Frum Slang | Imamother

Ema of 5

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 7:40 am

I think a lot of these things are NY/Lakewood things, rather than Jewish things. Some of these things are not heard outside of those communities, except in places where a lot of NYers have moved to, like Miami. I haven’t lived there for a while so I don’t know if it’s infiltrated the daily lingo.

watergirl

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 7:50 am

tigerwife wrote:

“In the mood of” instead of “in the mood for”.
So guilty of the first and once I learned my mistake, switched over- and “mood for” STILL feels so wrong to me!

YES! "In the mood of" kills me. Even worse when I see it printed in a frum publication in the States.

Also, which I see on this website all the time:
- Do I must xyz? or You don't must xyz
- The overuse of the word "such"
- Stopping to whatever - nurse/stopping to take birth control, etc.

What is this with "Do I must" or "you don't must"? Is this another yiddish translation? People write it all the time. "You don't must go to your third cousin's wedding if it's mikvah night", "Do I must wear spring clothing for Pesach". And so on.

Debbie

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 8:04 am

Ema of 4 wrote:

Well, if they are right in front of the product, then why would they name the product?

Often they are just in the nosh aisle and the choice of 'packets' is large.
Also to very young children I do think it is good to specify clearly what you mean.

Ema of 5

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 8:07 am

Debbie wrote:

"I gave my baby an injection," after taking the baby to the clinic for vaccinations.
Asking a child if he/she would like a gutte zach,and then giving said child something full of artificial colours and flavours and basically rubbish; what exactly is good about that?

I’ve never heard that before. I was under the impression, though, that hey say it differently in England than they do in America.
You can't use Yiddish expression, or other people’s choices, and call them slang, or “Jewish-isms” or whatever.

Debbie

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 8:14 am

Ema of 4 wrote:

I can't speak for America,and with respect I didn't call them either 'slang' or 'Jewish-isms.'
I actually don't think they are slang,but I had not heard these expressions prior to living in a Frum community,and believe me I would 100% rather here these expressions then some other 'slang' one hears on the street!

mommyla

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 8:26 am

watergirl wrote:

Those hurt my eyes every time. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say them IRL.

mommyla

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 8:38 am

And “being” - as in “what are your kids being for Purim?” or “Are you being home for Pesach?”

Shuly

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 8:57 am

My Israeli kids say the strangest things when they try to say Hebrew expressions in English.
My favorite is "save on the baby!"

STMommy

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:17 am

Hold By

(as in, which Rav do you hold by?)

This is not a phrase that anyone else uses in English.

PinkFridge

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:20 am

Raisin wrote:

I used to think tumult was a yiddish word. LOL

Not to be confused with the chavrusa tumul.

PinkFridge

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:21 am

DrMom wrote:

Not sure what you mean by this. "Juxtaposition" is a word used extensively outside of Artscroll books.

How about "slinky skirt?" For most people, this conjures up images of some close-fitting s-xy shimmery lurex or satin garment, but it turns out it's just an ordinary knit fabric skirt.

"Robe" in some parts of the frum world means not a bathrobe or long tunic (like a king's royal robe), but any casual knitwear.

Hey, Bashevkin, if you're reading this, how about a top 5 words that are now part of the lexicon (could that one count? Hmmm) thanks to Artscroll.

PinkFridge

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:21 am

Odelyah wrote:

no that's a good one. comes from yiddish.

To be honest, even saying learning Torah as opposed to studying Torah is really from the yiddish. I only gradually became aware of this from learning with secular college students and the realization was almost shocking. Because they wouldn't say they are learning Torah with me; we are studying Torah. And it dawned on me that the common usage is not actually natural in English..

I heard it this way: You learn things that stick with you. You learn how to brush your teeth and make a bed, and you learn Torah. Studying is for something that's an external part of you.

Amelia Bedelia

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:25 am

Ema of 4 wrote:

The packet thing is also a British thing. Here in the US we would say, "Choose a snack."

Brownies

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:33 am

I find that Jewish books and in particular kids’ books really overuse the word “surely”. I don’t know why.

rgh

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:33 am

mommy9 wrote:

What about "learnt"? Does anyone say that besides frum people?

Grrrrr. I once lost 10 points on a college paper for that one. Don't know why spell-check failed me.

Amelia Bedelia

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:37 am

mommyla wrote:

Snack bag
Soda can
Box drink
“Briefcase” for backpack
“Wagon” for shopping cart

What's wrong with snack bag and soda can?

Ema of 5

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 9:49 am

b.chadash wrote:

Or this or that (instead of either this or that)
Plotzing
Chalishing

The only people I’ve ever heard say this, speak Yiddish as their first language. In Yiddish, it’s either this or either that, so it makes sense that they would say that when speaking English.

rgh

Fri, Feb 28 2020, 10:00 am

Shuly wrote:

My Israeli kids say the strangest things when they try to say Hebrew expressions in English.
My favorite is "save on the baby!"

I've heard רוקםing from an Israeli child who didn't know how to say embroider.