In German putz literally means “finery, adornment,” but when used ironically in Yiddish it means “obnoxious man, fool,” or more crassly in Yiddish slang it refers to a certain part of the male anatomy. The Pennsylvania Dutch used the term putz for a “Nativity display around a Christmas tree.” Putz is a derivative of the German term “putzen,” meaning to clean, brighten, preen, or shine.

Growing up I would slunk down and cringe in my theater seat when one movie actor would call another “a putz.” Now I just laugh. As my Father always said, “no one ever forgets your name.”