mishegass

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish משוגעת (meshugas), from משוגע (meshuge, “crazy”), from Hebrew משוגע (meshugga`, “crazy”), from שׁוּגַּע (shugga‘, “be driven mad”), שִׁיגַּע (shigga‘, “drive mad”).

Noun

mishegass (uncountable)

1. (slang) Alternative spelling of mishegoss.
   • 1997 December 23, Reinhold Aman, “"...and think of England..."”, in alt.usage.english‎^[1] (Usenet), retrieved 2022-08-05:

     You have been a target ever since your hysterical and paranoid reaction to my insider's quip (MOT) and calling me "a nasty little prick." If you had not chickened out and killfiled me, you could have read all my commentaries to your arrogant, platitude-oozing, patronizing posts, including my references to your frigid butchiness. Here is your original mishegass:
     "However, the "MOT" reference above did push my button. It stands for "Member of the Tribe", and is a semi-humorous, wryly affectionate way for Jews to refer to each other. Do you suppose that is the way RA is using it?"
     "Into the killfile, you nasty little prick."
     If this is not paranoia, I don't know what is: Calling a stranger a "nasty little prick" because he used a "semi-humorous, wryly affectionate" insider's abbreviation. Are there any shrinks in this group to shed light on this snotty cunt's irrational reaction?

   • 2006, Edward Krauss, Solomon the Accountant‎^[2]:

     "It'll take a bit longer."
     "Like how much is a bit longer?"
     "Well, finding an open date at the shul, and then all the caterers and flowers and photographers and invitations and other mishegass. It will be about six, seven months," she said.

   • 2007 August 13, Giorgies E. Geshahnna, “New Reform prayer”, in soc.culture.jewish.moderated‎^[3] (Usenet), retrieved 2022-08-05:

     It is because these days society perceives that a mishegass involving gender identity is different from any other mishegass, and the penis is different from any other organ, that I say the world has gone totally meshugga.

   • 2008 April 15, Irene Blair, “AMC-Credit where credit is due”, in rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc‎^[4] (Usenet), retrieved 2022-08-05:

     You wade throught dreck and mishegass for months and then monday's episode appears and once again you remember why you love the soaps.

   • 2013, Neal Karlen, Augie’s Secrets: The Minneapolis Mob and the King of the Hennepin Strip‎^[5]:

     Minneapolis was no slouch in this category, though trailing far behind St. Paul and Hot Springs, Arkansas, as sites on crooks' favorite cool-down triptychs. Especially Bugsy Siegel found refuge from his own mishegass in Minneapolis, but Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano were also spotted in Kid Cann night-spot kitchens.