This week's theme: eponyms.

schmendrik (SHMEN-drik) noun, also shmendrik, schmendrick, shmendrick

   A foolish, clueless, and naive person.

[After the name of the title character in an operetta by Abraham Goldfaden
(1840-1908).]

-Anu Garg (gargATwordsmith.org)

  "With his nasal whine and ill-fitting, slush-sprayed suit, [comedian
   Eugene Levy] played the sort of obnoxious schmendrik that would prove
   his trademark."
   Guy Leshinski; The Importance of Being Eugene; Toronto Life (Canada);
   Nov 2002.

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............................................................................
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we
created them. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

Chat about the joy of Yiddish with Michael Wex, author of "Born to Kvetch"
Dec 5, 2005, 5 PM Pacific (GMT -8) at http://wordsmith.org/chat

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/schmendrik.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/schmendrik.ram

Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/schmendrik.html

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