# Spelling of (I believe) Yiddish slang word

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 22, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171 "2002-09-22T21:04:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171/1 "2002-09-22T21:04:21Z")

</div>

There is a word I want to put in a script I’m working on but I’m not too sure about the spelling. It means crazy or messed up. It’s a great word because, 1) is has peculiar musicality to it and 2) though really quite clean, it sounds suspiciously off-color. It’s pronounced fuh-KOCK-tah. Any help?

😕

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171/2 "2002-09-22T21:39:59Z")

</div>

I’d reckon verkochte. (confusingly, it also appears to be Dutch for something - “Imported”, from what I can gather using a combination of Google, crappy online translators and my own skill ‘n’ judgement.

I did find one result from Googling yiddish verkochte, so it is at least A spelling if not THE spelling.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171/3 "2002-09-22T22:40:58Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> Verkocteh (fur kock teh), verkoct adj : A ribald word meaning worse than crappy.

From [http://www.tricityjcc.org/resources/arts/yiddish\_2.html](http://www.tricityjcc.org/resources/arts/yiddish_2.html)  
Of course, that may not be right. I’m sure Zev may correct us all.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171/4 "2002-09-23T00:34:43Z")

</div>

Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about the spelling, because Yiddish, when properly written, is written with Hebrew letters. So no matter how you write it in English, it’s going to be a transliteration.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171/5 "2002-09-23T16:10:32Z")

</div>

My copy of _Every Goy’s Guide to Common Jewish Expressions_, by Arthur Naiman, spells it **fercockt** or **fercockta** , and defines it as “More or less equivalent to ‘fucked up’. (Literally, ‘shitted up’.)”

He transliterates all the similar words with “fer”, rather than “ver”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-of-i-believe-yiddish-slang-word/129171/6 "2002-10-03T16:18:48Z")

</div>

Thanks all.

Especially you, Harp.