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elbanditoroso's avatar

Language savvy people: Do other languages have a word for 'klutz'? What is it?

Asked by elbanditoroso (33577points) June 8th, 2019

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7 Answers

JLeslie's avatar

In English I guess it is clumsy, but is that the same part of speech? Or, I guess the word klutz is English now? I think of it as a Yiddish word. A person can be a klutz, but their behavior is klutzy I guess, like clumsy?

I think the German is Klotz.

I don’t think there is a Spanish equivalent? I speak Spanish pretty well, but I could be wrong. Torpe would be like clumsy, but you wouldn’t call someone a torpe.

Yiddish has some really great words, and it sounds funny too.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Butter fingers is one.

ragingloli's avatar

The German word is Tollpatsch.

JLeslie's avatar

^^I like it.

raum's avatar

@ragingloli I thought it was linkisch? Or is that more like left-footed?

What does tollspatsch translate into literally?

mrainer's avatar

Is there significant difference between a klutz and a schlemiel? The latter I think is less prevalent in everyday parlance, but they both signify an awkward mode of doing things I suppose. Any thoughts, anybody?

longgone's avatar

@raum Yes, “linkisch” is an adjective like “clumsy”. “Tollpatsch” literally means “klutz”. Apparently it comes from the Hungarian “talpas”, meaning a broad-footed person. It was used to refer to soldiers who, instead of actual shoes, wore constructions of just soles and string.

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