Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All Its Moods

“Wise, witty and altogether wonderful. . . . Mr. Wex has perfect pitch. He always finds the precise word, the most vivid metaphor, for his juicy Yiddishisms.” —William Grimes, The New York Times

As the main spoken language of the Jews for more than a thousand years, Yiddish has had plenty to lament, plenty to conceal. Its phrases, idioms, and expressions paint a comprehensive picture of the mind-set that enabled the Jews of Europe to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution: they never stopped kvetching—about God, gentiles, children, food, and everything (and anything) else. They even learned how to smile through their kvetching and express satisfaction in the form of complaint.

In Born to Kvetch, Michael Wex looks at the ingredients that went into this buffet of disenchantment and examines how they were mixed together to produce an almost limitless supply of striking idioms and withering curses (which get a chapter all to themselves). Born to Kvetch includes a wealth of material that’s never appeared in English before. You’ll find information on the Yiddish relationship to food, nature, divinity, humanity and even sex.

This is no bobe mayse (cock-and-bull story) from a khokhem be-layle (idiot, literally a “sage at night” when no one’s looking), but a serious yet fun and funny look at a language that both shaped and was shaped by those who spoke it. From tukhes to goy, meshugener to kvetch, Yiddish words have permeated and transformed English as well.

“This treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history and folklore offers a fascinating look at how, through the centuries, a unique and enduring language has reflected an equally unique and enduring culture.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

© 2024 St. Martin's Press (E-bog): 9781429909907

Release date

E-bog: 1. maj 2024