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Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
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Now don't confuse this word with the cartoon character on American TV alled " Magilla Gorilla." Magilla Gorilla was the main character from The Magilla Gorilla Show, an animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera from 1964 to 1967. Like many of the Hanna-Barbera animal characters, Magilla was dressed in human accessories, sporting a small hat and a bow tie.
Perhaps you remember these words:
We've got a gorilla for sale. Magilla Gorilla for sale. Won't you buy him, take him home and try him, gorilla for sale.
Don't you want a little gorilla you can call your own, A gorilla who'll be with ya when you're all alone?
Spoken: How much is that gorilla in the window?
Take our advice, at any price, a gorilla like Magilla is mighty nice. Gorilla, Magilla Gorilla for sale.
In the book, "Meshuggenary - Celebrating the World of Yiddish" by Stevens, Levine, & Steinmetz, they define a "big megillah" as a big shot who is full of hot air, and of himself. A second definition: n. Slang. A long, sometimes drawn-out or long-winded story. It comes from the Yiddish " megile," meaning long letter or document (from the Biblical story of Esther.) English has eagerly and playfully adopted the word: The "whole megillah" means the whole thing or affair, with about the same connotation as the "whole enchilada." Some English thesauruses give synonyms for the "whole megillah" as the "whole ball of wax" and the "kitchen sink."
The Post Standard of Syracuse, New York (December 1965) wrote: "Silly, those people who make a megillah out of acting. Just learn the lines; the rest is up to the director."
Frank Sinatra used the word "magilla" in " Come Blow Your Horn" (1963):
"The taller the tree is--the sweeter the peach/I'll give you the whole megillah--in a one word speech--reach."
The above lyric is saying that he will condense a long and boring explanation into a single "vort" (word).
Film critic, Joel Siegel ("Lessons For Dylan") provided his readers with a glossary of Yiddish words in common American English usage (including 29 words for "schmuck"). He defines "megillah" as follows: From the Hebrew: The story of Queen Esther, in the Bible. The holiday of Purim celebrates one of the biblical Jews' rare victories with noisemakers, costumes, pageants, and three-cornered cookies called " homintashn." Another tradition is to get roaring drunk on Purim. But you have to read through the entire story of Esther, " the whole megillah," before the party starts.
In the 2006 calendar, "A Little Joy A Little Oy" by Marnie Winston-Macauley, we read that:
Weiner and Davilman ("Yiddish with Dick and Jane") provided a rather humorous example of how the word "megillah" is used: "Then somebody asked him about his prostate operation, and we had to sit through the whole megillah."
Eisenberg and SColnic ("Dictionary of Jewish Words") defines "megillah" as a long or complicated story; anything that is done in its fullest form, from start to finish. On Purim, it is traditional to read and listen to the 'whole megillah' from start to finish. 'When they went out to dinner, they didn't just have an entree. Soup, salad, and dessert were included, so they had the whole megillah!'"
Fred Kogos ("From Shmear to Eternity")-- a wonderful title--defines "megillah" as a long, meaningless rigmarole.
And, finally, Martin Marcus ("The Power of Yiddish Thinking") describes a telephone conversation with the NEGATIVE MEGILLA:
Hello. I don't suppose Mrs. Frankel is at home? She is? Then she's probably not free to talk? She can? Hello, this couldn't be Mrs. Frankel? Oh. Well, since you haven't phoned me in over six months, I guess you wouldn't be interested in hearing some news about a mutual friend? You would? Etcetera, etcetera.
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Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe writes a monthly column for a "vebzaytl" (website) named, " GantsehMegillah.com."
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