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Just off US 1, on the border
of North & South Brunswick
 
1001 Finnegans Lane
North Brunswick, NJ 08902

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    Just 4 Fun
    Videos: Oy Vey, it's Yiddish!
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    Yiddish is a combination of the local languages of Germany, Poland, Russia, and other Eastern European nations where Jews settled from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century. It's a complete language full of dramatic expression that reached its height of development before World War II. Many of these words and expressions are still uttered daily by those who don't know their origins. You'll find that many of these words are very onomatopoetic.

    abias long as
    ahaexpletive signifying a myriad of meanings
    aleichemto you (shalom aleichem & aleichem shalom)
    aliyahto emigrate to Israel; to be called up to the Torah
    alter kockeran old codger
    AshkenaziEastern European Jew
    ay ay ayan interjection - wonderful or painful
    bagelhard glazed donut shaped roll
    balebosa boss man: head of household
    balebustafemale boss; unbelievably capable homemaker
    bar (Heb.)son of
    bar mitzvaha 13 yr old boy's coming of age ceremony
    bas (Heb.)daughter of
    bas mitzvaha 12 or 13 fir old girl's coming of age ceremony
    bashertpredestined; meant to be
    bialyOat breakfast roll with a depressed center usually sprinkled with onion
    bissel (bissl)a little, a bit
    blintzfilled pancake - sauteed or baked
    bonditta crook; a mischevious or (sometimes) a clever fellow
    borshtcold or hot beet soup
    boychikyoung boy
    briscircumcision ceremony
    brokhablessing
    brokhmisfortune
    bubbegrandmother
    bubbemaysenonsense; old wive's tale
    bubelahdarling, sweetheart - especially a child (lit. "little grandma")
    bubkesnothing - an insulting sum or price
    bokheryeshiva student (lit. chosen)
    bulvona brute
    chai (khay)life; the number 18
    chaim (khayim)a man's name meaning "life";
    chaim yankela country bumpkin
    challahsoft, braided ceremonial bread glazed with egg white
    chochmawisdom
    cholent (tsholnt)a Slowly cooked stow begun before Sabbath and eaten after
    choleria (kholerya)a plague - used as a curse (M. cholera)
    chossen (khosn)groom
    chuppawedding canopy
    chutzpaunmitigated gall; nerve; daring; gall
    davento pray; agonize over a decision
    deliprepared food, or piece where it is sold
    derinnenthing - "in mitn derinnen' - in the middle of the thing
    dreckgarbage; something of poor quality (lit. keel
    drimldream
    ekend
    emmisthe truth
    ersuffix - plural
    farbissenerembittered person
    farblondget (farblondzhet)gone astray. lost your bearings confused, mixed up
    farfelfarfl noodles in the form of small pallets, granules or squares
    farmishtconfused; mixed up
    farpatshketmessed up
    fartutstbefuddled
    fehexclamation of disgust or disapproval
    feygelean effeminate or gay male (lit. little bird)
    flankenboiled flank steak
    fleyshikmade with meat
    fonferto stutter: a double talker; bluffer; cheater
    freilichhappy, joyous
    fresseat, especially a lot or quickly
    frum religious; observant
    gefilte fishfish cakes (lit. "filled fish")
    geltmoney
    geshmakextremely tasty
    geta religious divorce
    gevaltexclamation of help or fear
    gezunthealth
    ghettoneighborhood; quarter of a city where Jews were required or chose to live
    glattstrictly kosher (lit. smooth)
    glickluck
    glitcha minor detect, mishap, or malfunction in a machine. esp. a computer
    goniffthief; rascal
    gornishtnothing
    gotenuoh my God
    gottGod
    goya non Jew, a gentile
    grossebig
    guttgood
    halakhaJewish law
    halvah (Arabic)crushed seam candy in a syrup base
    hartzheart
    hasidmember of ultra orthodox hasidic Jewish sect
    hederroom - especially a school room
    heymishcozy; homey; familiar
    hok toyak; nag, strike; as in "hok a tshaynik" - to yak a Id
    hondelto bargain
    hu haexpression meaning surprise envy or admiration
    icsuffix
    imsuffix meaning plural
    inin
    isis
    ishsuffix meaning being like
    kaddishmourner's prayer
    kallebride
    kashabuckwheat groats
    keppele(lit. "little head") usually used affectionately with a child
    khaverfriend
    khazerpig; person who is a glutton or selfish
    khazerayfifth, trashy food; assortment of items, junk, nic Am
    kiboshsomething that serves as a check or stop
    kibitzchit chat; discuss informally; to comment while watching a game or working
    kindchild
    kinohora (keyn ayn-hora)sort Vie evil eye
    kishkesguts intestines
    klezmerEastern European Jewish folk music
    klogWoo
    klugsmart or clever
    klutza clumsy person
    knakerbig shot someone who thinks they are very important
    kneidel (kneydl)a dumping - usually made of matzo meal
    knishdumpling usually made of potato or kasha
    kop head (loch in kop)a "hole in the head"
    kosherin accordance with Jewish dietary laws; honest
    kreplachstuffed dumplings ~ usually served in a soup
    kugelnoodle or potato pudding
    kveil (kvel)to be delighted; beam with pride; especially over children
    kvetcha complainer; to complain
    lachtlaughs
