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SHOULD WE SHOW "RAKHMONES
FOR SARAH?
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
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The Yiddish word "rakhmones" means mercy or pity.
Should we show "rakhmones" for Sarah Palin? This "zumer" (summer) she made the news again by offering a new "vort" (word) to the English dictionary. Palin apparently used the word "refudiate" as part of her Twitter message concerning the mosque planned near Ground Zero. She said that it was a word that could be found in the "fictionary."
I checked my Oxford Dictionary and could only find the word REPUDIATE! Why I even checked search engines and Google. No success.
Many people (Paul Dickson, Rabbi Benjamin Blech, Lenore Skenazy, etc.) have come up with some "vunderlekh" made-up words. Some of my favorites are shown below:
1. "meshuggenary"
A crazy-quilt guide to kishka, klezmer...
Yiddish language, culture, and history;
A reference you need, like a lokh in kop!
(From the book, "Meshuggenary" -
Celebrating the World of Yiddish" by
Steves, Levine, & Steinmetz)
2. "Bagelicious"
An attractive or voluptuous young
woman. (Lenore Skenazy, "Hey, Oxford,
I've got some words for you!")
3. Schmear Campaign
Political ploy wherein candidate fondly
invokes any and all Jewish relatives, no
matter how distant. (Lenore Skenazy)
4. "Plotz"
To sicken after reading too many
screenplays. (Nancy Gibson Nash)
Not to be confused with the Yiddish
word "plotz," meaning to burst, explode,
or collapse from excitement, surprise,
or pleasure.
5. "Judicious" (redefinition)
adj. Passover recipes. (Frank Corwin)
6. "Cantaloupe" (redefinition) Parental nonconsent. (Joan Jaquish)
7. "Fla. forecast"
Flurries of guests drifting in up to five at
a time. (Norman Dvoskin)
8. "Nosheria" Cafeteria for snacks.
9. "Drektions"
Misleading or lousy directions.
(Time for a TripTik, Mapquest, or
Garmin?)
10. "Ashkeshnozzim"
A nose the shape of Florida and the
size of a medium potato.
(Rabbi Benjamin Blech)
11. "Kooped"
Considered unsafe by the previous
surgeon general. (Neil Ferris)
12. "Enfants gates"
Microsoft kids. (Alexa Geller)
13. "Altar eggo" Wedding breakfast. (Patsy V. Felmet)
14. "Tseularer telefon"
Yiddish for cell phone. (Benyumen
Schaehter calls it "der mobilnik.")
15. "Bobbegum"
Candy one's mother gives to her
grandchildren that she never gave to
her own children. (Rabbi Blech)
16. "Bon Mot"
Homemade "epl" sauce.
17. "mshandle"
Calling a woman by the wrong name
during intimacy. (Hank Wallace)
18. "Britalin"
Filter that provides great tasting water
("vaser") and calms your children.
(Perry Fishkind)
19. "Niagaraphobia"
Fear of honeymoons. (Alexa Geller)
20. "Pin Money"
Purse at a wrestling match. (Not to be
confused with a "K'nippel.")
21. "Bialyache"
The result of lunch at your mother's and
dinner at your mother-in-law's.
(Rabbi Blech)
22. "Odoralls"
Toddler's overalls; for obvious reasons.
(Margaret Drye)
23. "Tetralemma"
It's a problem which means that you
have four options, instead of three.
Ex. Would you like
a) "Flanken pizzaiola Alla Shmendrick
b) "Saltimbocca Alte Kahka"
c) "Tante Leah's Braciole Con Chianti"
or
d) Lamb Stew Gezuntheit
(Source: "The Italian-Kosher Cookbook,
by Ruth & Bob Grossman)
24. "Menuitis"
Paul Dickson term for having so many
choices that you take forever ("oyf
eybik") to make up your mind.
