Ethnic Words & Usage (Yiddish, for example)

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ra84970

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stick n move said:
Man Boynton yards really could use a ped bridge..
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I think I've been seeing someone kvetch about it. I hope somerville can push US2 and BY to pay for an over crossing there (or really good drainage + undercrossing)
 
ra84970 said:
I think I've been seeing someone kvetch about it. I hope somerville can push US2 and BY to pay for an over crossing there (or really good drainage + undercrossing)
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Random question. Is kvetch an okay term to use if you’re non-Jewish?
 
kingofsheeba said:
Random question. Is kvetch an okay term to use if you’re non-Jewish?
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In the opinion of one, sure. It's a loan-word from Yiddish, just like many other words in English are loan-words from somewhere. There's certainly been enough use of it featured in popular culture over the years (ex: Mel Brooks, Seinfeld, etc).

There's words I'd say would seem inappropriate (or nonsensical) to use as a non-Jewish person, and usually are the sort of thing that isn't exactly polite regardless of ethnicity, but I wouldn't say that's one of them.
 
millerm277 said:
In the opinion of one, sure. It's a loan-word from Yiddish, just like many other words in English are loan-words from somewhere. There's certainly been enough use of it featured in popular culture over the years (ex: Mel Brooks, Seinfeld, etc).

There's words I'd say would seem inappropriate (or nonsensical) to use as a non-Jewish person, and usually are the sort of thing that isn't exactly polite regardless of ethnicity, but I wouldn't say that's one of them.
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Thanks
 
This is a thread in which we may end up discussing the hurt of appropriation, the humor of misunderstanding, and the etiquette of usage of words coming from outside the USA's White Culture.
In this case, I'll start by moving a digression on Yiddish from the GLX thread.
 
Arlington said:
This is a thread in which we may end up discussing the hurt of appropriation, the humor of misunderstanding, and the etiquette of usage of words coming from outside the USA's White Culture.
In this case, I'll start by moving a digression on Yiddish from the GLX thread.
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Sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much tzuris!
 
As the resident half-Jew, I feel that it is within my power to grant you all permission to use whatever words you like. I'm also half Italian and don't speak a word of the language, but you can use that language, too.

However, as a red-blooded American, you'd better watch how you speak your "American" around me!

:p:p:p:p
 
I am always aware of being a nooge, a klutz and a schmuck. Also the schlepping that I do around the North East....
 
Blackbird said:
I’ve always liked schlep and schmuck.
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Times have changed to the degree that the words schmuck and putz seem to have gained acceptance. (Both mean penis.)
bolehboleh said:
As the resident half-Jew, I feel that it is within my power to grant you all permission to use whatever words you like. I'm also half Italian and don't speak a word of the language, but you can use that language, too.

However, as a red-blooded American, you'd better watch how you speak your "American" around me!
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Given your lineage, you may recall (with some amusement) Alfonse D'Amato's calling Chuck Schumer a "putzhead" in 1998—a gaffe that may have contributed to D'Amato's defeat that year.
 
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