THE "R" WORD...IT ISN'T "RUGELACH"

by
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe

Syosset, New York

What starts with an "R" and has lots of us considering "nogl-biting" (nail-biting) as a new habit?   RECESSION!

Economist.com says that almost six out of ten Americans believe that the country is already in a recession.  Fed Reserve Chairman, Ben Shalom Bernanke, acknowledged for the first time that the U. S. COULD slip into recession this year as the economy staggers under a housing crisis and tightening "kredit" conditions.

Mr. Bernanke said, "It now appears likely that gross domestic product will not grow much, if at all, over the first half of 2008, and could even contract slightly."

Note:  In February, President Bush conceded that he had not heard about predictions of $4-a-gallon gasoline.  "Er veyst fun bobkes."  (He really knows nothing.)  And John McCain makes jokes about not knowing much about economics.  His philosophy is best described as a work in progress.  Scary to me!  If he hasn't gotten a grasp of economic issues in "zibetsik" (70)+ years and three decades in politics, when will he ever "get it"?  It's not enough for him to say that he's got Greenspan's book!

The old "vits"/"vitz" (joke) goes that a recesion is when your "shokhn" (neighbor) loses his job.  A "depresye" (depression) is when you lose yours.

Richard Rapaport (SFGate) says, the word "recession" is whispered in the same way the word "cancer" used to be, as if avoiding its mere mention could keep the "ergst" (worst) from happening.

What can we say--in Yiddish--about Bernanke?  "Er hot a kop oyf di pleytses." (He has a good head on his shoulders.)

Although Bernanke learned Hebrew from his maternal grandfather, who was a professional Torah reader and Hebrew teacher, may I suggest that he use the following Yiddish expressions in dealing with the topic of the recession:

. "Shpor, shpor, kumt der shvarts yor un    nemt alts gor."
   (You save and you save, and then a lean year comes and takes away everything.)

. "Oyf dray zakhn shteyt di velt; oyf gelt, oyf gelt un oyf gelt."
   (The world stands on three things: money, money and money.)

.  "Gelt tsu fardinen iz gringer vi tsu haltn."
   (It's easier to earn money than to hold onto it.)

.  "Der oreman hot veynik faynt, der raykher hot veyniker fraynd."
    (The poor man has few enemies, the rich man has fewer friends.)

.  "Der rekhening iz do, ober dos gelt iz nito."
    (The bill is here, but the money is not.)

. "Oremkayt iz nit keyn shande, ober keyn groyse koved iz dos oykh nit."
   (Poverty is no disgrace, but it's also not a great honor.)

.  "Es iz nit azoy gut mit gelt, vi es iz shlekht on gelt."
   (It is not so much that it's good to have money, as it's bad to be without it.)

.  "Dray zakhn ken men nit bahaltn: libe, hustn un dales"
    (Three things cannot be hidden: love, coughing and poverty.)

_________________________________________
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe has the following advice for her four grandchildren:
"Never confuse Milton Friedman with Morgan Freeman!"

Search for Stories Beginning with the Letter

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

___________________________________________
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe is the author of
two books:

"Yiddish for Dog & Cat Lovers" and
"Are Yentas, Kibitzers, & Tummlers Weapons of Mass Instruction?  Yiddish
Trivia."  To order a copy, go to her
website: MarjorieGottliebWolfe.com

NU, what are you waiting for?  Order the book!