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Shiksa (or "Shikse," literally "female abomination") is a Yiddish word that has become commonplace in English usage, mostly in Jewish culture. While it can be simply defined as a pejorative term for a gentile woman, for the American Jewish community, there are many nuances of meaning.

The word is derived from the Hebrew term sheketz, which means either "detestable", "loathed" or "blemish," depending on the translator. Other possible source is Polish, were "siksa" means "young girl who pisses her pants" (constructed similarly to "plaksa" i.e. "someone who cries"). While it can be used to refer to any female gentile, for many North American Jews, the "shiksa" conforms to the classic all-American cheerleader stereotype, a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) named "Cathy" or "Mary," for instance, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

Discretion in use of the term is called for, as it is still regarded as offensive in some contexts. However, it has been observed by both comedians and more serious thinkers that such shiksas are often fetishized by Jewish men (which is the point of the term to begin with, as shikse are thought by some to tempt Jewish men to forbidden sexual congress with gentiles). Many ascribe it to the particular neuroses of the Jewish-American male, especially in terms of his relation to his mother.

Pop cultural uses

An example of this trope can be seen in "The Serenity Now" episode of Seinfeld, where a number of Jewish characters display attraction to Elaine Benes; George Costanza then explains this as a response to her "shiksappeal."

Lenny Bruce wrote a short story on the subject of shiksas, in which he subscribes to the WASP-y conception.

Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years features a song titled "Shiksa Goddess" that explores the main character Jamie's desire for a non-Jewish woman - whom he eventually marries.

The term was also used in an episode from season four of "Queer As Folk." The Jewish Lesbian, Melanie, describes her gentile partner, Lindsay, as a "Shiksa Goddess" after she has been unfaithful to her.

The term figures prominently in Philip Roth's novel Portnoy's Complaint, a Jewish man's narrative about, among other things, his sexual exploits with several shikses.

See also

• Shegetz

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