Let's learn a little Yiddish today!

Let's learn a little Yiddish today!

Assigned names which were usually undesirable, for good reason!

Examples:

PLUTZ (to burst or to die),

KLUTZ (clumsy),

BILLIG (cheap)

DREK (shit)

YIDDISH ~~~THE SECRET CODE

Yiddish was the secret code, therefore I don't farshtaist,

A bisseleh maybe here and there, the rest has gone to waste.

Sadly when I hear it now, I only get the gist,

My Mamela spoke it beautifully; but me, I am tsemisht.

So och un vai as I should say, or even oy vai iz mir,

Though my pisk is lacking Yiddish, it's familiar to my ear.

And I'm no Chaim Yonkel , in fact I was shtick naches,

But, when it comes to Yiddish though, I'm talking out my tuchas.

Es iz a shandeh far di kinder that I don't know it better.

Though it's really nishtkefelecht when one needs to write a letter.

But, when it comes to characters, there's really no contention,

No other linguist can compete with honorable mentshen:

They have nebbishes and nebechels and others without mazel,

Then, too, schmendriks and schlemiels, and let's not forget schlemazel.

These words are so precise and descriptive to the listener,

So much better than "a pill " is to call someone "farbissener".

Or, that a brazen woman would be better called chaleria,

And you'll agree farklempt says more than does hysteria.

I'm not haken dir a tsheinik and I hope I'm not a kvetch,

But isn't meiskeit nicer, than to call someone a wretch?

Mitten derinnen, I hear Bubbeh say, "It's nechtiker tog, don't fear,

To me you're still a maven, zol zein shah, don't fill my ear.

A leben ahf dein keppele, I don't mean to interrupt,

But you are speaking narishkeit.....And A gezunt auf dein kup!"

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GLOSSARY

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Farshtaist = (Do You?) Understand

Bisseleh = A little

Tsemisht = Confused or mixed up

Och un vai = Alas and alack

Oi vai iz mir = Woe is me

Pisk = mouth

Naches = Joy, Gratification

Shandeh far di kinder = A pity/shame for the children

Nishtkefelecht = Not so terrible

Nebbishes = A nobody or simpleton

Nebechels = A pititful person or playing the role of being one

Schlemiel = Clumsy bungler, an inept person, butter-fingered

Schmendrik = Nincompoop; an inept or indifferent person

Schlemazel = Luckless person. Unlucky person; one with perpetual bad

luck (it is said that the shlemiel spills the soup on the Shlimazel!)

Farbissener = Embittered; bitter person

Chaleria = Evil woman. Probably derived from cholera.

Farklempt = Too emotional to talk. Ready to cry.

Haken dir a tsheinik = Don't get on your nerves

Kvetch = Whine, complain; whiner, a complainer

Mieskeit = Ugly

Mitten derinnen = All of a sudden, suddenly

Nechtiker tog! = He's (it's) gone! Forget it!

Nonsense! (Lit., a night's day)

Zol zein shah! = Be quiet. Shut up!!

Leben ahf dein keppele = Words of praise like; Well said! Well done!

Narishkeit = Nonsense

Hope you enjoyed!