schlubby

English
WOTD – 18 May 2019

Etymology

schlub +‎ -y; schlub is derived from Yiddish זשלאָב‎ (zhlob), perhaps from Polish żłób (“manger, trough; furrow, large groove in the soil”).[1]

Pronunciation

Adjective

schlubby (comparative schlubbier or more schlubby, superlative schlubbiest or most schlubby)

  1. (chiefly US, informal) Clumsy, oafish, or socially awkward; unattractive or unkempt.
    • 1974, Genevieve Stuttaford, “A Short Review of the Magazine Reviewers”, in Publishers Weekly, volume 206, number 19, New York, N.Y.: F[rederick] Leypoldt, ISSN 0000-0019, OCLC 912910084, page 38, column 1:
      It's a wasted review copy, sending “schlubby” nonfiction to Eliot Fremont-Smith at New York magazine or a book by William Buckley to Rolling Stone […]
    • 1992 June 29–July 6, Phoebe Eaton, “The Cool World: Table Dancing, Slalom Shots, and Other Strange Rites of the Night”, in Edward Kosner, editor, New York, volume 25, number 26, New York, N.Y.: K=III Magazine Corporation, ISSN 0028-7369, OCLC 1002002954, page 50:
      Except for Barry Diller eating steak and Diane Von Furstenberg picking at his frites, the room at the top is still empty at 9:30 p.m. On the ground floor, the chic and the schlubby are slowly rendering the bar invisible.
    • 2003 September 15, Michael Wolff, “Candidate.com”, in New York‎, New York, N.Y.: New York Magazine Company, ISSN 0028-7369, OCLC 1002002954, archived from the original on 21 January 2017:
      In fact, the Internet, for political if not commercial causes, turns out to be a way to efficiently reach people whose very engagement (even overengagement) separates them most from ordinary zhlubby citizens.
    • 2005, Greg Behrendt; Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, “The Fifth Commandment: Don’t Wear Your Breakup out into the World”, in It’s Called a Breakup because It’s Broken: The Smart Girl’s Breakup Buddy, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, →ISBN, part 2 (The Breakover), page 238:
      [P]ut on your schlubbiest clothes, dab on some pimple cream, and go to the grocery store. […] Don't start your days in the hole. Besides, you never know when the new Mr. Right will come along. …
    • 2008, Lynn Phillips, “Self-loathing Dabbles in the Arts”, in Self-loathing for Beginners, Santa Monica, Calif.: Santa Monica Press, →ISBN, part IV (The Self-loathing Elite), page 170:
      Just thinking about ballet makes most people feel schlubbier and more sluglike when they shuffle out of their bedrooms in the morning or slide under the barstool at night.
    • 2008 February 10, Lynn Hirschberg, “Breaking through”, in The New York Times‎, archived from the original on 12 May 2011:
      Although [Seth] Rogen had his artistic breakthrough with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” two years ago, he achieved mass appeal this year as a funny, lovable, shlubby every-guy who won the beautiful blonde.
    • 2009 February 4, Brad Stone, “In campaign wars, Apple still has Microsoft’s number”, in The New York Times‎, archived from the original on 5 January 2019:
      Apple’s ads promote what you can do with an iPhone or iPod, or show the comedian John Hodgman as a schlubby PC guy being outfoxed by the actor Justin Long as hip Mac guy.

Alternative forms

Translations
unattractive or unkempt — see unattractive,‎ unkempt

References
  1. “schlubby” (US) / “schlubby” (UK) in Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press; “schlub” (US) / “schlub” (UK) in Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press.

Further reading
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