# Putz???? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891 "2002-03-12T19:06:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Willy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sweet\_Willy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Willy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/1 "2002-03-12T19:06:24Z")
OK. I see the little “Putz” smiley thing. Exactly what is a “Putz”? I can’t find a definition in websters or in several slang dictionaries I checked. ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/2 "2002-03-12T19:10:07Z")
Yiddish for penis. ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/3 "2002-03-12T19:17:26Z")
The putz smiley is a tribute to **WallyM7** , a beloved poster who passed away - gosh, is it almost two years ago? He often used the term. That’s why its shortcut is : wally :wally ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Willy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sweet\_Willy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Willy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/4 "2002-03-12T19:21:21Z")
How rude. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/5 "2002-03-12T19:32:17Z")
[Remembering WallyM7](http://www.fathom.org/teemingmillions/wally.adp) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/6 "2002-03-12T19:45:29Z")
Thanks, yojimbo. It was great to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Geoduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c37758/32.png) [@Geoduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geoduck)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/7 "2002-03-12T20:02:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sweet Willy \* > \*\*How rude. \*\* Yep, you seemed to have caught the drift of the traditional usage of the work. Mostly used as an insult, like calling someone a dickhead. Yiddish can be pretty earthy that way. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/8 "2002-03-12T20:05:31Z")
Yojimbo, thanks for that link. I’ve always wondered why that icon was called a Wally. Great link. Seems like a fun guy. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/9 "2002-03-12T21:13:39Z")
Actually, _putz_ does not have the same sting as _prick_ or _cock_. To get that level of hostility/negativity, one should use _schmuck_. _Putz_ is a bit less offensive, carrying the connotation of a bumbler rather than that of a deliberately offensive or utterly selfish person, the way that _schmuck_ and _cock_ do. It does translate directly as _penis_, but the intent might be a little bit closer to _doodle_ or “Mr. Happy.” ---
**Author:** ![Janet\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Janet\_O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janet_O)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/10 "2002-03-12T21:30:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sweet Willy \* > \*\*Exactly what is a “Putz”? \*\* It’s like a _ **Schwantz** _… only smaller. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/11 "2002-03-12T23:16:58Z")
FTR: **Putzen** in German is “to clean”; as in, “Wir putzen das Auto.” **Putz** in German is “finery” (according to Babelfish – I’ve only used “putzen” in the high school dialog quoted above). **Schwanz** is the German word for “tail”; that is, the waggy thing at the back end of a dog. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/12 "2002-03-13T04:10:35Z")
Correction: I reversed the meanings of _putz_ and _schmuck_. _Putz_ is the more offensive word. I had confused it with _schmo_. _Schmo_ is an American-Yiddish euphemism for _schmuck_ that carries more of the idea of a boob or simpleton. _Putz_ is offensive. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/13 "2002-03-13T10:46:29Z")
In old threads Wally is listed as “member”, wouldn’t it be nice to change his status to “Rest In Peace” ? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/14 "2002-03-13T11:38:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > **Schwanz** is the German word for “tail”; that is, the waggy thing at the back end of a dog. \*\* I’m not sure whether you’re just clarifying the literal meaning or not, but "Schwanz"is the common slang word for "penis"in German, as well. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/15 "2002-03-13T13:00:23Z")
Please, puly, how can you talk about penises when i’m talking about Wally’s member…status 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/16 "2002-03-13T22:30:53Z")
“In old threads Wally is listed as ‘member’, wouldn’t it be nice to change his status to ‘Rest In Peace’?” Maybe, but on the other hand maybe the idea is that Wally will ALWAYS be a member. Sorta like honoring a famous warship by leaving it on the list of active ships and never decommissioning it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/17 "2002-03-13T23:01:49Z")
“Old Ironsides” Wally? Well, since he was Canadian, perhaps “Victory” Wally? ---
**Author:** ![ltleitner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d07c76/32.png) [@ltleitner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltleitner)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz/97891/18 "2002-03-29T19:25:21Z")
Regarding “Schwanz:” It was news to me that it meant “tail” in German, but sure, why not. But as to it’s also meaning “penis…” In Yiddish, this is illustrated during one scene from the Mel Brooks film, “Young Frankenstein” when Helga (Terri Garr) exclaims that the monster they’re planning to make, with all his parts being proportionally much larger than normal, will “have an awfully large Schweinstucker” (I’m not 100% sure of the spelling). This term figuratively means “penis,” but more literally means “pig (swine) sticker,” and I can see it also being shortened to “Schwanz,”