Etymology

sheeny

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Today it means: A Jew. Full definition →

Yiddish שיין
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sheeny · noun1

  1. Yiddish · derived fromשיין“beautiful, nice”
  2. English todaysheeny

Seems to have originated in 1820s London. Could be a mockery of Yiddish שיין (sheyn, “beautiful, nice”), much used in praising wares.

sheeny · adjective2

From sheen + -y.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.