skosh

skosh [skohsh] noun Slang
a bit; a jot: We need just a skosh more room.
Origin: Japanese sukoshi a little (bit)

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I definitely knew this word because it's one my dad used to use all the time. I'd be helping him build something out in the garage and he'd have me hold something so he could weld it or nail it into place and he'd say something like "Move that up just a skosh."

He even knew the origin of the word because I once asked him what the word meant (even though I knew, but was curious about where it came from) During the Depression he had gone with his parents to the west coast to pick produce and had made friends with a Japanese boy and had picked up the word from him. Pop told a lot of stories about his times with him, the funniest ones about eating meals with his new friend's family. The parents spoke little if any English and during the first meal the boy's folks frowned at my dad while he was eating. The boy leaned over and explained to him that they thought he wasn't enjoying the meal, that it was considered good manners to smack one's lips while eating and to frequently belch, the highest compliment to the cook that the food was good.

I listen to a talk radio show sometimes at night when I can't sleep and the host often uses the word; that always reminds me of my dad and his stories about his Japanese friend in Washington state.