SCHLEMIEL and SCHLAMAZAL II

A schlemiel is someone who unintentionally does something dumb and/or embarrassing. A schlamazal is the unlucky person who gets "schlemieled". For example, if the waiter accidentally spills water all over you, he's a schlemiel - you are a schlamazal.

Schlemiels don't intend to be hurtful, but sometimes this happens. When a schlemiel says something that can be hurtful, the object of his words is not a schlamazal, because what happens to a schlamzal can be funny and laughed at later - like the schlamazal who had water dumped on him. 

An example of a schlemiel with no schlamazal: Someone at a wedding says, "I can't believe she's wearing white." He's a schlemiel. But if the bride heard it, she's not a schlamazal, because her feelings could be hurt, and that's not funny. 

It's also possible to be a schlamazal without there being a schlemiel. For example, if someone locks all the stalls in a public bathroom, he's not a schlemiel - he's a mean-spirited jerk. But if you have to use the locked stall - you're a schlamazal.

We can all be schlemiels. Here's an example:

From Reader's Digest

Submitted by  Shelia Howard

 

   At the outpatient surgery center where I worked, the anesthesiologist often chatted with patients before their operations to help them relax. One day he thought he recognized a woman as someone who worked at the VA hospital where he had trained. When the patient confirmed that his hunch was correct, he said, "So, tell me, is the food there still as bad as it used to be?"

   "Well," she replied, "I'm still cooking it."