Meeskite

Meeskite is a relatively new Yiddish term, used as an insult, calling someone ugly.

For other similar caliber insults, see also Mud Duck or Swamp Donkey.

Although the exact origin of the term “Meeskite” (also written as “mieskeit”) is not known, it derived from the post-biblical Hebrew word “mā’ūs”, which means despicable, repulsive.

It started appearing in the 1940’s, as an insult among Jewish Americans, and it was popularized by the 1966 Jack Gilford song from Cabaret: Meeskite.

“Meeskite” grew in popularity in the final decades of the 20^th century, appearing in several covers of the aforementioned songs, as well as everyday use.

A phrase, containing the term was defined on Urban Dictionary on March 13^th, 2011.

“Meeskite” was brought back to the collective conscious in 2020, when on March 1^st, the Season 10 Episode 7 of the television series Curb Your Enthusiasm was first aired under the title The Ugly Section.

• Lexico.com – mieskeit
• Usingenglish.com – What is the meaning of “meeskite”? 
• Jel.jewish-languages.org – Mieskeit