From Publishers Weekly
Maven, schmooze, schlock, kvetch, nosh: they're just a few of the Yiddish-origin words that have made their way into American dictionaries. Tracing the history of the Jewish lingua franca not only from a linguistic perspective, but from a cultural, religious and societal viewpoint as well, this spirited and informative reference offers readers a foundation for understanding the myriad facets of Yiddish culture. (The title, the authors say, means a "crazy-quilt guide to Yiddish," not to mention a Yiddish bestiary.) There are entries on shtetl life, Yiddish proverbs and blessings, klezmer and Yiddlish (words that sound Yiddish but aren't), as well as traditional Yiddish recipes and a slew of Yiddish jokes interspersed throughout the more factual segments describing Yiddish theater, literature and music. The authors, who "love this strangely beautiful language full of humor and pathos," are enthusiastic guides, and this motley exposition is a fun and entertaining crash course in everything it means to be Yiddish.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
With the present revival of interest in Yiddish, this light, popular introduction will appeal to newcomers to the language and also to those who remember bits and pieces and want to know more. The authors don't try for the comprehensiveness of Leo Rosten's
Joys of Yiddish (1968). Rather, they focus on the heart of the language, how it expresses European Jewish history and culture, and what Yiddish has lent and borrowed in America. Clearly designed for browsing, with lots of subheads and boxed notes, and with the Yiddish words in bold type, there are chapters on humor, on proverbs and sayings, and on recipes and cooking. There's also a useful overview of literature, theater, and music, past and present. A long alphabetical list of expressions works great for quick reference, and the final extensive bibliography includes Web sites. This is a book for sharing and reading aloud: the schmaltzy endearments, the grousing and
kvetching, and, of course, the insults-- untranslatable, irreplaceable in their invective and vulgarity, hilarious "if they're not directed at you."
Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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