    landsmanperson from the old neighborhood or country
    latkepotato pancake
    lebenlife
    liebelove
    litvakLithuanian Jew
    lochhole - 'loch in kW (lit. hole in the bead)
    lokshna tall thin person (lit. noodle)
    loxsmoked salmon
    loyfrun
    luft air ("luftmensch")an Impractical fellow - a dreamer
    machen (makhn)make
    macher (makher)important person; big shot a "mover"
    makhetenesteyour daughter or son's mother-In-law
    makhetunimyour spouse's extended family
    machuten (mekhutn)your daughter or son's father-in-law
    madela (meydela)young girl
    mamamother
    mamelalittle girl (lit. little mother)
    matzounleavened bread
    mavenexpert; connisseur
    mazel (mazi)luck
    mecheieh (mekhaya)a pleasure
    megillah (megilla)a long, complicated story
    mensch (mentsh)a decent fellow, a decent human being
    meshuggecrazy person; nuts (meshuggener - crazy man)
    meshuggenehcrazy woman)
    metsieha lucky break; bargain
    mishegoscraziness
    mikvahritual bath taken by Jewish women before getting married & other occasions
    michlig (milkhik)milk product
    mirme
    mishmosh a mix up
    mishpocha (mishpokha)family
    mitwith
    mitnmiddle 'in mitn derinnen - out of the blue
    mitzvah (mitsva)a good deed (Iit. commandment)
    momzerrascal rogue (lit. bastard)
    naches (nakhes)pride & joy delight
    nebbish (nebekh)a sad sack
    nara fool
    niksuffix dandling a person or thing
    nosha snack; to snack
    nuexclamation meaning well or, so
    nudge (nudzh)a bore or pest; to bore or pester; to push
    nudnika pest
    ongeblozzenbloated; puffed Lip; overdone
    ongepotshketmessed up; slapped together
    ongeshtoptvery wealthy (lit. "stuffed")
    oyexclamation
    oy oy oyexclamation
    parevedietetically neutral; made without meat or milk
    patshkemess around, fiddle with things
    pesach (peysekh)passover
    peyesuncut sideburns grown by orthodox males
    pishera young squirt
    ploshera braggart
    plotzto fall down extremely fired (14. to burst)
    punimface
    pupiknavel
    pushkecharity container kept at home
    putza real jerk (lit. penis); more offensive than "shmuck"
    rachmones (rakhmones)pity, compassion
    rabberabbi
    sachel (seykyl)street smarts
    safta (Heb.)grandmother
    schneid (Ger.)to shut out an opponent
    sephardian Iberian or Middle Eastern Jew
    seykhlcommon sense, street smarts
    shmsound used as a dismissing prefix
    shadchena professional matchmaker
    shaineh (sheyneh)pretty
    shalom (sholem)Heb. lit. peace; hello/good-bye
    shanda (shand)a shame; embarrassment, humiliation
    shaytl (sheytl)wig traditionally worn by European orthodox Jewish women
    shekel (Heb.)money
    sheygetsa gentile man
    shiddach (shiddekh)an arranged marriage; an arranged business relationship
    shikkerdrunk
    shiksegentile Woman
    shivaperiod of mourning
    shlemeila simpleton unlucky person
    shlemazla fool; bungler; unlucky person: pathetic loser: nerd
    shlepa bore or jerk; to carry or drag around
    shlockjunk, items of poor or worthless quality; cheap
    shluffsleep
    shlugto beat
    shlumpsloppy person
    shmaltzwealth; corny; overly decorated (lit. chicken fat used for cooking, or eating)
    shmattedress or garment (lit. rag) - can be used as a compliment or insult
    shmeera bribe; flattery; to bribe (lit. spread)
    shmegegesilly or stupid person; a simpleton
    shmendrikan ineffectual or insignificant person
    shmoa simpleton
    shmoozeto idle around and talk shop
    shmucka jerk (lit. penis)
    shmutzdirt
    shnooka dope or fool
    shnorrersomeone who takes more than his share, chiseler, beggar
    shnoznose
    shpilkesjitters, nerves, anxious, inpatient (IN. pins)
    shtarkera stout fellow; a strong person
    shtetla small town
    shtika routine or behavior, especially an actors
    shtunka stinker; an unpleasant person
    shtupto stuff, screw or bribe
    shulsynagogue
    shvitzto sweat
    simcahappy occasion
    soyneenemy
    tallisprayer shawl
    tamtaste
    tatafather
    tchotchke (tshotshka)insignificant item, toy or ornament
    toches (tokhes)butt
    tov (Heb.)good
    trachtthinks
    treyfeunclean, non-kosher, forbidden
    tsaddika righteous person
    tshaynikteapot (commonly used in "hok a tchynik" - to yak a lot)
    tsimmesa vegetable stew; big deal; fuss
    tsdaka (tsdoka)charity (14. justice)
    tsurriscalamity, trouble
    tsitsesfringe (of a talis)
    tummelcommotion
    tummler funmaker
    unand
    utznag
    vakakta (farkakt)screwed up
    vance (vants)post (lit, bed bug) usually used regarding a child
    veitworld
    veywhen preceded by "oy" - an expression meaning 'oh my God"
    veyncry
    vigorish (Ukranian)interest paid to a moneylender; lit. profit
    vusswhat
    Yankelcountry bumkin (when preceded by "chaim")
    yentaa busybody. gossip or meddler
    yeshivaschool
    yichis (yikhes)pedigree, lineage
    Yiddishlanguage of Central & Eastern European Jewry
    yolda fool
    yuntov (yuntef)holiday (lit. good day)
    zaftig (zaftik)juicy plump, buxom
    zaydagrandfather
    zetza punch or blow
    zhlubdisheveled, pathetic person
    zitssit
    zygo
    1001 Finnegans Lane • North Brunswick, NJ • 08902     732-297-0696     Fax: 732-297-2673
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