kiebitzen

From older kiewischen, kiebitschen, meaning “to search, strip-search, investigate” in thieves’ cant (Rotwelsch). Further origin uncertain. Possibly from Yiddish כובש זײַן (koyvesh zayn, “to oppress, distress”), from Hebrew כבש (kāvāš). Later associated with Kiebitz (“lapwing”), but direct derivation from it is unlikely.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkiːbɪtsən/, [ˈkiː.bɪ.t͡sn̩]

kiebitzen (weak, third-person singular present kiebitzt, past tense kiebitzte, past participle gekiebitzt, auxiliary haben)

1. (colloquial, intransitive) to kibitz, to observe curiously, possibly giving unwanted comments, especially at a card game, but also work being done etc.

   beim Schach kiebitzen ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 1942, Stefan Zweig, Die Welt von Gestern […] [The World of Yesterday]‎^[1]:

     Ein bißchen gute Diktion versuchte ich in den Kirchen von den Predigern zu erlernen, zwei oder drei Male kiebitzte ich bei Gerichtsverhandlungen, ich ging in die Theater, um richtiges Englisch zu hören […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• Kiebitz (backformation)

• “kiebitzen” in Duden online
• “kiebitzen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1989) “kiebitzen”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 368