Born to Kvetch,

Jewish Singles

Other Jewish Sites

Jewish Headlines
Jewish in Detroit
Jewish in Chicago
Jewish in Miami
Jewish in New York
Jewish in Washington DC

Newsletter

Born to Kvetch, Michael Wex - Jewish Humour | Jewish Books | Toronto Jewish Directory

Born to Kvetch

Fortunately, despite its title and cover photo, this is not a kitschy book about a folksy language spoken by quaint, elderly Jews. It is, rather, an earthy romp through the lingua franca of Jews, which has roots reaching back to the Hebrew Bible and which continues to thrive in 21st-century America. Canadian professor, translator and performer Wex has an academic's breadth of knowledge, and while he doesn't ignore your bubbe's tsimmes, he gives equal time to the semantic nuances of putz, schmuck, shlong and shvants. Wex organizes his material around broad, idiosyncratic categories, but like the authors of the Talmud (the source for a large number of Yiddish idioms), he strays irrepressibly beyond the confines of any given topic. His lively wit roams freely, and Rabbi Akiva and Sholem Aleichem collide happily with Chaucer, Elvis and Robert Petrie. Academics, and others, will be disappointed at the lack of source notes, and a few errors have crept in (the fifth day of Sukkot is not Hoshana Rabba, for instance). Overall, however, 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.

Author: Michael Wex

Classification(s)

Jewish Books / Jewish Humour

Visit Website

Add a review

View all reviews [0]

Mail To A Friend

Hits: 382 since 11-14-2005


Be the first to review Born to Kvetch - click here to submit your review

Toronto Jewish Events

5/11
	Mickey Lewin in Concert
6/1
	11th Annual Zareinu Moveathon Pro Tour
6/21
	A Night in Jamaica
All Toronto Jewish Events
Having a Toronto Jewish Event? Let us know and we'll post it!

Recent Listings

FOOD BASICS -THORNHILL KOSHER - CA, ON, TORONTO - THORNHILL.

Welcome to FOOD BASICS the one stop shop for all y

(05-01-2008)

The Centre for Enhancement of Jewish Education (Mercaz Toronto) - CA, ON, Toronto.

As parents, there are so many considerations when

(04-15-2008)

Tiara Culinary Creations - CA, ON, Toronto.

Glatt Kosher Catering to Bellvue Manor 8083 Jane S

(04-15-2008)

Toronto Jewish Maps

Toronto Jewish Store Map
Toronto Kosher Restaurant Map
Toronto Synagogue Map
Looking for a specific Toronto Jewish map? Let us know and we can make it!

DISCLAIMER NOTE: JewishinTO.com is not responsible for the accuracy of the Jewish listing information provided, although we do take care to provide the best information possible. Opinions expressed in reviews of listed Jewish services within JewishinTO are those of our users and are not our own. If you are aware of any errors in our listings or if you would like your listing to be removed, please contact us. All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owners.

Site Map | Keywords: Toronto Jewish Directory, Jewish Books, Jewish Humour, Born to Kvetch