Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 1 no. 191 March 17, 1992 Purim Issue 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 7 Oct 91 20:27:52 EDT From: dave@lsuc.on.CA Subject: For Purim When Reb Noyekh first proposed the creation of what was to become MENDELE, he assured me that the readers of such a group wouldn't be interested in Yiddish-American ditties. (You can even look it up in mail.yiddish #36.) So, to prove him wrong, I offer the following contribu- tion to the ongoing discussion of Yiddish foodstuffs. It's from Country Yossi & the Shteeblehoppers, Vol. 5. In light of the academic nature of this mailing list, I shall restrain myself and provide only the refrain. The song is called "The Big Knacker", and is sung to the tune of "The Big Bopper" (which readers might recognize from the opening words of the refrain "Chantilly lace / And a pretty face...", and possibly from the closing words "Oh baby, that's what I like!"). The verses consist of one end of a telephone conversa- tion between the protagonist (speaking mostly Yiddish) and his bubby, who has invited him to Shabbos dinner. And the refrain contin- ues... A Shabbos tish Mit gefilte fish Un a little chrain on de side Some tcholent in the pot Un a kugel nice and hot Oy, Makes me warm insi-i-ide When the kholeptshes mit knaidlekh Dreyen zikh in boykh vi dreidlekh Un di tzimmes un di chicken Macht di halz a bisl trikn Ken men trinkn a l'khaim Biz de kop iz in shamayim Yo, yo, Oh bubby, that's what I like! [Sorry for the interruption. We now return you to the regularly scheduled quality of MENDELE, already in progress.] 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Mar 91 From: nmiller@trincc Subject: For Purim [From _Philly Stakes_, a (highly) forgettable whodunit by Gillian Roberts. The heroine is visiting Philadelphia's Italian market.] Amongst the various Italian delights, there was a square tray of three-cornered pastries, each with a dollop of filling. I scanned the row of labels, unable to identify which identified the tray. "Zuccotto," one said. "Il Diplomatico." "Chiacchiere della nonna." "Torta Sbricciolona." Those pastries..in an Italian bakery.. A great example of cultural borrowing. I wonder if they're the Zeppole di San Giuseppe. Do you think that means St. Joseph's hat?.. "Excuse me," I said to the woman. I pointed at the triangular pastries, tingling with the pleasure of making an anthropological breakthrough. This was how Margaret Mead felt before comprehending whole societies. "What do you call these pastries?" "Hamantaschen." ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 1.191