Omaha daily bee., 1888-06-28
FAMILIAR JEWISH WORDS.
Hebrew Expressions hat Are Being
Introduced Into English.

From the New York Press: If YOU
can say aCht-und-achtzig you will be able
to catch on TO the pronunciation of a
number of Hebrew words and phrases
that are gradually creeping into use in
New York. If you can't manage acht-
u~nd-achtZig, try to enunciate the
''Shraughraun1 as Dion Boucicault does
it, and you may come pretty close TO the
way in which the Jewish gutturals are
intended to be expressed vocally.
Some of these Hebrew vocables are
easy enough. For instance. the word
Schnorrer. signifying a dead beat, is
Hebrew, and has made fair progress in
making English-speaking acquaint-
ances. "Mazzell," the Hebrew word for
luck, has, like the word Schnorrer, al
most succeeded in getting itself admit
ed into the German vocabulary and is
on dly knocking at the door of the En-
glish dictionary. Schlemazzcl. bad
luck" is the antinym of maz2el. and is
also ambitious to be recognized by Eng
fish photographers. "Schlemihl,'
meaning idiot" or Jonah has becn
so long familiar to German ears that
many persons not German think it be-
longs to Germany, but it is a Hebrew
word, all the same.
"Muchullah' is one of the Jewish
NHoANAS - 4 70 " biI'll pIllll vi
the German model to pronounce. If you
go into any German saloon On the East
Side where a game of pinochle is in
progress you will be certain TO hear Il
loser eXclaim at his bad luck, much
ullah is trumps," meaning that disaster
has claimed him for its own.
"Shtallmacherahn is the way the
Hebrews and some other persons refer
to lawyers weary parchments."
"~AchOnebish' is the Jewish express
sion OF coincidence which the vocal or
gans of a German delight in. It's II lit
tie difficult for others, however.
"Nlishpocher'i is Il word which may
be heard Whenever a knot of Hebrews
and Germans are brought together by
news of a d~ishonorable business failure.
The word mean a "combine' for de-
%frauding innocent creditors.
"Nikaive" is Hebrew for a young UNI
married woman. while a matrOn is des-
ignated by the term ''Yiddineh.o
When a jew wants to say that he will
persist in any line of action he shrugs
his shoulders in the inimitable Hebrew
fashion and eXclaims, so Kodim cul-
dooga.' and goes calmly on his way.
"Misimit" is the way an apostatc from
Judaism is referred to, while "A convert
is called Carr if a male, ''Garista' if Il
lNlII'll's NllAS ptb SoN. 'Illl u S
christian is the generic word.
''Schiksa" is what Jews call a gentle
maiden, while"rasha"means Il very bad
man.
"~Chutsper,n a word which sounds
very much like an everyday christian
sueeze, is Hebrew for check or
''chic.n
That the Jewish race appreciates the
blessings which have been shOwered
upon it in the United states is evil
denced by the fact that in their Ian
guage America is called ''Genalden'
(the G hard), 1.-THE land of Eden" On
the Day of ~Atonement,n the great
annual Jewish feast, the solemn prayer
concludes with the words next year in
Jerusalem!" addressed by each dcvotee
to his neighbor. Many Jews, it is said,
refuse to make use of this prayer, claim
ing that America is a good enough
Jerusalem for them; they look for
nothing better than the 'Genalden,"
with which their earthly eyes are
familiar.