If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Say It In Yiddish The Book of Yiddish Insults and Curses
By Lita Epstein
Yiddish – the most colourful language in the history of mankind. What other language gives you a whole dictionary of ways to tell people to drop dead? That “shmuck” for instance, who got promoted over you? He should be transformed into a chandelier, to hang by day and burn by night!
In these endlessly entertaining pages, you will find the perfect insult for every occasion, from the short and sweet – ‘A plague on you!’ (‘A finsteren yor!’) – to the whole ‘megillah’ – ‘He should marry the daughter of the Angel of Death!’ (‘Khasene hobn zol er mit di malech hamove tochter’) complete with hundreds of the most creative curses for the ‘putzes’ and ‘kvetchers of the world’. Together with their fascinating origins and much Jewish wisdom born of centuries of suffering. This is an indispensable guide for Jews and Gentiles alike. When it comes to cursing someone who sorely needs it, may you never be at a loss for words again!
