goy

a shanda for the goyim

A shameful act by a Jewish person that confirms negative Jewish stereotypes held by non-Jews.Goyim is a (sometimes disparaging) Yiddish word for gentiles; "shanda" is a Yiddish word for "shame" or "scandal." I guess you could see Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme as a shanda for the goyim, but most people I know focused on his crime rather than his religious affiliation. I'm sure Jewish mobsters were seen as a shanda for the goyim, especially back in their heyday.

See also: for, goy

goy

Someone who is not Jewish. The word comes from Yiddish and is typically used by Jewish people. It can have a negative or disparaging connotation. He's clearly a goy, so why would he know the local synagogue's schedule? My mom is going to have a stroke when she finds out I'm dating a goy. She's always trying to set me up with her friends' "nice Jewish sons."

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

goy

(goɪ)

1. n. a gentile. (From Hebrew. Not necessarily derogatory.) But the goys can’t do anything they want on Sunday!

2. mod. gentile; non-Jewish. Goy pickles are sort of blah.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.