mangal n.— «Mangal is the Hebrew word for barbecue, and arguably one of the most important words in the Hebrew language, according to the average Israeli at least. The almost-sacred ritual is also commonly referred to as “al...
vuzvuz n.— «I have a new favorite word. It’s slang, but not (as it was explained to me, though it’d be useful to know if someone else out there disagrees) derogatory, for an Ashkenazi* person. The word is “vuzvuz,” ie...
rosh katan n.— «This attitude was known among Israeli troops as “small head” (in Hebrew, “Rosh Katan”), meaning someone who avoids taking responsbility, initiating actions, or diverting from proscribed procedures...
rosh katan n. an attitude of avoiding responsibility, of extreme self-interest, or of strict adherence to rules to the point of obstruction or absurdity; a person with such an attitude; in British English, a jobsworth. Editorial Note: The Hebrew is...
philosemetism n.— «Philosemetism, which is so new we had to invent a word for it, has led to a whole new genre: Jewsploitation. In addition to “Fockers,” there’s the movie “The Hebrew Hammer,” Heeb magazine, Jewcy...
bark mitzvah n.— «In the long walk of history between man and dog, the bark mitzvah could be seen as an unexpected pit stop. Yet it was celebrated on Saturday night in the Bronx in a traditional way, with a party for family and friends of...