{"product_id":"born-to-kvetch-yiddish-language-and-culture-in-all-of-its-moods-paperback","title":"Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichael Wex\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eThe Three Stooges\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eSeinfeld\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBorn to Kvetch\u003c\/em\u003e is a smart and witty portrait of Yiddish and its relationship to both Jewish culture and American life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An earthy romp through the lingua franca of Jews.... This treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history and folklore offers a fascinating look at how, through the centuries, a unique and enduring language has reflected an equally unique and enduring culture.\"\u003cstrong\u003e--Publishers Weekly, starred review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe main spoken language of the Jews for more than 1,000 years, Yiddish offers a comprehensive picture of the mind-set that enabled them to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution across Europe. Through the idioms, phrases, metaphors, and fascinating history of this wonderful tongue, Michael Wex gives us a moving and inspiring portrait of a people, and a language, in exile. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom tukhes to goy, meshugener to bobe mayse (cok-and-bull story), \u003cem\u003eBorn to Kvetch \u003c\/em\u003eoffers a wealth of material, some that has never appeared in English before, on all elements of Yiddish life, including food, nature, divinity, humanity, and even sex.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA delightful excursion through the Yiddish language, the culture it defines and serves, and the fine art of complaint\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout history, Jews around the world have had plenty of reasons to lament. And for a thousand years, they've had the perfect language for it. Rich in color, expressiveness, and complexity, Yiddish has proven incredibly useful and durable. Its wonderful phrases and idioms impeccably reflect the mind-set that has enabled the Jews of Europe to survive a millennium of unrelenting persecution . . . and enables them to \u003cem\u003ekvetch\u003c\/em\u003e about it!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMichael Wex—professor, scholar, translator, novelist, and performer—takes a serious yet unceasingly fun and funny look at this remarkable kvetch-full tongue that has both shaped and has been shaped by those who speak it. Featuring chapters on curse words, food, sex, and even death, he allows his lively wit and scholarship to roam freely from Sholem Aleichem to Chaucer to Elvis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerhaps only a \u003cem\u003ekhokhem be-layle\u003c\/em\u003e (a fool, literally a \"sage at night,\" when there's no one around to see) would care to pass up this endearing and enriching treasure trove of linguistics, sociology, history, and folklore—an intriguing appreciation of a unique and enduring language and an equally fascinating culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8 x 5.34 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 15, 2006\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47454877253810,"sku":"9780061132179","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/0df28278fda9831e29f6269e7fbb8204_f824b065-d653-4fd9-a133-cc70cb2a4c24.webp?v=1778861999","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/born-to-kvetch-yiddish-language-and-culture-in-all-of-its-moods-paperback","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}