Schlemiel

As for the subject heading, this is the definition I was once given by a friend who passed away last year, Harry Edelstein the Matzoh King of Broadway: A schlemiel is the guy who spills the soup. ❋ Toby O'B (2010)

The lean, gifted actor was spellbinding as a scheming producer in "Speed-the-Plow" at the Old Vic a couple of years ago, but he is all wrong to play the kind of schlemiel for which Peter Falk, in the original Broadway production, and Jack ❋ Unknown (2010)

Liberalism, which purports to mitigate conflict, was viewed as a kind of schlemiel faith in the conscience of the world. ❋ Cecilie Surasky (2008)

Just as tiresome as the regulation egoist is the regulation schlemiel. ❋ Howard Jacobson (2011)

But as Bella Abzug said, the feminist struggle was never simply about ensuring that a female Einstein might be appointed assistant professor; it was also about ensuring that a "woman schlemiel" might get promoted as speedily as a "male schlemiel." ❋ Post (2010)

So there you are -- a poor schlemiel who started out as a minor character on the Larry Sanders talk show ends up a minor character among the many others who populated "The Larry Sanders Show." ❋ Tom Shales (2010)

Justin Rice is hilarious as a sad sack slacker schlemiel. ❋ George Heymont (2011)

Yet even though he's playing a sexually frustrated fall guy, a Sicilian schlemiel , Prima's throaty singing is amazingly erotic. ❋ Will Friedwald (2011)

Honourable mention: The nameless schlemiel who published a Lenten Meditation claiming that Jesus was a racist. ❋ Unknown (2009)

- – Mitt & Michele, schlemiel, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!! ❋ Unknown (2010)

This "shows how little it takes to go from being a schlemiel to being a ..." (a much ruder Yiddish word followed). ❋ John Mullan (2010)

One of my event-attending companions, a pragmatic matriarch observed that Goldstein reminded her of Woody Allen in his understated schlemiel, perhaps schnook-like demeanour. ❋ Unknown (2009)

· bring home any paycheck less than what that schlemiel, my sister's husband, earns ❋ Deborah Copaken Kogan (2011)

Jonathan Goldstein as public presence - he's the creator and host of CBC's WireTap - appears to be the quintessential schlemiel. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Ms. Dunham 's self-deprecating Aura can easily be viewed as a female incarnation of Mr. Allen' s witty schlemiel. ❋ Steve Dollar (2010)

We want a woman schlemiel to get promoted as quickly as a male schlemiel. ❋ Rebecca Traister (2010)

However, Lenny, as a bona fide schlemiel (there is a running gag that he is almost the last person in the US to still read books, something that brands him as a moribund loser and weirdo), doesn't make it to that sort of immortality. ❋ Tibor Fischer (2010)

A [schlimazel's] [toast] always falls butter-side down. A schlemiel always drops [the knife]. ❋ Mandingoe (2004)

Don't let that schlemiel [touch] anything. [If it] doesn't [break] he will hurt himself or both. ❋ Frank Lisa (2006)

[Bob] is a [real] schlemiel, he can't do anything [right]. ❋ Athene Airheart (2004)

[Hey look] at [Steve] what a schlemiel. Lets see if he quits [bungling]. ❋ Shroby (2006)

"[that guy's] such a schlemiel." "yeah, [what a] posterchild for [abortion]." ❋ Sismit (2003)

That girl is such a schlemiel, [she can't] [seem] to do anything [right]. ❋ Thebiggerbiggen (2017)

'I schlemieled [Travis] into eating an entire [bag] of [apricots].' ❋ Katherine (2003)