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Schnorrer

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Revision as of 21:47, 17 December 2023 by Altenmann (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) Yiddish term meaning beggar or sponger For the WWII pilot with a similar name, see Karl Schnörrer.
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Schnorrer of Poland in Leipzig, Germany From: Die Gartenlaube (1875)

Schnorrer (שנאָרער; also spelled shnorrer) is a Yiddish term meaning "beggar" or "sponger".

English language usage

The English language usage of the word denotes a sly chiseler who will get money out of his acquaintances any way he can, often through an air of entitlement. A schnorrer is distinguished from an ordinary beggar by dint of his boundless chutzpah. Like "moocher", "schnorrer" does not apply to direct begging or destitution, but rather a habit of getting things (food, tools) by politely or insistently borrowing them with no intention of return.

Historical

A big number of beggars resulted in Poland after Chmielnicki's pogroms, when many households were destroyed. Schnorrers begged for themselves, for dowries of poor brides (Hakhnasat Kallah); a practice which was allowed even when it disrupted the public study of the Torah, or for the restoration of a burned down household.

Jewish humor

Schnorrers are a common butt of Jewish jokes.

A schnorrer comes to a wealthy businessman and asks for handout. "Have a pity for a poor shoemaker whose family is starving". - "But aren't we the one who asked for alms from me last week presenting yourselves as a carpenter?" - "So true, who can in these bad times support himself from just one job?"

In film and literature

References

  1. jewishencyclopedia.com"Schnorrer". Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  2. jewishvirtuallibrary.orgBegging and Beggars
  3. y Payson R. Stevens, Sol Steinmetz, Meshuggenary. Celebrating the World of Yiddish, 2002, p.76
  4. Dalzell, Tom (11 May 2018). The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-76520-6.
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