chaptzem

English

Etymology

Yiddish. From a combination of two words chaptz ("catch" or "get"), and ehm ("him").

Interjection

chaptzem

  1. Help! Catch him/her/them!

Usage notes

In Jewish neighborhoods when crime was rampant, a Jew that was being accosted by someone would yell chaptzem to alert other people to come to his aid and save him from being mugged, beaten or worse.

References

Last modified on 20 May 2013, at 02:04