My Grandfather's Yiddish Sayings
Here are some great Yiddish saying that both of my grandfathers used to
tell me, and others ones I've collected, too!
Do you know any others? E-mail me at (morgan@westegg.com) and let me know!!!
What did your grandparents used to tell you???
You should lose all your teeth except one, and that one should ache! (Zolst farlirn ale tseyner akhuts eynem, un der zol dir vey ton) New! Man plans and God laughs. (Mann tracht und Gott lacht) New! One of our favorites! If you don't want to get old, hang yourslef when you're young (Az me vil nit vern alt, zol men zikh yingerheyt oyfhengern.) New! Don't eat the challah before you've made the blessing (Es nisht di khale far a-moytse) New! Don't have sex before marriage Lying in the ground, baking bagels (Lign in drerd un bakn beygl) New! Sisyphus-like hell, spending eternity making bagels you can't eat A man is not honest simply because he never had a chance to steal New! One of our favorites! It never rose and it never flew (Es iz nit geshtoygen un nit gefloygen) New! One of our favorites! Figurative translation: It is bullshit! The best baker among the cobblers is Yankele the tailor New! If you're going to eat pork, eat the best kind (Ez men est khazer zol rinen ariber der bord.) New! One of our favorites! Also translated as, if you're going to eat pork, get it all over your beard. If you and all your neighbors lay all of your problems on your respective front lawns, you'd look them all over, and end up taking back your own. New! A rich man has no need of character Do not worry about tomorrow, because you do not even know what may happen to you today. We are all schlemiels. Talk less, do more Charity covers a multitude of sins. The complete fool is half prophet. Youth is a mistake, middle age a battle, and old age a regret (Di yugnt iz a feler, di menlekhe yorn a kamf, un der elter a kharote.) A dog without teeth will also attack a bone. There's plenty of time to bemoan bad fortune once it arrives If you have money, you are wise and good-looking and can sing well, too. My Favorites | New additions Alphabetical order | Original Yiddish · My Favorites · New additions · Alphabetical order · Original Yiddish |