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Az sie brent, es a lox!*
Yiddish is an incredibly colorful language spoken by more then 10 million people worldwide. Like so many other languages, Yiddish has woven itself into everyday speech—words like schlep, shmaltz, ¬and shmear are now part of American culture. But Yiddish has a sentiment and worldview all its own, one that can be variously wise, bawdy—and hilarious.
Here’s your passport to the wonderful maxims, proverbs, colloquialisms, curses, and ribald expressions that have been faithfully passed down in Yiddish through the ages. From Shmear to Eternity contains an extensive Yiddish-English and English-Yiddish dictionary (be careful who you call a putz!), essential Jewish words and key phrases to help you get along in the everyday world (Nit getrofen!—“So I guessed wrong!”), and even 1001 Yiddish proverbs offering a treasure trove of wisdom (Nochen toit vert men choshe.—“After death one becomes important.”).There’s also a helpful pronunciation guide so that when you’re offering up your toast of Tsu gezunt! (“To your health!”) you’re certain to say it just right.
Bursting with humor, insight, and above all the warmth of the Jewish people, From Shmear to Eternity will expand your vocabulary and enrich your life. After all, Saichel iz an aideleh zach—“Wisdom is a precious thing.”
*Where there’s smoke, there’s salmon!
The late Fred Kogos was one of the leading experts on the colorful Yiddish language.
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