luftmensch

Meanings

Noun

One more concerned with airy intellectual pursuits than practical matters like earning an income.
a beggar, petty trader, peddler, and various types of paupers

Origin / Etymology

From Yiddish לופֿטמענטש (luftmentsh), from לופֿט (luft, “air”) + מענטש (mentsh, “person”). Compare German von Luft und Liebe leben (“to disregard the practical matters of life”, literally “to live on air and love”), German Luftikus (“impractical, quixotic, or careless person”).
The word first appeared in Yiddish literature in 1860s (Nicolas Vallois, "The Luftmentsh as an economic metaphor for Jewish poverty: a rhetorical analysis").

Scrabble Score: 20

luftmensch is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
luftmensch is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
luftmensch is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 24

luftmensch is a valid Words With Friends word