25. "Boomerang"
Slang for a grown up child who returns
to live with his or her parents ("tate" -
mame"). Remember the B'way show,
"Alone Together," starring Janis Paige
and Kevin McCarthy? George & Helene
Butler's three children have flown off to
begin college, set up apartments in
lofts, or do whatever else chicks do in
the mid '80's. They're gone! They're
gone! No more "Boom Boxes," knap-
sacks, preppy jokes, transcendental
meditation and remarks like "Oh, Mom,
that's corroded!" BUT...THEY RETURN
HOME! Remember: "Among the best
home furnishings are children."
26. "Thesbian"
A woman who acts gay. Anne Heche
and Lindsay Lohan are noted thesbians.
27. "Puffalope"
One of those padded, puffy envelopes.
(Scotch makes a Bubble Mailer!)
28. "Hygienevangelist"
One who tried to clean your teeth and
save your "neshome" (soul)
simultanously.
29. "Perchery"
Fishy legal testimony.
30. "Grepsella'
The first thing out of your mouth after
you drink the bi-carb.
(Source: "The Italian-Kosher Cookbook"
by Ruth & Bob Grossman) From the
Yiddish word "grepts"--belch.
31. "Hamletive"
The state of an object or person that is
neither positive or negative, neither
yes nor no, because it simply can't
decide.
32. "Eloquacious"
Created by joining "eloquent" with
"loquacious." It means "the ability to
create brand new words, that sound as
if they've always truly existed and mean
exactly what you think they would."
33. "Chutz-spa"
An expensive, pretentious spa.
34. "Oblivia"
Things which go unnoticed or have been
easily forgotten.
35. "Bellignorant/Bellignorance"
To be both bellignorant and ignorant
("umvisndik") at the same time. (This
condition is most commonly found in
one's boss, a difficult mother, or a
"shviger" (mother-in-law).
36. "Fantabulous"
An amalgamation of fantastic and
fabulous. (Think of Oreck's new vacuum
cleaner ("shtoybzoyger") with a built-in
radio.)
37. "Confrazzled"
n. The state of being simultaneously
"tsemisht" (confused) and at the end of
one's wits.
38. "Jobfusticate"
v. To arrange matter such that to other
people your job appears to be so
complex and technical that nobody else
(least of all your boss) can "farshteyn"
(understand). A combinatoin of job and
obfusticate.
39. "Sinorexia"
The feeling of renewed hunger an hour
after eating Chinese food.
(Paul Dickson)
40. "Ummer"
A live-in partner of the opposite sex,
derived from the problem encountered
when introducing such a person.
Ex. "I'd like you to meet ummmm-er."
(Source: Herb Caen's column in the San
Francisco Chronicle)
Note: Marjorie Wolfe had an Aunt Sally, who passed away at age 98. She once referred to her "significant other" as her "insignificant other."
41. "a meshpokhe mit/af tsores"
A dysfunctional Jewish family
(Sylvia Schildt)
42. "Alter Kaker" - a Michael Wex(ian) drink An ounce and a half of Old Granddad whiskey and half an ounce of prune juice--on the rocks, of course.
43. "Ambifresstic"
Having the ability to eat hors d'oeuvres
with both hands while maintaining a
conversation.
(Source: "Drek! The Real Yiddish Your
Bubbe Never Taught You" by Yetta
Emmes)
-------------------------------------------
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe will be speaking
at the
mid-Westchester JCC,
999 Wilmot
Road,
Scarsdale, New York, on
Thursday, Oct. 7
Time: 1 p.m.
Topic: "The Bintel Brief"
She will also be speaking at the
Orangeburg Library
20 South Greenbush Road
Orangeburg, New York
on
Sunday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m.
Topic: "The Bintel Brief"
She will also be speaking at
Temple Hillel's "Shalom Club"
1000 Rosedale Road
Valley Stream, New York
on Monday, Oct. 4, at 12 noon
Topic: "The Humor of the Jewish Mother"
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