shmen
n.— «Let us assume that “wench” is a current sexist way of making a masculine or neuter noun apply to women. We can hypothesize that “shwench” is a feminine form of “shmen.” From this breakthrough, we can then ask: What word used frequently by sophomores has “shmen” as its last syllable?» —“T’sup on campus” by William Safire New York Times Mag. Sept. 22, 1985. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Oofless is an antiquated bit of British slang that describes someone temporarily short on cash. It’s from ooftisch, a Yiddish-derived term for “cash placed on the table,” from German auf Tisch. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Carpe diem! A new book reveals the surprisingly unfamiliar stories behind familiar quotations. Also: Rock climbers have gumbies, and surfers have kooks. What do those words say about beginners who have more confidence than experience? Plus, if...