Leo Rosten's Jocular Yiddish interpretations
Friday, December 13, 1968-47
THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS
•
Leo Rosten, in "The Joys of Yid- garment for which the owner paid Two shlemiels were drinking tea. I
Happy Hanuka
dish" published by McGraw Hill -little.
In time, one looked up and an-
Book Co., which already has been Dresskes come from bargain nounced portentously: "Life! What
reviewed in these columns, resorts basements, off racks labeled is it? Life—is like a fountain!"
Wholesale Beef and Boneless Cuts
to many puns and witticisms and "Marked Down Drastically," and The other pondered for a few
tells many appropriate jokes.
9435 Copland
2852 Eighteenth Street
from certain emporia of notable minutes, then asked, "Why?"
He defines, for example, dresske, values on Fourteenth Street. I do The first thought and thought,
VI 2-0590
shiemiel, sholem aleihem and other not think anyone ever found a then sighed, "So O.K.: life isn't
terms and some examples of his dresske at Bergdorf's or Nieman- like a fountain."
sholem aleichem
approaches are:
Marcus.
sholom aleichem
DRESSKE:
Note to the ladies: It is tactful to
Happy Hanuka
aleichem sholem
dresske
use dresske when your husband is
Pronounced SI30-lem (or SHAW-
Pronounced DRESS-keb; rhymes complaining about expenses.
lem) a LAY-khem; deliver the kh
* * *
with "press the." Yinglish.
Diminutive for "dress."
My favorite way of suggesting as if clearing a bread-crumb from
Corrugated Cartons
But stop! A dresske is not just a the true flavor of dresske (Rosten the roof of your mouth.
Hebrew: Shalom alekhem:
small dress, or a little dress, or writes) involves the lady who,
566-8640
23823 Dequindre, Hazel Park
even a bikini: those would be call- complimented on her new frock, "peace unto you."
ed; in either fondness or ridicule, replied with disdain: "This little
1. The traditional greeting or
a dresskeleh—which is diminutive dresske? It's nothing: I just use it salutation of Jews; it is used for
for streetwalking."
"Hello," "How do you do?" etc.
diminutive, like "teeny-weeny."
Rosten gives seven definitions , The response to this greeting re-
A dresske, in classic Yinglish,
Happy Hanuka
verses the words; thus:
for shiemiel, including:
means the kind of dress women
LESTER,
HAROLD,
RAYMOND GREENSPAN
2. "Aleichem sholem" ("And
dismiss as "a little nothing," or a
1. A foolish person; a simpleton.
"He has the brains of a shlemiel." unto you, peace") is the traditional
2. A consistently unlucky or un- response to "sholem aleichem;"
Hanuka Greetings
fortunate person; a "fall guy;" a the exchange is uttered by Jews
To Our Friends and
3915 Greenspan Street, Detroit, Mich.
hard-luck_ type; a born loser; a when parting, as well as when i
Customers
submissive and uncomplaining vic- meeting.
GERHARDT'S
(Ironically)
"Finally
we
get
to
3.
tim . . .
MEAT MARKET
5. A pipsqueak, a Caspar Milque- the heart of the matter!"
The Home of Home-Made
"At long last!" "Hallelujah!"
toast
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•
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German Style Sausages
Holiday Greetings
Thus:
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Finest Quality Meats
"O.K.,
I owe you ten dollars."
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A man came home from the
j
"Sholem aleichem!"
steam baths—minus his shirt.
I "Shlemiel , " cried his wife.' 4. The pen name of Sholom (Solo-
Detroit's Oldest Restaurant — Air-Conditioned
mon)
Rabinowitz (1859-1916), the
"Where's your shirt?"
Open
Weekdays
till 10:30 p.m., Sot. 2 p.m., Closed Sundays
immortal
Jewish
writer
and
hum-
4.1.1
Were
"My shirt? That's right,
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;$
3401 Riopelle, Corner Erskin
TE 1-5940
can it be? Aha! Someone at the orist, often dubbed "the Jewish
Mark
Twain."
baths must have taken my shirt by
It is said that when Mark Twain
mistake, instead of his."
met Rabinowitz in New York, he
"So where is his shirt?"
1525 Wanda
The shlemiel scratched his head. said, "I am the American Sholom
.10 4-6990
Hanuka Greetings
"The fellow who took my shirt—he Aleichem."'
to Our Friends and Patrons
forgot to leave his."
