Yiddish old fart

Posted by Wex on Aug 3, 2010 in FAQs | 0 comments

Transliteration of Yiddish words into English can be tricky. Here's an example:

What is the correct spelling you use for alte kocker/cocker/ or something like that?

Is it correct to use the expression to refer to an old guy shooting the breeze, a regular guy, etc., who is also old?

For general use, I'd spell it kucker (it rhymes with "sucker"; in more formal settings, I'd use the so-called scientific transliteration and spell it "kacker"). It's slightly pejorative; it'd imply a certain contempt or condescension towards the old guy in question. "A couple of old farts were shooting the breeze," is the kind of feel that it would have.

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