different between nitwit vs schmuck

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1910s in the US Northeast. Likely from German nit, dialectal form of nichts (“nothing”), or Yiddish ???? (nit), dialectal form of ????? (nisht, “no”), although some dictionaries give the alternative etymology nit (“louse egg; something very small”) +? wit.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?n?tw?t/

Noun

nitwit (plural nitwits)

1. (informal) A scatterbrained or stupid person.
   • 1918, State Bar Association of Connecticut, Annual Report, page 82

     If you don't remember you are a nitwit. If you do answer, well, you know what the penalty is for perjury.

   • 1921, Emmett Campbell Hall, "Need a Hero be a Nitwit?", The Editor, page 58

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:fool

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• shmuck, shmuk

Etymology

From Yiddish ?????? (shmok, “penis, fool”). Further origin uncertain. Probably from Old Polish smok (“dragon”), akin to Bulgarian ???? (smok, “grass snake”). Perhaps akin to onomatopoeic Russian ???????? (smoktat?) smoktat ("to suck") according to old belief that snakes suck milk from animals. Alternatively a baby-talk corruption of Yiddish ?????? (shmekl), a dissimilated form of ?????? (shtekl, “penis/willy”, literally “little stick”). Alternatively from the verb Middle High German smucken, archaic German schmucken, which has several meanings allowing possible semantic connections: 1.) “to squeeze, press, fit into something tight”; 2.) “to hug, snuggle, kiss”; 3.) “to adorn, decorate”. The last of these three senses is perhaps less likely, but compare German Schmuck (“jewellery”) with English crown jewels.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?k/
• Rhymes: -?k

Noun

schmuck (plural schmucks)

1. (colloquial, derogatory, US) A jerk; a person who is unlikable, detestable, or contemptible because he or she is stupid, foolish, clumsy, oafish, inept, malicious, or unpleasant.

   Synonyms: twerp, twit, dope, dick, dork, prick, putz

   • 1995 September, The Playboy Interview: Cindy Crawford, Playboy

     One day my girlfriend, her boyfriend and I were sunbathing topless because that's Barbados - you can wear nothing if you want. And the Pepsi guy walks up and with my agent to meet us for lunch. I wondered if I should put on my top because I have a business relationship with him. I didn't want him to get offended because the rest of the beach had seen me with my top off. Meanwhile, as he's walking towards me he's saying to my agent "I hope she puts on her top.". He wasn't even being a schmuck, like wanting to see.

2. (colloquial, derogatory) A deplorable, pitiful person; often in the form poor schmuck.

Derived terms

• Schmucksville
• schmucky

Translations

See also

• schlemiel

Further reading

• Yiddish language on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

German

Etymology

From Middle Low German smuk (“supple, bendsome, pleasing, beautiful, petite, cute”) (compare Middle Low German smuk (“ornament, jewellery”)), from Old Saxon *smuk, *smukk, from Proto-Germanic *smukkaz (“flexible, bendsome, easy”), from Proto-Indo-European *smewg- (“to slip, glide, slide”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?k/
• Homophone: Schmuck
• Rhymes: -?k

Adjective

schmuck (comparative schmucker, superlative am schmucksten)

1. (dated) pretty, spruce

Declension

Further reading

• “schmuck” in Duden online