klutz

Yiddish, the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews across Europe before the Holocaust, is now perhaps best known to many English speakers through words such as "schlep", "klutz" and "chutzpah".

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

She brought up President Ford, who once tripped and was forever branded a klutz, thanks in part to a “Saturday Night Live” skit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2023

Haider is a klutz — “by the grace of Allah, you’re really terrible,” a director groans — and the theater’s finances make zero sense.

From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2023

That’s great, but it won’t be appreciated by anyone who isn’t a klutz, an adventurer, or an adventurous klutz.

From The Verge ● Aug. 18, 2022

Beatrice was such a phenomenal athlete that Roy couldn’t imagine her falling down the stairs like some ordinary klutz.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

The company of performers assembled to perform this hoary property consists of has-beens, wannabes, klutzes and martyred veterans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2025

But none of these addresses the underlying problem; namely, that cell-phone owners are human beings, and are therefore klutzes.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 5, 2019

If NBA referees are true to their word, this fumbling will allow even the most brick-handed klutzes to slash through defenses like their favorite pros.

From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2019

Luckily, the real bomb squads have so far mostly had to deal with klutzes, not the kind of brilliantly skilled practitioner Perry introduces to us in his work of fiction.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2017

That’s better than the “kick-to-open” kind for klutzes like me.

From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2017