Martin Olesh answers “what's a Momza ?”

Dane asked this question about Moonglow:

what's a Momza ?

Martin Olesh The answer I would give is somewhere between the two previous answers to this question and I think is what was intended by the author. Literally a mam…moreThe answer I would give is somewhere between the two previous answers to this question and I think is what was intended by the author. Literally a mamzer is a bastard and it carries the same connotations as the English word. If you say that your boss is a mamzer you aren't referring to him affectionately. But if you say of a cute,mischievous,charming, wise guy of a kid , he is a mamzer you are conferring a degree of amused affection on his not too grave misdeeds. He deserves a spanking but you have a hard time not smiling at the same time. And a true "mamzer" in this sense is well aware that he is "getting away with murder." The squirrel is a mamzer because he is a cute, brazen and ingenious. Come to think of it a good number of the inhabitants of this book are "mamzerim." (Pl. mamzer.)(less)

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