The New Joys of Yiddish: Completely Updated

Much more than the usual dry lexicon, it is still organized alphabetically, but between Rosten's anecdotes and "Talmudic" commentary, as well as the updated comments from his editor, this is a valuable book to have on the shelf for anyone with even a passing interest in Yiddish.

A classic. A must have for any library shelves.

Joys of Yiddish is a treasury of Yiddish words, well,defined, often followed by a corny joke you’ve heard before. Phonetic pronunciation is right on target.I enjoyed all 500 pages of nostalgia that brought me back to growing up in a Brooklyn neighborhood where Yiddish was a second language to some and a first language to many.Parents spoke Yiddish only about matters not fit for the ‘kinder.’English was the preferred ‘American ‘ language so I grew up knowing words but not able to hold a Yiddish conversation. A pity. I loved, loved, loved this book and if your childhood was anything like mine, so will you.

So many Yiddish words permeate our language. But, where did they come from and how do we use them? This book answers those questions. A joy to read and discover new words.

Second time around for this excellent book, having lost my original. This is the most rewarding, informative - and downright entertaining - book.The author, now deceased, came to fame withe a series about a young Jewish guy - Hyman Kaplan, and his comical adventures in anEnglish language class in New York. In "Joys", Rosten takes apart the hybrid language of Yiddish in scholarly fashion in terms of word derivation BUT then adds a superb human touch by illustrating the use of the word through anecdote or jokes. Great jokes. The reader will be amazed how many modern English words and expressions used everywhere, every day, spring from Yiddish. Examples: "This shouldn't happen to a dog"… "I need this like a hole in the head". This edition has been thoughtfully updated to modern times and is sprinkled with simple Blechman cartoons. Highly recommended - you'll learn a lot, while you laugh a lot.

The New Joys of Yiddish is an somewhat expanded version of the original with just as much real information coupled with quintessential Yiddish humor. If you want to enjoy a fun time with or without a mastery of the yiddish language, this book is for you. I am in a Yiddish conversation group where those of us who speak well or not, enjoy leafing through this book.The definitions are breezy, the words alphabetically arranged and easy, therefore, to peruse at you leisure.In a time of despair over the shrinking of Yiddish speakers, at least the book contributes to keeping it alive and perhapsinspiring others to brush up their Yiddish.

I bought this for a new, not-Jewish girlfriend thinking it was just the updated version of the one in our Jewish home about 35 years ago. But it's: 1. Bigger (not as easy to pick up and leaf through as the original 'paperback' size), 2. More about 'Graphic Design' in its layout than like a simple dictionary. That's a minus for me. I'm looking for the word and it's meaning, not a trip through someone's college graphic design portfolio. 3. Too many words. The original was the definition, a few examples (not long drawn out stories.....) and wham bam thank you bubbe, on to the next word. Find the original one, used. Now, THAT ONE'S a gem. Oy gevalt.

If you are curious about the evolution American English and have a robust sense of humor, you must have this book. In his introduction, the author clarifies that this book is about the English language, emphasizing contributions to English from Yiddish. Having your copy at hand, so you can look up the Yiddish words as you hear them will reveal another layer of humor in any Mel Brooks movie.When I acquired my first copy 25 years ago, I found that by just flipping pages and reading what grabbed my eye at the moment, I'd quickly find something profoundly interesting, something uplifting, and something hilarous, all within ten minutes.

I love this book! Leo Rosten's original was on my bookshelves until it disappeared during a house move. The revised edition has al the warmth and humour of the original woth some updating. The stories/anecdotes/jokes range from the silly to hysterical. This is well worth having whether or not you are Jewish or for that matter speak Yiddish.

Oy Vey, enjoy!

Excellent lexicon for all denominations to enjoy and understand the ways that Jews characterise themselves and non Jews. Highly recommended.

Here is an excellent new, updated edition of an old favourite. Brilliant source for research and very funny.

Not quite what we were expecting. Thought it would be more like a dictionary but it’s still interesting to read