The Vortsman: How Is That Spelled?
Two old friends of The Vortsman have reached out with similar questions about Yiddish transliteration (or, as the academics prefer, transcription) into English letters. One wanted to know whether it…
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The Vortsman: Yiddish Anglicisms
There are lots of lists around — and at least one book I know of — that detail the penetration of Yiddish words into English; they’re usually designated as “Yinglish.”…
The Vortsman: Nisht or Nit?
A reader notes that nisht and nit are both used in Yiddish to denote “not,” often in the same paragraph or song lyric. He asks: is one more desirable than…
The Vortsman: Mondays, Thursdays, and Disagreements
As promised, disagreements about montik un donershtik —Monday and Thursday. The Vortsman had opined that the phrase, meaning repetitive events of any nature, stemmed from the schedule of the High…