g. within an organization)
Maven – expert (from Yiddish meyvn, from Hebrew mevin ‘one who understands’)
Mazel – luck
Mazel tov! – congratulations! (literally, ‘good luck’, from Hebrew)
Megillah – a long, document or discourse (from Yiddish megile, from Hebrew megillah ‘scroll’)
Mensch – an upright man; a decent human being (from Yiddish mentsh ‘person’)
Meshuga – crazy
Mishegoss – insane situation, irrationality (from Yiddish meshugas, from meshuge ‘crazy’)
Mishmosh – hodgepodge (from Yiddish mishmash)
Mishpucha – family (from Yiddish mishpokhe)
Nachas – pride (usage: I have nachas from you)
Nosh – snack (from Yiddish nashn)
Nudnik – pest, “pain in the neck”
Oy vey – Oh no! (literally, ‘Oh, pain!’)
Oy gevalt – Oh no! (from Yiddish gvald ’emergency’)
Plotz – to burst, as from strong emotion: “I was so angry, I thought I’d plotz!” (from Yiddish platsn ‘to crack’)
Shlemiel – an inept, clumsy person
Shlemazl – unlucky person (from Yiddish shlimazl, from German schlimm ‘bad’ and Yiddish mazl ‘luck’). The difference between a shlemiel and a schlemazl is described through the aphorism, “A shlemiel is somebody who often spills his soup; a shlemazl is the person the soup lands on.”
Shlep – to drag (an object)
Shmeer – to spread, e.g. the cream cheese on your bagel
Shnoz – nose (possibly from Yiddish shnoits ‘snout’)
Shtick – comic theme (from Yiddish shtik ‘piece, whims’)
Shpiel – a lengthy talk (from Yiddish shpil ‘play’)
Shtum – quiet (from Yiddish shtum ‘mute’)
Tsuris – troubles (from Yiddish tsores)