yiddish

Far-shtaist? Yiddish: for those desiring to be truly multi-cultural.
(Author unknown)

Yiddish was the secret code, therefore I don't far-shtai-st,A biss-el-eh maybe here and there, the rest has gone to waste.Sadly when I hear it now, I only get the gist,My Bubb-eh spoke it beautifully; but me, I am tse-misht.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 Yon-kel, in fact I was shtick nach-es,

But, when it comes to Yiddish though, I'm talking out my tuch-as.Es iz a shan-deh far di kin-der that-I don't-know-it better.(Though it's really nish-tkefe-lecht 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 men-tshen:They have nebbishes and nebech-els and others without maz-el,Then, too, schmendr-iks and schlemiels, and let's not forget schl-emaz-el.These words are so precise and descriptive to the listener,So much better than "a pill " is to call someone 'far-biss-ener'.Or - that a brazen woman would be better called cha-le-ria,

And you'll agree fark-lempt says more than does hysteria.I'm not hak-en dir a tsheinik and I hope I'm not a kvetch,But isn't miesk-eit kinder, than to call someone a wretch?Mitten de-rinn-en, I hear Bubb-eh say, "It's nech-tiker tog, don't fear,To me you're still a maven, zol zein shah, don't fill my ear.A leb-en ahf dein kepp-e-le, I don't mean to interrupt,But you are speaking nar-ish-keit.....And A gez-unt auf dein kup!"

GLOSSARY

Far-shtaist = (Do You?)
UnderstandBiss-e-leh = A littleTse-misht = Confused or mixed up.
Och un vai = Alas and alack.
Oi vai iz mir = Woe is me.
Pisk = mouth.
Nach-es = Joy, Gratification.
Shan-deh far di kinder = A pity/shame for the children.
Nish-tke-fel-echt = Not so terrible.
Nebb-ish-es = A nobody or simpleton.
Neb-ech-els = A pititful person or playing the role of being one.
Schle-miel = Clumsy bungler, an inept person, butter-fingered; dopey person.
Schmen-drik = Nincompoop; an inept/indifferent person; like chlemiel.
Schle-mazel = Unlucky person with continual bad luck (shlemiel spills soup on Shlimazel!)
Farb-iss-ener = Embittered; bitter person.
Cha-leria = Evil woman. (Probably derived-from cholera).
Far-klempt = Too emotional to talk. Ready- to- cry.
Hak-en dir a tsheinik = Don't-get on your-nerves (Lit., Don't bang your teapot!)
Kvetch = Whine, complain; whiner, a complainer.
Mies-keit = UglyMitt-en de-rinn-en = All of a sudden, suddenly.
Nech-tik-er tog! = He's (it's) gone! Forget it! Nonsense! (Lit., a night's day).
Zol zein shah! = Be quiet. Shut up!!
Leb-en ahf dein kepp-ele = Praise like well said or done! (Lit., long-life on-your- head.)
Nar-ish-keit = Nonsense