When is a slob not a slob?

Posted by Wex on Jul 27, 2010 in FAQs | 0 comments

So where does the word zhlob come from?

What is the translation of the Yiddish word "Zlob" . When my father used it on me I understood it to mean something like slob. However the accompanying intonation and facial expression made it seem worse than simply a slob. Are there regional variations in meaning?

While similarity in sound has led to "zhlob" being used as a version of the English "slob" (as you mention), its basic meaning in Yiddish is "boor, peasant, yokel," backwoods and backwards, kind of like trailer trash.

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