Product Description

One doesn't have to be Jewish to recognize the words that have made their way into every fold of popular language: Chutzpah, Mensch, Tokhes, Mishmash, Nudge, Shtick, Schmaltzy, Schlep, Icky, and so on. Then there are phrases whose meaning and syntax are borrowed from Yiddish: "bite your tongue", "drop dead", "enough already", and "excuse the expression". This hilarious, concise guide includes chapters on the Basic Descriptions of People (the good, the bad, the ugly, and the goofy), the Fine Art of Cursing, Juicy Words and Phrases, Exclamations and Exasperations, and the Fine Art of Blessing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #501569 in Books
• Published on: 1998-12-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Customer Reviews

Learning Yiddish - You Need This Book!
As one learns a langauge, knowing what "not to say" can be as important as knowing what you can say. In addition to the "colourful" Yiddish it will show you, this book includes many perfectly acceptable words and phrases for many occasions or places in the life of a Jew. It includes a brief synopsis of Yiddish grammar as its final chapter. Its author's transliteration scheme is a bit unusual, but given this book's strengths, that's a minor flaw.

Vat every Yiddisa Jew knows and everyone else should know!!
Yiddish to those who don't know, is a language derived from German (although if you ask three Jews for their opinion as to the origin of Yiddish, you'll get four opinions back at you darling!!). To the Jew who grows up in a Yiddisah "Stub" or house, learns many good expressions, and so many not so good ones! Drek takes a wonderful, factual approach to this dying language via the humorous road!

This book dares to expose to the secrets, words, and expressions that only a Yiddisah-cupe would know!

I recommend this book to anyone; Jew or non-who wants to have a great laugh, return to their childhood roots or just to pick up some very bad words indeed!

My Wife, Helene and I laughed out loud and are going to buy a crate full of "Drek" for our friends and family!

My only complaint is now I may not be able to talk behind people's backs so easily - they have the Drek! Who knows for sure!

Gay-cach-and-yam to all, and to all a goodnight!!

Humorous Analogy
Book is broken down into chapters by language category. Humorous and informative introduction followed by chapter by chapter historical introductions and then content. Fairly good attempt at pronunciation help and spelling, however, some prior experience with words in speaking environment is still necessary to truly capture the pronunciation. Overall, short but sound book.