Born to Kvetch
Chapter 12: Too Good for the Goyim
SEX IN YIDDISH

Born to Kvetch extract:

The Beatles' contribution to certain areas of modern Yiddish has never been properly acknowledged or appreciated. Among people who speak English with a Yiddish accent, Beatle and the Yiddish word bitl are virtually indistinguishable. Bitl means “contempt, scorn”; kukn mit bitl is “to look down on, dismiss.” In some combinations, bitl also means “waste, squandering.” So, bitl zman is “a waste of time,” bitl toyre, “a waste of [time better spent learning] Torah.” Er iz a bitl, “he's a bitl/Beatle,” could mean so many different things, none of them very nice.

For a guide to the pronunciation and transliteration used on this website, click here.

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