Jewish Curses. I have been unable to find any distinctively Jewish toasts except Lah'im & Mazaltov.
Yiddish speaking Jews were renown for their curses though and curses are nothing but the inverse of a toast and often have the same "May you... " form as a toast. The below are primarily eastern European Jewish curses derived from the Yiddish. Here are a few curses translated into English. If you have the Yiddish original please send it to me at May you never be alone in bed: you should always have bedbugs, lice, fleas, etc. Choice Yiddish Phrases. The First Words You Learn Selected Yiddish Words and Phrases Gai feifen afenyam/Gai kakhen afenyamgo whistle in the ocean/go shit in the ocean (Go jump in a lake.
I think the second version is more common, but try telling that to a skittish editor.) Zolst ligen in drerd! You should lie in the earth! How to Say Common Yiddish Expressions. My Grandmother's Yiddish Sayings & Quotes. The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know. Sheri Jo Fantastic post!
I grew up in a town with many, many Jewish people and Yiddish sayings are 2nd nature to me. However, the town I have lived in for the past 15 years has a very small Jewish population in comparison. Consequently, whenever I use a Yiddish term, the response is either hysterical laughter or the “DAHHH… shmendrik” look. Thanks for a great post! Daniel Scocco Interesting indeed, many of these words I had used in the past, without knowing their origin.