Garmento Glossary

Having lived and worked in New York, in the Garment industry, I came across a few Jewish people in my time. The slang or Yiddish words that were used in everyday conversation are still with me today. I love them. They’re so onomatopoeia (look it up.)

I thought you’d enjoy a little cultural diversification with a trip into the Garmento World.

Garmento, is defined as anyone active in the garment industry…but really it’s used more as a stereotypical definition of someone you can spot at ten paces; as a person who works in the garment industry, in a nebbishy, schmucky kind of way.

So grab yourself a regular coffee (cream, 2 sugars) from the street vendor and a bagel with a schmeer and enjoy!

Farschimmelt: Slang for confused or overwhelmed. “I can’t decide, I’m all farschimmelt.”

Farklempt: Too emotional to talk. “I’m too farklempt, talk amongst yourselves.” Also known as Varklempt.

Kibbetizer: Interfering person or sometimes just shmoozer. “No, you we weren’t interrupting, we were just kibbetizing.”

K’vetsh: whine or complain. “Stop your kvetching already!”

Mashugga, Meshughe: Crazy, nuts, bonkers. “She’s sweet, but a little mashugga.”

Mazel Tov: Congratulations or Good Luck. “Mazel Tov!”

Nebbish: a nobody, awkward, geek. “He’s a little nebbish, but he’s a doctor!”

Nosh: Snack. “Feel like a nosh? Let’s grab a bagel.”

Nudnick: Pest, annoying person. ” Him? Just some nudnick I met at Starbucks.”

Ongepatshket: Cluttered, over-done. Pronounced: unga-pascht. “Oy, the room decor, ongepatshket.”

Shikseh: Non- Jewish girl. “Everyone know he won’t settle down with that shikseh. Ya date’em, ya don’t marry ‘em.”

Schmuck: Jerk. “Schmuck.” Nuf said.

Schmeer: Usually refers to the cream cheese on a bagel. A little more than a smear, a little less than a lot. ” Sesame bagel with a schmeer.”

Shlep: To carry unwillingly. “I had to shlep all the way up town for this?”

Shmaltzy/Shmaltze: Sentimental, corny. “Ack, don’t get all shmaltzy on me.”

Shmooze: Chat, talk. “I was just shmoozing the room.”

Shmuts: A little dirt or mess. “There’s a little shmuts on your collar.”

Shnook: Patsy, sucker. “That poor shnook, he’ll fall for anything.”

Tchotchkes: Little ornaments, decorative items. “Oy, her piano was covered with tchotchkes!”

Toches: Pronounced “took-us”. Behind, buttocks, fanny. “I schlepped my toches all over town trying to find the place.”