Like the perfect seasoning in a meal, words provide flavor to sentences. Yiddish words are extra flavorful, sweet, sour, tangy and filled with zest. Understand tateleh?
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| Just my type- a Yiddish typewriter |
Yiddish words are stuffed, like a kishka, with power and charm. Recently I kept hearing those words pop up in many conversations at work, on the radio, in blogs and online newspapers. I was surprised at how many Yiddish words are part of the common American lexicon. This is one of the things I love about America- it is like a stew taking bits and pieces from different cultures and blending them into one feast.
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| Oy Vey |
Wikipedia provides a great explanation of the origins of Yiddish (not to be confused with Hebrew) Yiddish (literally “Jewish”) is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages. It is written in the Hebrew alphabet. To learn more about the history of Yiddish language, click here.
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| Are you a mensch? |
All of the following words came across my path in the last two weeks. I wrote them down on an index card as I heard or read them. They are all filled with rich personal memory triggers and most importantly, they are funny words that make me laugh. To this day, I hear my grandparents, aunts, uncles and family members using these words and they reminded me of moments passed. I added a few photos to help with the explanations
Enjoy, bubbee…
ALTER KOCKER- a crotchety, cranky old man, an old fart
BOYCHICK – affectionate term for a boy
BUBELEH – little grandma, a term of endearment
BUBBEE- A friendly term for anybody you like
GONIF – thief
BUPKIS – nothing
COCKAMAMIE- not credible, foolish, muddled
DREK- worthless junk
ECKVELDT – the farthest place on the earth
FAKAKATA – lousy, crappy and completely messed up
FATOOZ – bewildered, disoriented
FARKLEMPT – choked up, too emotional to talk
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| Linda Richman (Mike Myers is Farklempt) |
FEH – how disgusting
HAYMESH – homey, plain and simple, of the home – unaffected
KIBBITZ – to make small talk
K’NOCKER – a big shot
KVETCH – to complain excessively
MACHER – big shot
MENSCH – a fine man, someone who does good deeds
MESHUGGANEH – crazy
MISHEGOSS- madness, craziness
NACHES – good pleasure and special joy
NEBISH- a loser
NUDNIK – a pest
OY GEVALT – An exclamtion of fear or panic.
PLOTZ – to explode
PUNIM – face
PUPIK – bellybutton
SHAYNA MADELEH – a beautiful girl
SCHNORRER- moocher or freeloader
SCHNOZ – nose
SCHLEP – to carry or drag something
SHTIK- a routine
SHTIK- a routine
SHMATTE – a rag, an old tattered dress
SCHMUTZ – dirt
SHTUP – fornicate
SCHVITZ – to sweat
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| Schvitzing away |
TATELEH- little darling
TZCHATZKIES- little treasures
TUCHAS- behind, buttocks
ZAFTIG- fat, plump and buxom
ZIE GEZUNT – be healthy and well
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| Licensed to laugh |
