Customer Reviews

Anglish/Yinglish: Yiddish in American Life and Literature, Second Edition

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A good friend of mine was very intrigued with her Jewish heritage and wanted to learn Yiddish; I thought I'd try to locate an English/Yiddish dictionary for her birthday. When I found this book instead, I struck gold.

Bluestein has done more than simply provide a handy guide to common -- and not-so-common -- Yiddish and Yiddish-influenced terms and phrases. He has given all readers a chance to learn a little about Jewish-American culture and a little about their own. Each entry includes notes on common usage, probable origins, and best of all, humor. Anecdotes, quotes, and dialogues illustrate these words and phrases in use or in principle, and grant what I have always seen as the surest insight into any culture: what makes them laugh. When neighbors can laugh together, they often find that there are other great values they share, in spite of whatever differences seem to seperate them. You may be surprised to find just how much your own sense of humor owes to Jewish culture -- from Bugs Bunny to the Marx Brothers and far, far more. Indeed, you may be surprised just how much of your common speech is glorious Yinglish. I know I was.

Well, eventually I did hand the book over to that friend, but not before learning something about her heritage, and, inevitably, my own; and not before having some of the heartiest laughs in a long time. And I think I can safely say that she enjoyed it as much as I.