Yiddish words from Jewish life and tradition
Weddings, customs, piety and the old ways, in the words people actually used for them.
opgeshlogene hoshaneאָפּגעשלאָגענע הושענא
a worn-out has-been, someone completely beaten down
נאָך דרײַ וואָכן יום־טובֿים בין איך ווי אַן אָפּגעשלאָגענע הושענא.
“After three weeks of holidays I'm like a beaten willow branch — completely wiped out.”
badkhn(badchen)באַדכן
wedding jester; the hired rhymester who emceed, joked and improvised verses at a wedding (historical — no longer used in everyday speech)
דער בדחן האָט צעלאַכט די גאַנצע חתונה מיט זײַנע גראַמען. (Der badkhn hot tselakht di gantse khasene mit zayne gramen.)
“The badkhn had the whole wedding laughing with his rhymes.”
sheygets(shaygetz)שייגעץ / שקצים
an irreligious or brazenly transgressive young man; an unruly, unrefined fellow (literally: a non-Jewish youth)
ער דרייט זיך אַ גאַנצן טאָג אין גאַס אָן אַ קאפל און לערנט גאָרנישט — ער פֿירט זיך אויף ווי אַן עכטער שייגעץ!
“He hangs around the streets all day without a kippah and doesn’t study at all he’s acting like a complete sheygets!”
farfrumtפֿאַרפֿרומט
gone overly pious; turned super-observant (with a side-eye)
זי איז געוואָרן פֿאַרפֿרומט נאָך דער חתונה, מע קען זי שוין נישט דערקענען.
“She became intensely religious after the wedding—you can't even recognize her anymore.”
keyn ayn-hore(kinehora)קיין עין־הרע
a protective phrase said after praise, warding off the evil eye
דאָס קינד רעדט שוין דרײַ שפּראַכן, קיין עין־הרע, אַ חכם ווי דער טאַטע.
“The kid already speaks three languages, kinehora, sharp like his father.”
kestקעסט
room and board provided to a young couple by the in-laws after the wedding
זײ זײַנען געזעסן אויף קעסט בײַ די שווער און שוויגער גאַנצע דרײַ יאָר.
“They lived on kest at his in-laws' for a full three years.”
kapore(kaparah)כּפּרה
Atonement; sacrifice
ס׳איז געפֿאַלן די גאַנצע טאָרט, אָבער אַ כּפּרה, מיר זענען אַלע געזונט.
“The whole cake fell, but never mind, we're all healthy.”
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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