[This poem has been circulating widely on the Internet with no attribution of authorship.
Yiddish was the secret code, therefore I don't farshtaist, Sadly when I hear it now, I only get the gist, So och un vai as I should say, or even oy vai iz mir, Es iz a shandeh far di kinder that I don't know it better But, when it comes to characters, there's really no contention, They have nebbishes and nebechels and Then, too, schmendriks and schlemiels, These words are so precise and descriptive to the Or - that a brazen woman would be better called chaleria, Mitten derinnen, I hear Bubbeh say, "It's nechtiker tog, don't fear,
GLOSSARY
Some urls where you can find this anonymous poem http://hebreu.blogspot.com/2007/12/yiddish-names-and-secret-code.html
Somebody is not getting the credit s/he deserves.]
A bisseleh maybe here and there,
the rest has gone to waste.
My Bubbeh spoke it beautifully; but me, I am tsemisht.
Though my pisk is lacking Yiddish, it's familiar to my ear.
And I'm no Chaim Yonkel , in fact
I was shtick naches, But, when it comes to Yiddish
though, I'm talking out my tuchas.
(Though it's really nishtkefelecht when one
needs to write a letter)
No other linguist can compete with honorable mentshen:
others without mazel,
and let's not forget schlemazel.
listener, So much better than "a pill "
is to call someone 'farbissener' .
And you'll agree farklempt says more than does hysteria.
I'm not haken dir a tsheinik and I hope I'm not a kvetch,
But isn't mieskeit kinder, than to call someone a wretch?
To me you're still a maven, zol zein shah, don't fill my ear.
A leben ahf dein keppele, I don't mean to interrupt,
But you are speaking narishkeit.. ...
And A gezunt auf dein kup!"
Farshtaist = (Do You?) Understand
Bisseleh = A little
Tsemisht = Con fused or mixed up
Och un vai = Alas and alack
Oi vai iz mir = Woe is me
Pisk = mouth
Naches = Joy, Gratification
Shandeh far di kinder = A pity/shame for the children
Nishtkefelecht = Not so terrible
Nebbishes = A nobody or simpleton
Nebechels = A pititful person or playing the role
of being one
Schlemiel = Clumsy bungler, an inept person, butter-fingered;
dopey person
Schmendrik = Nincompoop; an inept or indifferent person;
same as chlemiel
Schlemazel = Luckless person. Unlucky person; one with perpetual bad
luck
(it is said that the shlemiel spills the soup on the Shlimazel!)
Farbissener = Embittered; bitter person
Chaleria = Evil woman. Probably derived from cholera.
Farklempt = Too emotional to talk. Ready to cry.
Haken dir a tsheinik = Don't get on your nerves
(Lit.., Don't bang your teapot!)
Kvetch = Whine, complain; whiner, a complainer
Mieskeit = Ugly
Mitten derinnen = All of a sudden, suddenly
Nechtiker tog! = He's (it's) gone! Forget it! Nonsense!
(Lit., a night's day)
Zol zein shah! = Be quiet. Shut up!!
Leben ahf dein keppele = Words of praise like; Well said! Well done!
(Lit., A long life upon your head.)
Narishkeit = Nonsense
http://citycongregation.org/images/Yiddish_The_Secret_Code.pdf
http://mrmitch06.blogspot.com/2007/04/yiddish.html
http://www.jewishmag.com/106mag/humor/humor.htm