Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.122 January 28, 1999 1) Shoyel Gutman (avrom brumberg) 2) Rozhinkes mit Mandlen (Herman Taube) 3) Rozhinkes mit mandlen (Jeffrey Veidlinger) 4) butter up (Arre Komar) 5) butter up (Irv Young) 6) plotz (Joshua Ben Litman) 7) plotz (Wolf Krakowski) 8) plotz (Eleanor Siegal) 9) tkhoyr (J. Engelhardt) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 14:39:08 -0500 (EST) From: abraham brumberg <102142.2545@compuserve.com> Subject: Shoyel Gutman Sheva Zuker's esey vegn shaul gutmanen hot mikh shtark gerirt. ikh hob gekent gutmanen a sakh yor, als redaktor fun kinder zhurnal aroysgegebn fun sholem aleykhem folks instritut, als lerer, mekhaber un stam klugn id. er hot faynt gehat gayve, melitse, gehat a prekhtikn khush far humor, tsu alemen zikh batsoygn mit a gemish fun respekt un laykhter ironye. ven ikh trakht vegn im un vegn azoy fil andere fun dem elter vos zaynen avek fun undz un azoy baraykhert di velt fun veltlekher idishkayt vert mir zeyer kalemutne oyfn hartsn... dos iz geven a pleyade vos ir glaykhns vet zikh keyn mol mer nit bavayzn. koved zayn opndenk. avrom brumberg 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 16:38:47 -0500 (EST) From: HTaube218@aol.com Subject: Rozinkes mit Mandlen Di corespondentz in di unfragn vegon dem upshtam fun rozikes mit mandlen hobn oyfgevekt in main zikorn demonungen vegn TU B'ISHVAT, vos falt oys dem yor dem 1-tn Fabruar. Ikh gedent fun maine kinder yorn az dem tog hobn mir gegesn, rozinkes, mandlen, boxer un andere payres. In kheider un yeshive hot men gelernt spetziele limudim fun Tnakh, Talmud un tzwishen ein peyrek un a tweitn hot men gege boxer, rozinkes un mandlen. Az ikh bin elter gevorn ,hobn mir in undzer yognt-kraiz, gepravet dem yomtov fun Camishe-oser bi'Svhat, mit gezang un tentz, gelaynt poezie fun Bialik un Frug: "A ziseveramkayt filt on di yunge hertzelekh.. mir loyfn, mir flien, ful mit zorg un frayd, Chamishe-oser -KIbed Koyfn".... Indrysn flegt zain a biter kelt, a frostik veter un vintn hbn geblozen, ober, mir yugnt hobn gezungen trym-lider vegn an aign Yiddish land far undzer folk, mit apetit geshlungen di rozinkes, gebsn dem hartn boxer, gegsn, gekayet di mandlen, un -- gezungen Goldfadn's: Rozinkes mit Mandlen....Di Gemore ( Taanith:23) dertzailt an interesantn episod vegn a man, Khuni Ha'Magl, hot bagegnt a mentsch velkher iz geven farnumen mit flantzn a boxer boym. Fregt er dem mentsch: Viefl yor darft gedoyrn biz der boxer-boym vet gebn frukhtn? Entfert ihm der mentsch: Es vet gedoyrn zibetzig yor. Biztu den zikher az du vest lebn zibetzig yor un derlebn tzu esn di frukht fun boym? -- fregt im Khuni-Ha'Magl. Entfert ihm der mentsch vos hot geflatzt dem boym: Ikh hob fefunen uyf der velt fartige, tzaitikeboxer-baymer, azoy vie maine eltern hobn geflatzt far mir, azoy vel ikh flantzn far maine kinder".. Mir kenen fun der mayse lernen a bayshpil far undzer dor un di tzukunft fun Mame-Loshon..... Mir kenen helfn flatzen Yiddish un Yiddishkeit far dem youngn dordurkh shtitzn Yiddish programen. Undzere eltern hobn geflatzt far undz, lomir flanzn far kumendike doyres... Vos mir veln farzayen haint , veln undzere kinder un einiklekh genisn in der tzukunft. A freilihken Chamishuser-Bi'Svat, hot hanoe fun ajre rozinkes mit mandlen. Herman Taube 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 21:30:39 -0500 (EST) From: "Jeffrey Veidlinger" Subject: Rozhinkes mit mandlen The song Rozhinkes mit mandlen comes from Avram Goldfadn's play Shulamis, which is based on the Talmudic legend of the Weasel and the Well (from Taanit 8a). The story is set in post-Biblical Judaea as a foreign invader is threatening the land. Shulamis, a young shepherdess, follows