Meshugganeh Moments

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?

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.

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.

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