Yinglish words (also referred to colloquially as Hebronics) are neologisms created by speakers of Yiddish in English-speaking countries, sometimes to describe things that were uncommon in the old country. Leo Rosten's book The Joys of Yiddish uses the words Yinglish and Ameridish to describe new words, or new meanings of existing Yiddish words, created by English-speaking persons with some knowledge of Yiddish. Rosten defines "Yinglish" as "Yiddish words that are used in colloquial English" (such as kibitzer) and Ameridish as words coined by Jews in the United States; his use, however, is sometimes inconsistent. According to his definition on page x, alrightnik is an Ameridish word; however, on page 12 it is identified as Yinglish.
The Joys of Yiddish describes the following words as Yinglish except where noted as Ameridish:
alrightnik, alrightnikeh, alrightnitseh – male, female, female individual who has been successful; nouveau riche
bleib shver – from German bleibt schwer, meaning remains difficult - unresolved problem, especially in Talmud learning
blintz (Yinglish because the true Yiddish is blintzeh)
bluffer, blufferkeh – male, female person who bluffs
boarderkeh, bordekeh – (Ameridish) female paying boarder
boychick, boychikel, boychiklekh – young boy, kiddo, handsome
bulbenik (Ameridish) – an actor who muffs his lines, from bilbul - mixup (alternative theory - bulba, literally potato, figuratively error)
bummerkeh (Ameridish) – a female bum
cockamamy false, ersatz, crazy (of an idea), artificial, jury-rigged (prob. from Eng. "decalcomania," a "decal," a sticker, a cheap process for transferring images from paper to glass.) In the Bronx, in the first half of the 20th century, a "cockamamie" was a washable temporary "tattoo" distributed in bubblegum packets.
donstairsikeh, donstairsiker – female, male living downstairs
dresske – bargain-basement dress
fin – five, or five-dollar bill, shortened form of Yiddish פינף finif (five)
kosher – Yinglish, not in its religious or Yiddish meanings, but only in five slang senses: authentic, trustworthy, legitimate, fair, and approved by a higher source. Its pronunciation, as "kōsher", is another distinguishing factor, as in true Yiddish it is pronounced "kūsher" or "kösher"
mensch – a person of uncommon maturity and decency
nextdoorekeh, nextdooreker – female, male living next door
opstairsikeh, opstairsiker (Ameridish) – female, male living upstairs
pisha paysha – corruption of English card game "Pitch and Patience"
sharopnikel (Ameridish) – a small object that causes quieting, such as a pacifier, teething ring
shmegegge (Ameridish) – an unadmirable or untalented person
shmo – shortened version of 'shmock' or 'shmearal', see 'shnuk'
shnuk (Ameridish) – an idiotic person
tararam – a big tummel
tuchas – buttocks
