Someone who is inevitably unlucky. If a schlemiel is someone who spills soup, a schlemazel is the person upon whom the soup is spilled.

A schlemazel is a feminine version of a schlemiel. A schlemazel would be a girl who is goofy or nerdy or who has bad luck happen to them.

"Schlemazel" and "schlemiel" are mentioned in the Laverne and Shirley's theme song.

source: my Jewish coworker's knowledgeable wife and some Yiddish websites.

Shlemozl (pronounced shleh-ma-zil) is a character in Yiddish folktales. He is usually partnered with Shlemiel. Shlemozl is essentially harmless, and clumsy; he can't get anything right and is usually the butt of the joke or the victim. If he and Shlemiel were in a restaurant, Shlemozl would spill the soup on himself. Calling someone a Shlemozl is akin to calling them hapless and unlucky.

Er, no. Shleimel is the clumsy one, shleimozl is the hapless one. Hence, if they went to a restaurant together, the shleimel would spill the soup, but it would be over the shleimozl's new clothes. Get it?

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