Muslims use the same salutation
and virtually the same phrasing
except that Muslims begin with an
Designers and Manufacturers of Fine Jewelry
s instead of a sh; and use a k in-
DIAMONDS
Holiday Greetings
stead of kh; thus salaam aleikum.
19384
James Couzens Hwy. cor. Vassar Dr.
(This is acceptable Arabic, at no
extra charge.)
* * *
"Hello, Skolnick! I haven't seen
Southfield, Mich.
21400 W. 8 Mile Road
you
in
years.
How are you, how's
444-1177
the wife, the children?"
Happy Hanuka to All of Our Friends
"Everyone's fine. My wife is
flourishing, my children are doing
well, and I couldn't be happier.
Holiday Greetings
Well—sholem aleichem."
"Wait a minute, Skolnick! Are
you going away just like that?
Don't you even ask me one ques-
1431 TIME SQUARE
tion? Can't you even ask an old 74*-21:-1.41x:404>atas.xe›mtx
friend how he's doing in his busi-
Ben Gottloeb and Sam Davis
ness?"
Best Wishes for Hanuka
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Tell me: N
How's business?"
"Don't ask. Aleichem sholem."
ROBERT LAURIE
MANHATTAN CONTAINER CO.
NOR-LES SALES
ROMA CAFE
-
KAR NUT CO.
DAVID WACHLER & SONS
BASIC READY MIX
MEYER WEINGARDEN and SONS, INC.
BERMAN'S CHOP HOUSE
Holiday Greetings to All Our Friends
CAPITAL MORTGAGE CORP.
• * *
CONTINENTAL FOOD BROKERAGE CO.
Leo Rosten, the creater of H-Y- N 14711 W. 8 Mile Road
UN 4-3210
M-A-N K-A-P-L-A-N, is one of
r.
ACC X4PX >10!":111:< VOX VID.7-74111K
America's best-known writers. He 0. ; AVIX >MX X.413,7 X.41.:CAPX '74•7?` ".4.•>"
17501 West Eight Mile Road
is featured in Look Magazine in 0 2.51..SUL.2.9...1.2.32..MUUL0ULZMQ11400000000000000000000Q_2_000C,
"The World of Leo Rosten" which
533-2055
Detroit, Michigan 48235
Holiday Greetings
has been described as "the most
interesting column being published
A■■■■••■•■••■4•■■•••■•601=.
in America today."
Rosten received his PhD degree
Wall Washing — Carpeting Cleaning
from the Unversity of Chicago, and
Window Cleaning
Happy Hanuka
did further study at the London ,`,1
a 7 35 Fenkell
864 - 2340
School of Economics. He has taught 7
at Yale University, served as Ford
00- 1500000ocioisoorb0000poi)000000m0000is000ts00000e
Visiting Professor of Political
, C4iX :410X.:(4EX:
: 1•74
Science at the University of Cali-
625 Lafayette Bldg.
fornia, and is presently a faculty
Holiday Greetings to My Friends and Customers
associate of Columbia University.
Former deputy director of the
: —mmer..&:::mmigsfq Office
;?mwazzamego,Twa
-ammiriikimaar
-
of War Information, he has
also served the government as spe-
Manufacturer of Fine Furs
Happy Holiday
cial consultant to the secretaries of
war and air, and a consultant to
271 W. MAPLE, Birmingham, Mich.
642-4440
the Commission on National Goals.
EAGLE CLEANING CO.
SAUL KATZ CONSTRUCTION CO.
JOHN KEYSTONE
e
LARDNER ELEVATOR CO.
lle< :ACC
WO 5-4870
300 Riopelle St.
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EDER
,
FURNITURE CO.
Louis Eder
1751 FORT
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DU 1-1940 h:
Lincoln. Park
To Our Many Friends and Patrons
a.:=15MIMMUMMii:VMMUZZIMel
Hanuka Greetings
White Star Dairy
593 Kenilworth
TO 8-8655
AC< WMKAIDC:nick ACK 'ASV. >11E+':: ACC >21, >. - 7 . ' :41r.‹. >IOC ASV 7.41PX >210•Le:
Season's Greetings
FELDBRO
QUALITY MEATS
20233 W. 7 Mile Rd.
Between Kentfield and Heyden
KE 4 7522
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Open Sun. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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To All Our Friends and Patrons
TOPINKA'S COUNTRY HOUSE
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• I