meeskite
adj.— Note: “Jolie-laide” is the French term for it. «Little, purebred dogs are certainly among the easier animals to find homes for, but Rosie was a bit “mature” when she entered my shelter as a homeless stray. A somewhat crusty old lady, this little Shitzu was in fact a mess when I first brought Marilyn to meet her. The Yiddish word “meeskite” meaning “someone so homely she’s actually cute,” the proverbial face only a mother could love, that was Rosie.» —“Rosie & Marilyn” by Ken White SFGate.com (San Francisco, California) May 12, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Hillary in Woodstock, Vermont, says she’s always pronounced mayonnaise as MY-oh-nayz. Is that pronunciation legit? The original French name of this cold, creamy sauce has never fully transitioned into English, so there are at least 15...
She sells seashells by the seashore. Who is the she in this tongue twister? Some claim it’s the young Mary Anning, who went on to become a famous 19th-century British paleontologist. Dubious perhaps, but the story of her rise from seaside...