Yiddish idioms appear in romanized form.

This fascinating, useful, and funny collection of proverbs, curses, maxims, and ribald expressions will teach readers all they ever wanted to know about this remarkable language.

This Yiddish-English dictionary includes over 4,000 Romanized word-to-word entries; an appendix of idiomatic expressions & proverbs; and an appendix of common words used in the English language.

"A cute and charming addition to Yiddish folklore." -I.B. Singer, Nobel Prize, 1978 "Juicy, savory, spicy." -Henry Miller The Yiddish sayings in this book have been praised by such world-acclaimed writers as Henry Miller and Isaac Bashevis Singer. They should equally delight all who can appreciate the coarse, wry humor of the turn-of-the-century European shtetl, which gave rise to so much of American humor as well. Some may be offended by their sexuality and lewdness, but they expose the basic humanity of a lost Jewish culture. For too long eydlkayt - refinement - has drawn a curtain over the smutty side of the shtetl. Enjoyable folklore, funny sayings you'll find yourself using in quite modern situations.

Next time you’re chattin’ with your khaverim (friends) and mishpukheh (family), bust out some Yiddish expressions that’ll liven up the conversation. Nothing is censored in Dirty Yiddish. It includes phrases for any situation, so readers have enough chutzpah (balls) to tell the local deli that they’ve waited long enough for their knish, and explicit swear words crude enough to shock Bubby and everyone else at the Passover seder. There’s even vulgar sex terminology so graphic it puts the outspoken Lower East Side princesses to shame. Bust out with expressions they never teach you in school, including cool slang, funny insults, explicit sex terms, and raw swear words. Dirty Yiddish teaches the casual expressions heard every day on the streets of New York . . . What’s up? Vos makhst du? Crazy bastard! Meshuggeneh momzer! I’m hammered. Ikh bin fershikkert. Don’t fuck with me! Bareh mikh nit! I have the shits. Ikh hob a shittern mogn. Lick my pussy. Lekh meyn lokh. Was it good for you? Tsufreedn?

Containing over 8,500 Yiddish words and phrases in transliteration, The Yiddish Dictionary Sourcebook is the handiest guide available for those who wish to learn colloquial Yiddish. It features a comprehensive Yiddish-English/English-Yiddish dictionary which pays special attention to those words most useful for everyday conversation. Every word is given in both its standard Yiddish form and in English transliteration. The Introduction provides a brief history of the Yiddish language and of Yiddish culture in the United States in the last century, a guide to Yiddish pronunciation and grammar, and a series of topically arranged appendices containing Yiddish proverbs and popular expressions.