Publisher's Synopsis
A vocabulary of Yiddish terms, common expressions, and proverbs. Many Yiddish terms have entered the English language, describing character or emotion (usually displeasure) that have no ready equivalent, such as klutz, kvetch, shmoose, or kibbitz. Yiddish as a language grew out of Medieval German and Hebrew, and spread through Eastern Europe among Ashkenazi Jews. With the worldwide spread of Jewry in many countries, Yiddish plays two roles: as a language unto itself, and as a "lending" language for terms and attitudes about business, sexuality, or human relations.
