"His books have not just been good for the Jews; they have been great." – Joel Yanofsky, Literary Review of Canada
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!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... 
So where does the word zhlob come from?
What is the translation of the Yiddish word "Zlob" . When my father used it on me I understood it to mean something like slob. However the accompanying intonation and facial expression made it seem worse than simply a slob. Are there regional variations in meaning?
While similarity in sound has led to "zhlob" being used as a version of the English "slob" (as you... 
Every wondered where the express Moishe Kapoyr comes from? You're not alone.
Would you be able to explain the origin of the Yiddish expression, Moishe Kapoyer, used, to the best of my knowledge, to describe someone who always appears to do things in a way diametrically opposed to they way they should be done? Thank you very much.
Kapoyr means upside-down. The original Moyshe Kapoyr was a character created... 
Here's an interesting query about Jewish surnames:
I'm interested in the origin of European Jewish surnames, such as "Bloom" meaning flower, and Shecter which I learned from your book is shechet. Is Kaufman a buyer, or merchant? Zukeo is sugar I guess. Then Sugarman was a purveyor of sugar?
You're definitely on the right track. One thing to watch out for, though: people would change surnames at the... 
Here's an interesting query we had recently about a Yiddish expression a reader remembered from a Mickey Katz song.
My friend uses the expression (excuse the transliteration): "its good for the maugen" whenever we are eating celery which he got from his father. I have not been able to find a specific translation of the yiddish term in any glossary, but the meaning seems clear from the context. I noticed... 