My Grandfather's Yiddish Sayings

Some of my favorite ones!

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It's astonishing how important a man becomes when he dies.

Money buys everything but good sense.

Don't know me a teakettle (Hak mir nisht ken tshaynik)
Stop going on and on about the same one thing all the time.

When it comes to one's own children, everyone is blind. (Oyf eygene kinder iz yederer a blinder.)

When a lion is sleeping, let him sleep (Az a leyb shloft, loz im shlofn.)

God gave burdens, also shoulders.

Tasty is the fish on someone else's table (Geshmak iz der fish fun yenems tish)

We grow accustomed to our troubles. (Me vert tsugevoynt tsu di tsores.)

He is smart whose good luck accompanies him (Der iz klug vemes mazl geyt im nokh)

God made man because he loves stories.

From envy grows hate. (Fun kine vert sine.)

It's as appropriate as a slap in response to a greeting of "good shabbas" (Es past zikh vi a patsh tsu gut shabes.)

From bad matches, come good children (Fun krume shidukhim kumen aroys glaykhe kinder.)

When one always drinks vinegar, he doesn't know that anything sweeter exists. (Az men trinkt ale mol esik, veyst men nit az es iz do a zisere zakh.)

What afool can spoil, ten wise men cannot repair (Vos a nar ken kalye makhn, kenen tsen khakhomin nit farrikhtn.)

Gold's father is dirt, yet it regards itself as noble

They bury better-looking ones (Shenere leygt men in drerd)

Love is sweet, but it's good with bread (Di libe iz zis nor zi iz gut mit broyt.)

No one possesses all the virtues (Ale mayles in eynem, iz mito bay keynem.)

A table is not blessed if it has fed no scholars.



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