Schnorrer
- alternative meaning: Karl Schnörrer
A schnorrer, also spelled shnorrer, is a Yiddish term meaning beggar or sponger. The English usage of the word denotes a sly chiseller who will get money out of you anyway he can.
The term is often, but not always, used in a negative sense.
It can also be used as a backhanded compliment to someone's perseverance, cleverness, or thrift. For instance, Azriel Hildesheimer, known for for his travels around Europe to spread his rabbinical wisdom to the poor, and for his refusal to accept payment for his services, was sometimes referred to as the "international shnorrer" for his reliance on the local community to house and feed him wherever he went.
Schnorrers in film and literature
- Groucho Marx, in his movies, often assumed the role of a shnorrer.
- The comedian Jackie Mason often pokes fun of the stereotype of Jews as shnorrers