her father on his way to war. But after her father leaves her, she falls into a well. She is saved by Avishalom, a heroic warrier, who is on his way to battle. Avishalom falls in love with her and pledges to marry her. However, in order to make their pledge enforceable, they need two witnesses. They, therefore decide to use the well and a nearby weasel as witnesses, and the two swear to be faithful to eachother. Avishalom then departs and betrays Shulamis by wedding another. He has two children with his new bride, one of whom dies after falling down a well, and the other of whom is killed by a weasel. Realizing that he is cursed, Avishalom finally returns to Shulamis, who has been waiting for him and avoiding suitors by feigning insanity. The commonly sung version of the song, is, as far as I can tell, taken directly from the play. The play is full of anachronisms, playfully inserted by Goldfadn. The song is sung by Avishalom immediately before he hears Shulamis' voice from the well. I hope this helps. Jeffrey Veidlinger 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 21:05:33 -0500 (EST) From: Arthur Komar Subject: butter up The Yiddish word used in mayne mame loshen to denote To Butter Up, Ingratiate, Brownnose ,etc. was Khanfenen, which I understand litterly means To Flatter. But the tone of voice, inflection or Yiddish drey made the true meaning unequivocal. Arre Komar 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 08:42:54 -0500 (EST) From: YOU2IG@aol.com Subject: butter up On the "buttering up" question two suggestions come to mind though I hesitate to profer the more vulgar one. The use of "schmaichlen" as in," ... ich hub im a bissel geschmaichelt" conveys the idea. The variants of " toches lecken" are of course always available. Irv Young Isles of Capri, FL 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 10:21:33 -0500 (EST) From: JK100000@aol.com Subject: plotz Reply to Barbara Lamm re: plozen -- Could also mean frustration. Joshua Ben Litman 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 09:42:56 -0500 (EST) From: "Kame'a Media" Subject: plotz Barbara Lamm asks about "plotz" or to some, "platz". "Burst"would be more accurate than "explode". "Plotz" is used in the vernaculr as a synomym for "to expire"/"to die" along the lines of a" burst balloon". You would not say of a respected person, upon his death, that he "plotzed", though. You would use "shatarbn" (to die) or, to express high regard, "nifter gevorn" (became spirit). "Plotz" in this usage is akin to "peygern", "to croak" and is used with levity, disrespect or for animals. One could say "plotzed fun gelekhter": "burst/split one's sides with laughter", but one would not "plotz" from being overly tired; one would "oysgayn", "give out/be extinguished". You would "plotz" from the activity/exertion, not the tiredness. Wolf Krakowski 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 23:57:51 -0500 (EST) From: PSiegal@aol.com Subject: Plotz From a real laylady in Yiddish to the questioner about "plotz"-although it does mean explode, I understand it used as an expression meaning "reaching the end of your patience" in any situation or even, in a sense of utter frustration. In the sentence, 'I was so angry I could plotz" , that is LIVID anger, etc. etc. Eleanor Siegal, San Antonio 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 08:56:08 -0500 (EST) From: BubEZadE@aol.com Subject: tkhoyr Re Noyekh Miller's query on "tkhoyr". This comes from the Russian "khoryek" which means polecat. J. Engelhardt ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.122 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele http://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html