schlemiel
Perpetually unlucky klutz
A schlemiel is an awkward, clumsy person who seems destined for misfortune—the one who spills the soup.
The word comes from Yiddish and carries affectionate contempt rather than malice.
A schlemiel differs from a schlimazel: the schlemiel spills the soup, the schlimazel gets it spilled on him.
Don't be such a schlemiel.
Ineffectual, timid person
- klutzAwkward, graceless person
- nudnikPestering, tedious person
- menschPerson of noble character
- kvetchHabitual grumbler
schmuck · putz · schnook · schmo · chutzpah · shtick · kibitz · schmooze
Awkward, graceless person
- butterfingersClumsy dropper of things
- blundererOne who errs clumsily
- fumblerOne who mishandles objects
- bumblerHabitually clumsy person
botcher · oaf · clod · dolt · lummox · galoot · stumbler · clodhopper
Without good fortune
- haplessLacking good fortune
- jinxedAfflicted with misfortune
- ill-fatedDestined to fail
- star-crossedDoomed by destiny
unfortunate · snakebit · cursed · doomed · ill-starred · hard-luck · woebegone · pitiable
nebbish
Ineffectual, timid person
kvetch · schmuck · putz · schnook · schmo · chutzpah · shtick · kibitz · schmooze · yente
klutz
Awkward, graceless person
- butterfingersClumsy dropper of things
- blundererOne who errs clumsily
- fumblerOne who mishandles objects
bumbler · botcher · oaf · clod · dolt · lummox · galoot · stumbler · clodhopper · ham-handed
luckless
Without good fortune
star-crossed · unfortunate · snakebit · cursed · doomed · ill-starred · hard-luck · woebegone · pitiable · wretched
slapstick
Exaggerated physical humor
farce · bumbling · sitcom · vaudeville · shtick · gag · clownish · zany · screwball · antic
simpleton
Unintelligent person
sap · chump · gull · stooge · pushover · fall-guy · pigeon · rube · naive · credulous
- Yiddishchutzpah, kvetch, mensch, schlep, tchotchke
- AshkenaziYiddish, shtetl, klezmer, gefilte fish, challah
- Jewish comedyBorscht Belt, Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Larry David
- annoying peoplepest, hecklers, nuisance, meddlers, bore
- dimwitsdimwit, idiot, dolt, dunce, moron
- foolsfool, idiot, moron, fools, idiots
schlemielsmooth operator
Charming, calculating person
charmer · ladies' man · man about town · sophisticate · slickster
schlemielgolden boy
Favored person destined for success
fair-haired boy · lucky dog · golden child · lucky devil · schlimazel