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Schlemiel ( yi, שלומיאל; sometimes spelled shlemiel or shlumiel) is a Yiddish term meaning "inept/incompetent person" or "fool". It is a common archetype in
Heyse and some other etymologists suggest that the name comes from the words "shlomi" + "el" in the meaning "God is my salvation", i.e., a Schlemiel hopes that God will save him.
The term was popularized by the name of
Jewish humor
The tradition of humor in Judaism dates back to the Torah and the Midrash from the ancient Middle East, but generally refers to the more recent stream of verbal and often anecdotal humor of Ashkenazi Jews which took root in the United States ove ...
, and so-called "''schlemiel'' jokes" depict the ''schlemiel'' falling into unfortunate situations.
Meaning
The inept ''schlemiel'' is often presented alongside the unlucky ''schlimazel
This is a list of words that have entered the English language from the Yiddish language, many of them by way of American English. There are differing approaches to the romanization of Yiddish orthography (which uses the Hebrew alphabet); thus ...
''. A Yiddish saying explains that "a ''schlemiel'' is somebody who often spills his soup and a ''schlimazel'' is the person it lands on". The ''schlemiel'' is similar to the '' schmuck'' but, as stated in a 2010 essay in ''The Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ' ...
'', a ''schmuck'' can improve himself while a ''schlemiel'' is "irredeemably what they are".
The etymology of the term is unsure. Ernest Klein
Ernest David Klein, (July 26, 1899, Szatmárnémeti – February 4, 1983, Ottawa, Canada) was a Hungarian-born Romanian-Canadian linguist, author, and rabbi.
Early life and education
Klein was born to father Yitzchok (Ignac) and mother Sarah ...
in his ''Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language'' suggests that the word comes from the Hebrew term , meaning "useless". Another theory is that the word is derived from the name Shelumiel, an Israeli chieftain.
Heyse and some other etymologists suggest that the name comes from the words "shlomi" + "el" in the meaning "God is my salvation", i.e., a Schlemiel hopes that God will save him.
The term was popularized by the name of Peter Schlemihl
Peter Schlemihl is the title character of an 1814 novella, ' (''Peter Schlemihl's Miraculous Story''), written in German by exiled French aristocrat Adelbert von Chamisso.
Plot
In the story, Schlemihl sells his shadow to the Devil for a bottomles ...
, the main character of a 19th century novella by Adelbert von Chamisso
Adelbert von Chamisso (; 30 January 178121 August 1838) was a German poet and botanist, author of ''Peter Schlemihl'', a famous story about a man who sold his shadow. He was commonly known in French as Adelbert de Chamisso (or Chamissot) de Bonc ...
.
According to Harvard University literature professor Ruth Wisse
Ruth Wisse (surname pronounced ) (Yiddish: רות װײַס; Roskies; born May 13, 1936) is a Canadian academic and is the Martin Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University ''emerita''. ...
, the schlemiel as a type emerges in the Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
literature of the period of Jewish emancipation
Jewish emancipation was the process in various nations in Europe of eliminating Jewish disabilities, e.g. Jewish quotas, to which European Jews were then subject, and the recognition of Jews as entitled to equality and citizenship rights. It incl ...
.
In culture
*An archetype ''shlemiel'' entrepreneur isMenahem-Mendl
''Menahem-Mendl'' ( yi, מנחם מענדל) is a series of stories and in Yiddish by Sholem Aleichem about hilarious exploits of an optimistic '' shlemiel'' Menahem-Mendl, who dreams of getting rich. They are presented as an exchange of letters ...
of Sholem Aleichem
)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Pereiaslav, Russian Empire
, death_date =
, death_place = New York City, U.S.
, occupation = Writer
, nationality =
, period =
, genre = Novels, sh ...
.
* In a 1944 essay, Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt (, , ; 14 October 1906 – 4 December 1975) was a political philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor. She is widely considered to be one of the most influential political theorists of the 20th century.
Arendt was born ...
argues that Charlie Chaplin's Tramp
A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round.
Etymology
Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English ''t ...
character is a ''schlemiel'' whose only comfort is "the kindness and humanity of casual acquaintances".
* Many of Woody Allen's films feature Allen portraying a ''schlemiel'' type, particularly in his relations with women.
* Larry David's character on the HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''Curb Your Enthusiasm
''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televisio ...
'' serves as a modern ''schlemiel'', encountering "problems that affect contemporary middle- to upper-class American Jews".
* In the sitcom ''Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...
'', George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a fictional character in the American television sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander. He is a short, stocky, balding man who struggles with numerous insecurities, often dooming his romantic rela ...
"follows the pattern of the classic ''schlemiel''", with Jerry Seinfeld's character serving as his ''schlimazel''.
*The 1995 Israeli-European animated feature '' The Real Shlemiel'' centers on a village of ''schlemiels'', with its rabbi even taking it as a given name.
* The titular character of the 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
comedy film ''Napoleon Dynamite
''Napoleon Dynamite'' is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt and Sean Covel, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the titular character, a nerdy high- ...
'' embodies the traits of the ''schlemiel'', according to researcher David Buchbinder
David Buchbinder (born 1947) is professor of Masculinities Studies at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, and adjunct professor of English and Cultural Studies at the University of Western Australia.
Education
Buchbinder gained his ...
.
* In the drama series ''The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'' (2003–2007), Seth Cohen
Seth Ezekiel Cohen is a fictional character on the Fox television series '' The O.C.'', portrayed by Adam Brody. Seth is one of the "core four" characters on ''The O.C.'' alongside Ryan Atwood, Marissa Cooper, and Summer Roberts. Seth's frie ...
's personality "is self-deprecating and in line with that of past ''schlemiels''".
* In the 2009 film ''A Serious Man
''A Serious Man'' is a 2009 American black comedy-drama film written, produced, edited and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Set in 1967, the film stars Michael Stuhlbarg as a Minnesota Jewish man whose life crumbles both professionally and pe ...
'' directed by the Coen brothers
Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
, the character of Larry Gopnik is depicted as a ''schlemiel''.
* In " Park Safety", a 2010 episode of the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
sitcom ''Parks and Recreation
''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...
'', Ron Swanson
Ronald Ulysses Swanson is a fictional character portrayed by Nick Offerman from the situation comedy television series ''Parks and Recreation'' on NBC, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. In the series, Ron is the director of the Parks ...
states that his clumsy coworker Jerry "is both the ''schlemiel'' and the ''schlimazel''".{{Cite news, url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/02/and-the-meek-shall-inherit-pawnee/385985/, title=The Downtrodden Jerry Gergich Is the True Hero of ''Parks and Recreation'', last=Garber, first=Megan, work=The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
, access-date=2017-11-17
* In Thomas Pynchon's novel ''V.'', the protagonist Benny Profane is identified as a schlemiel numerous times.
See also
*List of English words of Yiddish origin
This is a list of words that have entered the English language from the Yiddish language, many of them by way of American English. There are differing approaches to the romanization of Yiddish orthography (which uses the Hebrew alphabet); thus ...
References