Everything is planned, everything is on track, everything is under control… but then something changes and your plans crumble into one big "Schlamassel." This colorful-sounding word is sure to evoke images of mess and confusion - and that's exactly what it means. It's a combination of the Yiddish word "massel," meaning luck, and the syllable "Schla" - which could either be an adaptation of the German word "schlimm" (bad) or the Hebrew negation "shlo." Regardless of its origins, though, a "Schlamassel" is a situation that you need to work your way out of. Bad luck indeed!