Grant recommends two books that are great for giving as gifts. FUBAR: Soldier Sland of World War II by Gordon Rottman looks at the language of soldiers from different armies. Also, Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin by Nicholas Ostler, which looks...
gevaltize v.— «In certain precincts of the Jewish community, a person who insists that the sky is falling, despite ample evidence to the contrary, is said to gevaltize—a neologism derived from the famous Yiddish cry of shock or alarm...
frum adj.— «“All of a sudden they decided this side of the town is not for them, they needed to go to the other side, because they’re more frum,” she said, using the Yiddish word for religious.» —“Two neighborhoods reveal...
baleboosta n.— «She was, in the truest sense, a baleboosta, a Yiddish term meaning a remarkable cook and “boss of the kitchen.” My father tells stories of her legendary cooking: Rolling out enough dough to cover the kitchen...
chazer caucus n.— «We have a new caucus on Capitol Hill: the chazer caucus. For those of you who might not be hip, chazer is the Yiddish word for pig. As in, “Gee, that person has so much [fill in the blank], to grab for more is...
tsoris n.pl.— «“This has been phenomenal for me. I mean, I don’t have too many left, and I’ve had tsoris my whole life. I’m doing exactly what I want to do,” Brown said, using a Yiddish word for problems.» —“Brown May Remain in...
