Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 1 no. 60 September 16, 1991 1) To Robert Goldberg (Mikhl Herzog) 2) Kind Words (Noyekh Miller) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Jul 91 19:01 EDT From: ZOGUR@CUVMB.BITNET Subject: Bob Goldberg i.e., to Robert (Bob) Goldberg = nissen refoeyl ben yitskhak leyb. Aside from being an MD and a computer man, aren't you also a clarinetist? Klezmer? Didn't we meet in '87? At Yael's? Weren't you planning to hear the Borodin Trio soon thereafter? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", hello Bob and Charlotte; and, mazltov! If not, hello anyway. Mikhl Herzog [Mendele regrets the delay.] 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Sep 91 From: NMILLER@TRINCC.BITNET Subject: Kind words The other day, in wishing Yankel Kessler a good trip, I wrote: 'af a gute sho'. I could have added: 'af a mazeldike sho'. Either way, the incantations are interesting because they reveal how deeply ingrained such heterodox practices are among Jews, just as they are in most non-Jewish cultures. In addition, it seems to me but I'm not sure that such expressions are more likely to be used by women than by men. If true, there's a ready-made explanation; but first, is it true? So I ask Mendele's subscribers to search their memories and help me compile a list of Yiddish blessings and expressions of good will. For good measure we may as well compile a list of curses and expressions of ill will. In addition, please indicate who in your experience uses the phrase: M (men only), W (women only), B (both), NA (not sure). And since it's Erev Yom Kippur, it's fitting to send a non-heterodox g'mar khsime toyve to all. Noyekh ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 1.60