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If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Say It In Yiddish
You don't have to be Jewish to get back at the shmendriks of the world
Yiddish. It's the most colorful language in the history of mankind. What other language gives you a whole dictionary of ways to tell someone to drop dead? That shmuck who got promoted over you? Meigulgl zol er vern in a henglaykhter, by tog zol er hengen, un by nakht zol er brenen . (He should be transformed into a chandelier, to hang by day and to burn by night.) That soccer mom kibitzing on her cell phone and tying up traffic? Shteyner zol zi hobn, nit keyn kinder . (She should have stones and not children.)
If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Say It in Yiddish is the perfect glossary of Yiddish insults and curses, from the short and sweet( (Tu mir nit keyn toives :Don't do me any favors) to the whole megillah (Khasene hobn zol er mit di malekh hamoves He should marry the daughter of the Angel of Death.) Complete with hundreds of the most creative insults for the putzes and kvetchers of the world, this is an indispensable guide for Jews and Gentiles alike. When it comes to cursing someone who sorely needs it, may you never be at a loss for words again.
Lita Epstein grew up around Yiddish. While her mother and aunts usually used Yiddish to discuss something they didn't want the kids to know, its meaning gradually seeped through. This is her thirteenth book. She cannot promise it will be her last.
Yiddish. It's the most colorful language in the history of mankind. What other language gives you a whole dictionary of ways to tell someone to drop dead? That shmuck who got promoted over you? Meigulgl zol er vern in a henglaykhter, by tog zol er hengen, un by nakht zol er brenen . (He should be transformed into a chandelier, to hang by day and to burn by night.) That soccer mom kibitzing on her cell phone and tying up traffic? Shteyner zol zi hobn, nit keyn kinder . (She should have stones and not children.)
If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Say It in Yiddish is the perfect glossary of Yiddish insults and curses, from the short and sweet( (Tu mir nit keyn toives :Don't do me any favors) to the whole megillah (Khasene hobn zol er mit di malekh hamoves He should marry the daughter of the Angel of Death.) Complete with hundreds of the most creative insults for the putzes and kvetchers of the world, this is an indispensable guide for Jews and Gentiles alike. When it comes to cursing someone who sorely needs it, may you never be at a loss for words again.
Lita Epstein grew up around Yiddish. While her mother and aunts usually used Yiddish to discuss something they didn't want the kids to know, its meaning gradually seeped through. This is her thirteenth book. She cannot promise it will be her last.
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 5, 2015
When I saw the title, I knew I had to read this book! I've read a fair number of books written in the setting of the Jewish community and have come across quite a few Yiddish words. I could surmise their meanings, but now I know! This books sets you straight--Yiddish is not Hebrew. Yiddish, a very old language, derives from a lot of German words and many other words picked where the Jews have lived over the centuries. The average American might be surprised at how many Yiddish words he or she is knows without even trying--bagel, shalom, lox, shmooze, shmear, nosh, shtik, shlep, blintz, kosher, shmaltzy, gezunt-heit, megillah, shalom, mensch, mishmash, chutzpah, Mazel Tov, for starters and we haven't even gotten to the insults--shmuck, putz, shlok, klutz, shlepper, shmok, shnook. If you are in the market for some handy curses, this book is replete with them, all of them very long, involved, inventive and sometimes downright nasty, but all in good fun, yah?
October 25, 2018
Meh. It was okay. I like reading about language and languages, and there were some interesting bits, but when it came time to the laundry list of insults and curses I usually just felt bad. I get from the title it isn't a book of blessings on people, but some of them just felt awful. I guess I was hoping for a more humorous take on Yiddish and how it can be used to offer backhanded compliments or insults. So certainly part of it was my expectation. Also, I feel I'd personally get more out of learning Yiddish, rather than just trying to memorize some phrases. Again, a personal thing.
As with anything, you're mileage may vary.
The short -- I wouldn't have read it had I been better aware of what it was and I shan't ever read it again.
As with anything, you're mileage may vary.
The short -- I wouldn't have read it had I been better aware of what it was and I shan't ever read it again.
