Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US) a nagging, whining person, usu. female.

1923		A. Yezierska Salome of Tenements 12: The slattern yentehs lounging on the stoops, their dirty babies at their breasts .
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Yentas, professional women poker players.
1951		S. Levenson Meet the Folks 126: a yenteh A ‘news commentator’ without a sponsor.
1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 66: His virago wife at the window shouted at him [...] he shouted just one word back at her, ‘Yenta.’.
1968		L. Rosten Joys of Yiddish 429: Yenta, I am told was a perfectly acceptable name for a lady, derived from the Italian gentile — until some ungracious yenta gave it a bad name .
1977		C. McFadden Serial 13: She [...] prized her ‘Marcel Proust Was A yenta’ button.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 13: This is all apparent from the decline in the social status of such feminine titles as dame, madam, and mistress (along with the previously mentioned hussy, from housewife) and yenta.
1997		E. Little Another Day in Paradise 26: For you, my little yenta, perhaps some lox and cream cheese.
2015		J. Stahl OG Dad 91: Her face, in moments of diaper-filling dudgeon, resembles that of a disapproving yenta [...] about to look you up and down as mutter ‘Feh!’.