Um-Shmum

Um-Shmum is a dismissive expression, primarily used in Yiddish and Jewish English, to indicate skepticism, indifference, or a lack of importance attached to something. It is often used to imply that a topic is trivial, unimportant, or not worth further discussion. The construction involves repeating the first syllable of a word (or a close approximation) with the addition of "shm-". It belongs to a wider family of Yiddish constructions employing "shm-" as a way to belittle or negate the significance of something.

The expression can be applied to a variety of subjects, from opinions and suggestions to material possessions or events. Its meaning is heavily dependent on context and intonation, and can range from playful teasing to outright rejection.

The etymology is straightforward: "um" is the initial syllable of the original (unspecified) word, and "shmum" is the "shm-" modified version of that syllable. The absent original word is understood from the context. The effect of the "shm-" reduplication is to devalue whatever the implicit original word refers to.