This process was adapted in English from the use of the "schm" prefix in Yiddish to dismiss something; as in, "Fancy, schmancy" (thus denying the claim that something is fancy). While "schmo" ("schmoo", "schmoe") is thought by some linguists to be a clipping of Yiddish שמוק "schmuck", that derivation is disputed.
This process originated from the use of the "schm" prefix in Yiddish to dismiss something, as in "Fancy, schmancy," thereby negating the claim that something is fancy. Some linguists believe that "schmo" ("schmoo", "schmoe") is a shortened form of Yiddish שמוק "schmuck," but this theory is contested.