He Comes to Make Love to Me of All People

   

 He Comes to Make Love to Me of All  People!


                                                  Tania and Nadia  Ostroff


    This little story is about a dear lady who was a large but humble part of my in-law family and another reason why they were the best part of my marriage. Auntie Teresa Kronsberg was the sister of my mother-in-law and these siblings had a rough beginning coming from Russia to America as girls named Tania and Nadia. There is much more to this tale including their refusal at Ellis Island, a sojourn to Cuba and their coming to Los Angeles. The immigration lawyers changed them to Naomi and Teresa that worked out well enough that they both managed to succeed in the big city and control pretty good estates when I knew them. Even though they were completely assimilated Auntie Teresa still kept a rich chunk of her Yiddish past and used delightful phrases I loved to hear and attempt to use. She had a funny way of using English since it was her second language as evidenced by the title which she uttered when Maniac the good-bad dog attempted to hump her on a visit to our home. Papa Romo, her brother in law,  also added in some beauties but she routinely threw in Yiddish when nothing else would do. I show just a few of my favorites so as to never forget this joyful language. I don't bother with proper spelling always and sometimes they changed the words themselves with usage over the many years they spent speaking a foreign language. Most Americans have no idea how many yiddish words have joined Yankee English but most of us know kibbutz, bupkis, schmooze or even oy vey. It is my frustration that I have just words and many of these parts of yiddish speech were within delightful phrases. Also Yiddish words can mean other things beside the translation so shtup might mean sex or give me a helping of that dish. However the following are a few favorites learned from  Auntie or Papa Romo:

pulkies- the soft thighs of a baby showing health and good nourishment

punum- a cute face on a child or even a dog

patch or potch en toukis- a real or pretend spank on the butt

Touchis- a butt as mentioned

chazerei- literally a pig but more often a shopkeeper selling stuff to make more and more money

mensch- a good man or just fine human being

goy- non jew, also goyishe meaning all of us

shiksa- non-jewish girl, probably gf of jewish boy

mishegas- crazy but different forms cover all manner of looniness

tsimmis- mixed up confused  or a mess

schtarker- strong young man, Romo said it to his young male relatives

kinehora- loosely,  god willing and many delightful uses  therein

gonif- thief, lowly person

schlimazel- an oaf  he climbs the ladder and spills the paint

schlemiel- a sad sack  the paint falls on him

schmeggege- bullshit, hot air, bunk

schmuck- literally a penis but mostly a jerk

schnook- a gullible fool

schmoo- see above

schlub- a sloppy loser

pischer- a little kid or person with little force

tsouris- pain or suffering

faygeleh- homosexual

tsatske- a little thing unimportant decoration

ungapatchke- too much, mis-matched 

ungamacht- Papa Romo's made up word for a dog going poo

mavin- an expert in a subject

bubbe- grandma

nosh- to snack or a snack

klutz- clumsy oaf

shayna-  pretty

schlep- to carry away with you

schmatte- rags, clothes 

mishpokhe- like family

sphilkes- jittery, anxious

kanipshin- conniption as in conniption fit is a yiddish word

keppe- head or forehead

schvitz- to sweat

schmutz- small mess on face, dirty place 

zaftik- plump

Many many more buried in my subconscious


                            the one, the only Papa Romo


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