A.Word.A.D​ay--schlem​iel

[Dave Monroe]

A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel

PRONUNCIATION:
(shluh-MEEL)

MEANING:
noun: An inept, clumsy person: a habitual bungler.

ETYMOLOGY:
>From Yiddish shlemil, from Hebrew Shelumiel, a Biblical and Talmudic
figure who met an unhappy end, according to the Talmud. Earliest
documented use: 1892.

NOTES:
No discussion of schlemiel would be complete without mentioning
schlimazel, one prone to having bad luck. In a restaurant, a schlemiel
is the waiter who spills soup, and a schlimazel is the diner on whom
it lands.

USAGE:
"Warren is an endearing schlemiel who is all awkward gestures,
inexpressive shrugs, and with a physical clumsiness."
Set Misses Mark But Cast's Touch is Sure; Dominion Post (Wellington,
New Zealand); Mar 3, 2008.

Explore "schlemiel" in the Visual Thesaurus.

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/

http://wordsmith.org/words/schlemiel.html