A delightful excursion through the Yiddish language the culture it defines and serves and the
fine art of complaint Throughout history Jews around the world have had plenty of reasons to
lament. And for a thousand years they've had the perfect language for it. Rich in color
expressiveness and complexity Yiddish has proven incredibly useful and durable. Its wonderful
phrases and idioms impeccably reflect the mind-set that has enabled the Jews of Europe to
survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution . . . and enables them to kvetch about it!
Michael Wex professor scholar translator novelist and performertakes a serious yet
unceasingly fun and funny look at this remarkable kvetch-full tongue that has both shaped and
has been shaped by those who speak it. Featuring chapters on curse words food sex and even
death he allows his lively wit and scholarship to roam freely from Sholem Aleichem to Chaucer
to Elvis. Perhaps only a khokhem be-layle (a fool literally a sage at night when there's no
one around to see) would care to pass up this endearing and enriching treasure trove of
linguistics sociology history and Folklore an intriguing appreciation of a unique and
enduring language and an equally fascinating culture.
