yente/yenta

this Yiddish word for a constantly talking, meddling, or scolding woman is defined fairly negatively (synonyms include "gossip" and "blabbermouth"), but few people hear it that way today—partly because it's not commonly used as an epithet, perhaps partly because of the Barbra Streisand movie Yentl, and partly because the yenta has a good heart. For inclusive alternatives, see gossip.