Retirement Yenta

Chances are you already know a lot of Yiddish words and just didn’t know it.  Do any of these sound familiar: Oy Vey, schmear, and latke?  They should!  These are three  popular Yiddish words and are frequently used in conversational English. Knowing these words will put you at ease at your local NY Style Deli:  Oy Vey - is an exclamation of dismay or exasperation meaning “Oh, woe” or “Oh, no”;  Schmear – spread (noun or verb); and, Latke – potato pancake. To see a list of the most common Yiddish words look here.  Remember – you don’t have to be Jewish to spice up your English with a little Yiddish – Oy!