Hebonics

Phoenix32890 wrote:

Quote:
Phoenix, why is the word for a dosher butcher in Scarsdale sad? You insiders need to explain these things.

In years gone by Jewish people were not welcomed in places like Scarsdale, in Westchester, or Garden City, on Long Island. Fahrblunzhet means lost, confused. In those years, a kosher butcher would not do very well in those areas.

Jewish comedians would take the prejudice that existed in those days, turn it around, and make a joke out of a sad situation.

This is a slight oversimplification, at least as far as Scarsdale, NY is concerned. Although it's true that at one time long ago a local country club refused to allow Jewish people to become members, a large fraction of the population was and is Jewish. I have long had some knowledge of Scarsdale and I haven't seen any sign of this type of prejudice there in eons. Indeed, the town has become a very popular bedroom community for Japanese businessmen and their families who work in NYC to the extent that I have seen a few purely Japanese stores there. Several on Garth Road come to mind.

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Brandon- The joke to which I referred was VERY old. I am sure that there have been positive changes since then.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

Brandon- The joke to which I referred was VERY old. I am sure that there have been positive changes since then.

My response was motivated more by my affection for that part of New York, and certain nostalgic attachments, than by your comments.

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jespah wrote:

Gala, I had to explain to my brother what Hebonics is.

While he may be a mensch, he's still a guy. Why would he bother to know from Hebonics?

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This is a truism, my friend. We'll sit down with a nice glass of tea (served in an old Yahrtzeit glass, but of course) and contemplate such things. Roberta, please join us. We have hamentaschen.

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Hamentashen I can always go for. Haven't had any for a while.

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On another thread, I wrote this:

Quote:

My mother used to tell the story of a man who lived in her apartment house. He had a wife who was a real shrew. He would go outside, and stand under my parent's window, as they lived on the first floor. My mom would hear him muttering, "The hell with you, the hell with you"

I figured that the person that I wrote this to would not understand if I wrote what the man REALLY said. What I quoted was a free tanslation. What he said, which sounds so much better, was,

"Chub dir en drerd, chub dir in drerd"

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

"Chub dir en drerd, chub dir in drerd"

Phoenix, To this day, this is one of my favorite expressions. Not because it means anything so terrible but because it SOUNDS so horrible. I say it with an ich--ich chub dir en drerd. Snarl.

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jespah wrote:

This is a truism, my friend. We'll sit down with a nice glass of tea (served in an old Yahrtzeit glass, but of course) and contemplate such things. Roberta, please join us. We have hamentaschen.

A gless'l tea, some hamentaschen, some good company, a perfect simkhe.

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Let's not forget the sugar cubes. We gotta shlurp the tea through the sugar cubes. I never actually mastered that skill, but I'm willing to give it another try.

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Roberta wrote:

Phoenix32890 wrote:

"Chub dir en drerd, chub dir in drerd"

Phoenix, To this day, this is one of my favorite expressions. Not because it means anything so terrible but because it SOUNDS so horrible. I say it with an ich--ich chub dir en drerd. Snarl.

What's the literal translation?

I'm sitting in an office in Munich at the moment so my German is relatively on form - I have an inkling that "chub" may come from "schoben" - to shove. Am I right? What is drerd?

All the comments dumplings in soup are very familiar to me, as I've been spending lots of time in southern Germany, Austria and Czech Republic recently - original area for a lot of these recipes, I believe.

KP

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Ich hub dir in drerd, to the best of my knowledge (which isn't that good) means, "Ill see you in hell." Others who know more than I may disagree. I wouldn't argue.

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Roberta- I think that's the general drift of the expression!

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I think that's pretty much on target, too. The expression to put someone 'in drerd' generally means t0o make life hell for that person.

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Seems, that origianally "drerd" meant 'earth', 'ground', e.g. "leyg es avek afn drerd"; but: "In drerd mein gelt!"

A (German) saying from the Danube Swabians goes as follows:
Waunn a Schaar owifoit un mit der Schpitzn im Drerd schtecka bläbt, kummt aa wer zu Bsuach. = when the scissors rest with the cone end in the earth, someone will come visiting. (The Danube Swabians [still!] speak the German like in the 18th century when they immigrated - now nearly all back, living all over Germany.)

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Pete, I like this expression not because it's so nasty but because it SOUNDS so nasty. Between the ch and the drerd, it's a strong-sounding expression.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

No, the 2nd Avenue Deli is no longer on 2nd Avenue. But it IS on toid avenoo and toity toid street. I think that it was a stroke of genius for the owners of the deli to open their new restaurant at that particular address!!

Stroke of genius, indeed.

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@roger,

You got that right, roger.

Nice to see this oldie but goodie at the top of My Posts list.

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