Kultur Corner

Where the slang came from.

Every "funny Yiddish word" in this collection has a real literary or scholarly pedigree. Below: the works, authors, and dates behind the vocabulary — ordered by publication year, so you can watch the language crystallize.

  1. 1541Bubbe-meiseבובע־מעשׂה

    Bovo-Bukh (Bovo's Book / Chivalric Romance) — Elye Bokher (Elijah Levita)

    Poetic Epic in Ottava Rima (Old Yiddish)

  2. 1869Schlimazelשלימזל

    Fishke der Krumer (Fishke the Lame) — Mendele Mocher Sforim (S.Y. Abramovitsh)

    Social Realist Novel / Picaresque

  3. 1873Chutzpahחוצפּה

    Di Klyatshe (The Nag / The Wishing Ring) — Mendele Mocher Sforim

    Allegorical Satire

  4. 1877Kvellקוועל

    Shmendrik (The Comedic Operetta) — Abraham Goldfaden

    Musical Theater Comedy

  5. 1878Schlemielשלעמיאל

    The Travels of Benjamin the Third (Masaot Binyamin Hashlishi) — Mendele Mocher Sforim (S.Y. Abramovitsh)

    Satirical Picaresque Novella

  6. 1892Luftmenschלופֿטמענטש

    The Adventures of Menahem-Mendl (Menahem-Mendl) — Sholem Aleichem

    Epistolary Novel / Periodical Stories

  7. 1894Menschמענטש

    Bontshe Shvayg (Bontshe the Silent) — Y.L. Peretz

    Short Story

  8. 1894Tachlisתכלית

    Tevye der Milkhiker (Tevye the Dairyman) — Sholem Aleichem

    Serialized Epistolary Stories

  9. 1898Balebosteבעלבאָסטע

    Mirele Efros (The Jewish Queen Lear) — Jacob Gordin

    Realistic Drama

  10. 1901Plotzפּלאַץ

    Kasrilevke Stories (The Town of the Tiny People) — Sholem Aleichem

    Humorous Short Story Collection

  11. 1906Tsurisצרות

    Der Oytser (The Treasure) — David Pinski

    Satirical Drama / Play

  12. 1907Geltגעלט

    Got fun Nekome (God of Vengeance) — Sholem Asch

    Tragic Stage Drama

  13. 1909Farpotshketפֿאַרפּאָטשקעט

    Satirical Theater Reviews (Der Groyser Kundes) — Various Satirists

    Weekly Satirical Newspaper (The Big Stick / NYC)

  14. 1913Yentaיענטע

    Yente Telebende (Humor Columns / The Forward) — Jacob Adler (writing under the pen name 'B. Kovner')

    Serialized Newspaper Columns & Satirical Theater

  15. 2002Shundשונד

    Shakespeare on the American Yiddish Stage — Dr. Joel Berkowitz

    Academic Literature / Book

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