Schmuck
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Vernacular Usage
The word schmuck has become common in American English meaning a detestable person, or a jerk. The word also means a stupid or idiotic person. In these senses, schmuck entered English as a borrowed word from the Yiddish slang for foreskin, (Yiddish: שמאָק, shmok), where it is an obscene term and an insult. In his famous cultural lexicon, The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten lists the Yiddish schmuck as related to the Slovene word, šmok, meaning "a fool, an innocent, a gullible dolt."
[edit] Use in popular culture
- Schmuck is a favorite expression of comedian Jackie Mason.
- Mad Magazine often jokingly uses "Schmuck" as an insult to its readers.
[edit] Surname
Of German origin, Schmuck means jewel or jewelry. The name is commonly seen on signs and billboards in Germany and Austria related to the merchandising of precious jewelry. The Schmuck family name has been traced to the birth of Christian von Schmuck in 1370. In 1624, an Armorial Patent, or Coat of Arms, was granted at Rattenberg by Archduke Leopold V of Austria.
Notable figures bearing the surname Schmuck:
- Rainer Schmuck - Mayor of the town Bad Fallingbostel, Germany
- Marcus Schmuck - Austrian Mountaineer who initiated, organized, and led the expedition to climb the worlds 12th highest peak, the Broad Peak (8,047 meters) in the Karakoram in Pakistan
- Roger Schmuck - College baseball coach and former Major League Baseball player with the Kansas City Royals who held the National Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball Consecutive Games Hitting Streaks record of 45 games.
- Peter Schmuck - National Sports Columnist, President of Baseball Writers Association of America and National Baseball Hall of Fame Voter.
- Donald Schmuck - Coast Guard Academy graduate, Marine Corps Brigadier General who served in all military conflicts from World War II to Persian Gulf War. Recipient of the Navy Cross who also completed a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics.