December 7, 2009
I'm a language geek. If I had infinite time and money I would spend them learning as many languages as I could. One of the languages that has fascinated me more as long as I can remember is Yiddish. It used to be a vibrant language but post Holocaust it has dwindled to a dying language relegated mostly to academics and the elderly. There is a revival effort afoot and hopefully it will take hold.
In the meantime, Yiddish is mostly a language of phrases and insults passed down through different business cultures. Schmuck, chutzpah, spiel... I could go on. I bet you know them. I bet you've used them. They are all Yiddish.
If you want to go beyond the basics, Lita Epstein has compiled a bunch of insults and other phrases in her book If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Say it In Yiddish. She has transliterated everything to her best approximation to how she learned them. If you're on the west coast you'll see some oddities in her spelling. Properly written, Yiddish is written with the Hebrew alphabet but uses a mostly Germanic grammar and lexicon.
Epstein's book is a fun introduction to Yiddish but it won't take you beyond memorizing a few funny phrases.
In the meantime, Yiddish is mostly a language of phrases and insults passed down through different business cultures. Schmuck, chutzpah, spiel... I could go on. I bet you know them. I bet you've used them. They are all Yiddish.
If you want to go beyond the basics, Lita Epstein has compiled a bunch of insults and other phrases in her book If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Say it In Yiddish. She has transliterated everything to her best approximation to how she learned them. If you're on the west coast you'll see some oddities in her spelling. Properly written, Yiddish is written with the Hebrew alphabet but uses a mostly Germanic grammar and lexicon.
Epstein's book is a fun introduction to Yiddish but it won't take you beyond memorizing a few funny phrases.
January 16, 2016
Hey, why learn a whole language when you can just focus on the good parts? This is an invaluable resource for people who needs to learn how to deliver a good cussing out. Some of the ill wishes in here are creative beyond the dreams of the average bear, like "May a demon take your father's son" -- I daresay I know who to use that one on. Even the blessings are left-handed: "May the Lord bless and keep the czar...far away from us." This book is not to be missed.
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July 25, 2011My renewed enjoyment/appreciation/interest in Yiddish continues. This book was a gift from my wife, and a good one it is! There are many errors in the book though as far as correct translations go, but it's light enough and humorous enough to get a pass on those. Several of the insults are now part of my vernacular. Wife's mission accomplished?
April 29, 2013
Really cool idea for a book, and there are some very creative insults there.
But Yiddish is a bit like Russian, Czech and similar languages to me - my brain just does not seem to be wired for them. (Anything Latin based works for me, and for some weird reason, Swahili and Korean seem to make sense...)
But Yiddish is a bit like Russian, Czech and similar languages to me - my brain just does not seem to be wired for them. (Anything Latin based works for me, and for some weird reason, Swahili and Korean seem to make sense...)
March 26, 2022
I have a two-year old who mimics everything I say, so it's time to clean up my language (again). Conclusion: I'll learn to cuss in Yiddish!
That way, when he drops an "A broch!" in the sandbox when his castle collapses, I don't get called for a parent-teacher conference.
Favorite from this book:
Onions should grow on your navel!
Zol dir vaksn tzibbeles fun pupik!
That way, when he drops an "A broch!" in the sandbox when his castle collapses, I don't get called for a parent-teacher conference.
Favorite from this book:
Onions should grow on your navel!
Zol dir vaksn tzibbeles fun pupik!
February 12, 2022
Good basic guide to the world of swearing in Yiddish!!
November 27, 2024
My favorite Yiddish insult from this book was “Loyn zolstu in bet-chakis iede dray minut oder iede dray chadoshim” (May you run to the toilet every three minutes or every three months.)
January 24, 2015
Has some funny curses but also has some really rude and hurtful ones.
The glossary is really useful.
Some chapters are boring.
There are few paragraphs on jewish herstory, i liked that part a lot.
The book was a christmas present from my brother.
<3
The glossary is really useful.
Some chapters are boring.
There are few paragraphs on jewish herstory, i liked that part a lot.
The book was a christmas present from my brother.
<3
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews