Glossary for the heimshly challenged

hadasa

Mon, Aug 11 2008, 9:31 am

Motek wrote:

a learner is a bachur who sits and learns and wants to sit and learn (used in shidduchim and describes a learning boy vs. a working boy)

The term "learning" as an ongoing activity is in itself a Yiddishism. The English term is "studying", although, of course, the English language does not really have a word for this type of lifelong study with no specific end or graduation in mind, hence the use of the Yiddishism.

Motek

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 11:03 am

This thread is too long for me to check what we did and didn't include so these might be repeats:

"brings down" - ex. In his sefer, he brings down all the sources about ...

"give it over" - ex. He gave over the dvar Torah at the Shabbos table.

I saw this one in Mishpacha magazine, "told over," and the sentence there is, "He told over the story ..."

one my latest peeves is how Mishpacha refers to men with the term "avreich". I am pretty sure that if you look at frum publications from 5+ years ago, that word is not used. There would be the occasional "yungerman" to indicate that the person was heimish/yeshivish, but generally the word "man" was used.

yo'ma

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 11:27 am

I don't know if this is considered heimshly challenged or not, but using yiddish words and adding "ing" or "ed" to it. Like bentching licht. I am very guilty of doing that.

TheBeinoni

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 11:56 am

excuse my ignorance, but can someone please clarify the use of "heimishe"? I see it used in a lot of different ways here, but for some reason I always thought it literally means "friendly".

TheBeinoni

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 12:01 pm

Motek wrote:

"I hear" or "I hear you"

believe it or not, this expression is of non jewish influence!!!!!

Seraph

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 12:30 pm

hotmama wrote:

excuse my ignorance, but can someone please clarify the use of "heimishe"? I see it used in a lot of different ways here, but for some reason I always thought it literally means "friendly".

heim means home, generally der alter heim... aka europe. so often heimish means things that are known of the jewish communities in europe- aka warm and freindly. european shabbos recipes. minhagim that are more european.

correct me if I'm wrong plz...

Motek

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 12:59 pm

hotmama wrote:

Motek wrote:

"I hear" or "I hear you"

believe it or not, this expression is of non jewish influence!!!!!

from where?

fargin is Yiddish and means not to begrudge:
ex: If your friend comes into a lot of money, and fargin her the money it means you don't begrudge her the money. You are happy for her.

by the way, we posters are mentally pronouncing the thread title differently, depending on our backgrounds

either HAYmishly or HImishly

TheBeinoni

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 1:04 pm

The expression, "I hear/I hear ya" from what I remember is from the whole hip-hop culture. I remember hearing that expression a very long time ago in tv shows. Only more recently have I heard frum Jews use it, many years after you heard something like this on, say, "The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire".

Could be wrong, though.. I'm not an expert in pop culture, but I do have a tv. embarrassed

Motek

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 1:08 pm

cassandra wrote:

not hime?

HI-mish
not HIME-ish

Quote:

How does one fargin herself?

She does not fargin herself to buy a new couch when the old one is perfectly good.

hotmama - the expression "I hear you" was used over 20 years ago by yeshivishe people, if that helps place it.

Motek

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 1:15 pm

cute heimish expressions used by yiddish-speaking mommies when talking to little kids:

macht a zitzie - sit down

mentchi - what you call the Fisher Price etc. little people

TheBeinoni

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 1:17 pm

Motek wrote:

hotmama - the expression "I hear you" was used over 20 years ago by yeshivishe people, if that helps place it.

how interesting! I'm only 21, so I guess I can't comment on expressions of "old"... Very Happy

TheBeinoni

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 1:18 pm

Motek wrote:

cute heimish expressions used by yiddish-speaking mommies when talking to little kids:

macht a zitzie - sit down

mentchi - what you call the Fisher Price etc. little people

macht a zitzie - this sounds like "make a sit"! that's SO CUTE!
and I love the mentchies!

GAMZu

Thu, Aug 14 2008, 3:24 pm

I pronounce both groups very differently, too, an I'm a New Yawker. Smile

I have an issue with "mentchies" because they are mixing Yiddish with English, not because of the diminutive. The proper diminutive should be mentchelech.

I have issues about mangling words in the other direction, too. Bringing English words to Yiddish.
My latest favorite- a mother in a store with a toddler in the stroller. The girl begins to whine. Mommy says, "Nisht cryen, ich koyf shoyn a toy." Rolling Eyes

Another favorite, overheard in the yard of a day camp, "Ver hot nisht a cup?" Now is that cup or kop? What

Disturbing somewhat... LOL

Motek

Sun, Aug 31 2008, 11:30 am

"put out" - Ex. Rabbi P put out a sefer on the laws of maaser. (from the Heb. "yotzei l'or)

"coming out" - Ex. When is the next issue of that magazine coming out? (ditto)

"talk in learning" - Ex. He likes to talk in learning with the rav of his shul.

"this that" - Ex. person giving a shiur says, "This that the pasuk says ..." (from the Yiddish "dos vos")

SuperMama

Tue, Sep 02 2008, 6:03 pm

hotmama wrote:

I learned a new word yesterday - shpitzel... wait.. was that it? oo I cant remember how it say it... Confused

New word? Where ya from?

GAMZu

Sun, Sep 07 2008, 11:39 pm

Not to take this topic back on track or anything, Wink

but how about hands and feet when referring to arms and legs?
That always makes the person sound so uneducated in my eyes.

Motek

Tue, Sep 23 2008, 10:13 pm

make a bracha, make kiddush, make havdala, make chasana, make sheva brachos

"where are you holding?"