We often get asked, is "shiksa" a derogatory word?

Well, it used to be. But it no longer is!

The original definition comes from the Hebrew "shekets", meaning "abomination". Yeah, that's not good at all. But words have a habit of changing meaning through time, so now it mostly means "a goyishe woman". Usually... a "good-looking goyishe woman"!

Take Teri Garr, who starred in numerous films, perhaps most famously "Tootsie", and most importantly for this profile, "Young Frankenstein". The one and only Mel Brooks called her a "shiksa dream". That's pretty far from derogatory!

So enjoy your inner shiksas, goyishe women. And, if you're curious, the male equivalent is "sheigetz".

Yeah, that doesn't sound too pleasant, we'll give you that.