schlemiel Hear it!

schlemiel definition

☆ schle·miel (s̸hlə mēl′)

noun

Slang an ineffectual, bungling person who habitually fails or is easily victimized
also sp. schlemihl schle·mihl′

Etymology: W Yiddish shlemil < Heb shelumiel, name of a tribal chief (see Num. 1:6), identified in the Talmud with a prince who met an unfortunate end

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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