Shnorrer
From Wikinfo
A Schnorrer or shnorrer (SHNORer, n.) is a Yiddish term meaning beggar or sponger. The Anglish usage denotes a sly chiseller who will get money out of you anyway he can.
The term is often, but not always, used in a negative sense. It can also be used as a backhanded compliment to someone's perseverance, cleverness, or thrift. For instance, Azriel Hildesheimer, known for for his tireless travels around Europe to spread his rabbinical wisdom to the poor, and for his refusal to accept payment for his services, was sometimes referred to as the "international shnorrer" for his reliance on the local community to house and feed him wherever he went.
Groucho Marx, in his movies, often assumed the role of a shnorrer.
External links
Al Capp cartoon -- Yiddish disambiguation at its finest.
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Shnorrer" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shnorrer, used under the GNU Free Documentation License
