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Did you ever notice that most English words beginning with "sl" have a negative connotation? Some examples: slob, sloppy, slut, slang, sly, and slick.
Here's examples of "sl" words and their Yiddish equivalent:
slob - "shlump" or "opgelozen(er)";
a careless dresser
slaughter, ritual - "shoykhet"
slander - "rekhiles"
(to) smoke - "reykhern"
slow/dumb - "narish"
slow/not fast - "pamelekh"
slap - "patch/"potsh"/frask"
I gave him a potsh in ponem and he gave me a klap in kop." (I slapped him in his face
and he hit me on the head.)
"Geben a patsh" - to slap
slightly drunk- "farshnoshket"
slime - "shmuts"/'shmutz"
slow-witted - "Goyisher kop"
slums - "dales-hayzer"
slumhouse - "churveh"
sly - "khitre"
Donald Czerwinski ("Replace Negative Words with Positive Words") wants to reach out to mankind and ask that all people begin to replace ("fabaytn") negative words in their speech with positive words. He writes, "The news media, the newspapers, the radio shows and different sitcom's, movies we watch or listen to daily are filled with negative words."
Yiddish negation is the process that turns
an affirmative statement (I am happy/
I am "gliklekh" into its opposite denial,
I am not happy/I am "umgliklekh."
I am "klug" (smart).
I am not a "shtummie."
Note: A "shtummie" is a dummy; one who
doesn't say much. ("shtum" means silent)
I am outgoing and love to "shmooze."
I am not a "shmoozer" - someone who just sits around and talks all day long without doing anything productive.
I am into dancing: the Horah and the
Mezinke Tanz (Krenzl).
I am not into the joy, pain, passion and
drama ("drame") of "Dancing "Mit" (With) the Stars."
I am into Chanukah/Hanukkah.
I am not into Chrismukkah.
Note: Ron Gompertz ("Chrismukkah -
The Merry Mish-Mash Holiday Cookbook")
says that "Chrismukkah is a medley of
Bing Crosby's crooning "Chestnuts Roasting
on an Open Fire," Bruce Springsteen's
rollicking "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
and Adam Sandler's nebbishy "Hanukkah
Song." Ron says, "Merry Mazeltov!"
I am talented ("talantirt").
I am not a "shmeggegge"--an untalented
loser; a whiner; a petty person.
I am a senior citizen ("elter birger").
I am not "over the hill."
Don't call me elderly, an advanced adult, a goldenager, a seasoned citizen, or a member of 'OWLS' (Older, Wiser, Livelier Souls). On second thought, you MAY use the term 'OPALS'--Older Persons with Active Life Styles. And there are some perks to being a senior citizen: In a hostage ("orevnik") situation, you are likely to be released first.
I am a "fresser" - someone who loves to
eat and snack, often in large quantities.
I am not a "khazer" - a pig.
Speaking of food. We all remember the
Catskills. And Kutshers. "Kutsher's Tribeca"--a modern Jewish American
restaurant (formerly located in the old Mai
House), 186 Franklin St., Manhattan, opens
shortly. The menu includes "Moshe Peking's sizzling beef," varnishkes,
matzo-ball soup, etc. As my mother would
say, "Ess. Ess. Look how thin you look."
I am about to become "tsuriktsien zikh" (retired).
I am not off to "God's waiting room" (AKA
Florida) or that Great Senior Center in the
Sky.
According to Rose Madeline Mula
("If these are laugh lines, I'm having way
too much fun"), "Those poor misguided
workaholics plan never to slow down.
They'd have us believe that retirement is
fatal, more dangerous than pirouetting
blindfolded across the Grand Canyon on a
tightrope. They swear that hard work is
keeping them alive. Give me a break. That's living?"
I am thrifty ("shporveydik").
I am not a cheapskate ("shnorer").
I'm not like the "shnorer" who, instead of
giving her dress to be drycleaned for $10
or more, donates it to the Salvation Army.
They clean it, press it, put it on a hanger,
and she buys it back for $2 bucks.
I am a tale teller ("shpilmener.")
I do not fabricate stories.
In 1960 the young Judi Dench was playing
Shakespeare's Juliet at the Old Vic Theatre
in London. She was crouching over the
lifeless body of her cousin,Tybalt, crying
out, "Where are my father and my mother,
nurse?" when her actual father, a doctor,
who was in the audience with her mother,
stood up and announced, "Here we are,
darling, in row H!" (Thank you, Tom Friedman!)
I have a good "zikorn" (memory).
I am not forgetful.
According to Tom...uh...Friedman ("1,000 unforgettable Senior Moments"), "Before winning the senate seat in North Carolina in 1998, presidential candidate John Edwards showed little interest in politics and often forgot to vote. He was once asked whether he had started his political life by registering as a Democrat or Republican. HE COULDN'T REMEMBER!"
I am a movie producer.
I am not a "schlock meister"--a movie maker who produces kitsch.
I am tired ("farmatert").
I am not "oysgematert" (utterly exhausted).
I am into Fendi, Manolo Blahnik, UGG boots (sometimes called uggs), Rodeo Drive, and Bloomingdale's.
I am not a J.A.P.--Jewish American Princess.
Note: According to the "Dictionary of Jewish Worlds" by Eisenberg and Scolnic,
JAP is a "derogatory slang for a young
Jewish woman who is spoiled or showy with
material possessions. The term is considered offensive and insulting."
I am a polite ("eydl") negotiator.
I am not into "handling."
Jackie Mason ("How to Talk Jewish") says,
"When a Jew comes home from buying
something, there are always two questions:
"What did they ask?" and
"What did you
pay?"
Mason adds, "A Jewish storekeeper always knows that you're not going to buy anything unless he was going out of business and was desperate to sell his goods at a bargain. So a Jewish storekeeper always has all kinds of sales and always stays in business.
A gentile only has a Christmas Sale or a
George Washington Sale. But Jewish store
owners in Miami Beach have sales every
day that no one has ever heard of before.
There's an Early Bird Sale, an After Dinner
Sale, a Late Lunch Sale, and there's the
Going Out of Business Sale, the I Already
Went Out of Business Sale, and the Store
Has Never Been in Business Sale."
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Marjorie Wolfe says that the Yiddish
expression, "hoo-ha!" is NOT considered
to be an example of negative words. "That'll be the day! Mitt Romney wants to be president. hoo-ha!"
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