Yiddish

I talked a little about the use of christianese before. There is something of jewish cultural equivalent though: Yiddish.

Its interesting because in American, Yiddish has been mainstreaming for years but a lot of Jews don't realize it. I remember eating dinner with Amybear's parents and telling her Dad that he had a little schmutz on his face. Her mom practically hugged me. I think she thought I was making a cultural overture or something. The truth is that I'd probably heard that word a thousand times on TV.

American entertainment has basically been influenced by Jews since at least WWII. This is especially true in comedy. Alan King, Mel Brooks, Steve Allan, Gary Marshall, and a host of others have been putting a little Yiddish in their acts for as long as I can remember. I mean the first words in Laverne and Shirley were Yiddish (schlemeil, schlemozzle, Hausenfeffer Incorporated!) I didn't know it at the time, but again its not like I've never heard Yiddish before.

So don't be a putz, schlemeil, schmuck, or scheissekopf. Enjoy your bagels, latkes, and perhaps even a knish or kugel. And may the schwartz be with you.