utzy adj. uncomfortable, bothered, uneasy. Etymological Note: Probably from the Yiddish utz ‘to tease, bother, nag,’ related to the German uzen ‘to tease, to kid,’ and perhaps reinforced by antsy. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Jasmine from Miami, Florida, asks about the word boo as a term of endearment, as in Alicia Keys’ song “My Boo.” This use of boo has been especially common in Black English since the 1980s, occupying the same affectionate space as honey or baby. The...
If someone tells you it’s flisky or flobby outside, do you need to take an umbrella? A new book about England’s soggy climate includes 188 terms for rainy weather. Americans have their own joking names for local weather, from June Gloom in Southern...
I’m not familiar with the Yiddish word “utz”. Which Yiddish dictionary or thesaurus did you find it in?
I’m not sure which one I pulled it from, but when researching Yiddish words, I tend to consult the following:
Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish English Dictionary, Uriel Weinreich (YIVO, New York, 1968).
Harkavy’s Manual Dictionary (Hebrew Publishing Co., New York, 1894).
Anglish/Yinglish, 2e, Gene Bluestein (U. of Neb. Press, Lincoln, 1998).
Hooray for Yiddish!, Leo Rosten (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1982).
The Joys of Hebrew, Lewis Glinert (Oxford University Press, New York, 1992).
Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, Chaim M. Weiser (Rowman & Littlefield, Maryland, 2004).
The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, New York, 1998).
Also, the Harper Collins German Dictionary, Unabridged Second Edition (New York, 1995).
Interesting word. My dad often uses the variant “utchly” to describe being mildly ill tempered for no descernable reason. He got it from his mother, who was a first generation American from German parents. I currently use it to warn my husband as in, “Be nice to me; I’m in an utchly mood.” What I’m meaning is, don’t push me or I’ll go from a mildly bad mood to a really bad mood.