Tag Archives: Yiddish Proverb

Enemy’s Downfall – Humorous Version

Title: Enemy’s Downfall- Humorous Version

General Information about Item:

Verbal Lore, proverb
Language: English (Hebrew, Yiddish)
Informant: Sarah Katzenell
Date Collected: 29 October 2018

Informant Data

Sarah Katzenell was born in Jerusalem and raised in Jerusalem through the early 2000s. Her family was Jewish and Israeli, and Sarah speaks fluent Hebrew and English and knows limited amounts of Yiddish. She moved to Hanover, NH with her husband to receive a PhD in immunology, and now works as a post doctorate researcher in a biochemistry lab at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data

Social Context: Sarah says that she has heard or used this proverb only in a professional setting, such as at work or with adult friends. Situations in which she has used the phrase in her life include finding out that a rival lab has failed to publish, or back in Israel with Palestine would do something that harmed their own country. Sarah said that the proverb is usually said with a hint of irony, and can be used to reassure yourself and others near you that it is acceptable in certain scenarios to not be upset when something bad happens to another. As it would seem like an ethical dilemma to publicly display happy or celebratory emotions when others are suffering, the proverb provides an “out” from this moral binding in which one reminds themselves and friends that the victim person, corporation, or nation has purposefully wished you ill in the past and it is therefore acceptable to not feel a need to assist them back.
Cultural Context: Sarah has heard the proverb in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew, but tends to use it in English. English and Hebrew are both frequently spoken by one person in Israel.

Item

The piece as recited by Sarah in English as this is how she usually uses the proverb. (Note that in Israel, the majority of people are fluent and communicate in both English and Hebrew.)

“If your enemy falls down, don’t rejoice! But also, do not help them get up too fast.”

Collector’s Notes

I was particularly fascinated by this proverb as it is clearly similar (and likely derived from) its religious counterpart recounted by Shoshana Zohar above, “Do not rejoice at your enemy’s downfall.” This type of “conversion” from more Biblical to humorous proverbs was also seen in one of the Catholic proverbs collected within my group. Based on the way this proverb is used in the same situation as its more serious counterpart, but to elicit a different response (humor vs shame in response to a reprimand), it seems possible this proverb is meant to pick fun at the Biblical teaching. This would be consistent with the more cynical and dry humor of the other Yiddish proverbs I collected.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords

Verbal Lore
Proverbs
Yiddish Proverb
Relationships
Enemy

Cost of Friends vs Enemies

Title: Cost of Friends vs Enemies

General Information about Item:

Verbal Lore, proverb
Language: English
Informant: Sarah Katzenell
Date Collected: 29 October 2018

Informant Data

Sarah Katzenell was born in Jerusalem and raised in Jerusalem through the early 2000s. Her family was Jewish and Israeli, and Sarah speaks fluent Hebrew and English and knows limited amounts of Yiddish. She moved to Hanover, NH with her husband to receive a PhD in immunology, and now works as a post doctorate researcher in a biochemistry lab at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data

Social Context: Sarah says that she has often heard or used this proverb in her daily life when discussing personal relationships. For instance, she says that the proverb would be appropriately invoked when someone is complaining about the work and time that is required to make a friend or when fretting about something trivial that they feel has made someone dislike them. Especially when speaking with young children who are first learning to make and maintain friends, Sarah believes the proverb offers excellent advice as a way to remind people that you must work hard for friends, but it is worth it. Similarly, it is important to be reminded that sometimes people dislike us for reasons that are not worth getting personally upset over. The proverb is therefore told in a way that is humorous, relieves tension from a strained relationship, but is often meant to be met with relief or appreciation that relationships in general are complicated.
Cultural Context: Sarah has heard the proverb in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew, but tends to use it in English. English and Hebrew are both frequently spoken by one person in Israel.

Item

The piece was recited in English by Sarah as this is how she uses it most frequently.

“Friends cost money, but enemies are for free.”

Collector’s Notes

This proverb does not fit into the structures suggested by Dundes, but clearly relies on parallelism (friends cost money vs enemies cost no money). I was interested in this proverb as an example of a more humorous proverb that Sarah suggested was originally Yiddish in nature (although she does not speak Yiddish and instead knows it in English). As common in Yiddish proverbs that I collected, this proverb demonstrates a rather cynical and dry humor that takes an unpleasant fact of life and makes it laughable (compare to “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t!). Furthermore, the humorous nature of this proverb once again provides a great example of the way proverbs are used to dispel tension while providing advice.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords

Verbal Lore
Proverbs
Yiddish Proverb
Relationships
Friends
Enemies

Difficult Person

Title: Difficult Person

General Information about Item:

Verbal Lore, proverb
Language: English and Yiddish
Informant: Hannah Margolis
Date Collected: 28 October 2018

Informant Data

Hannah K Margolis was born and raised in north-eastern Nevada. She is Jewish by birth, and her mother, father, and father’s parents all practiced Judaism actively throughout her early life. Her grandparents spoke and could read both Yiddish and English, so when Hannah visited them in Baltimore she was exposed to Yiddish sayings and their contexts.

Contextual Data

Cultural Context: Although Hannah doesn’t remember when or where she first started using the proverb in question, it was likely picked up during her childhood from her grandparents. She uses the proverb as advice when someone mentions having to deal with a difficult person- often someone they don’t get along with from former experience. Most often, she would invoke it when a difficult relative was visiting and someone mentioned dreading the visit.
Social Context: The proverb itself is meant to be met with amusement and is used casually. Often, the amusement can help relax the tense situation of awaiting said relative or acquaintance’s arrival. To Hannah, the proverb should convey a sense of relief and reminder that it is better to deal with a difficult person you do know than a difficult person you do not know as when dealing with someone you do know, you can at least be aware of what is ahead, manage expectations, and have experience on how to make the encounter less difficult. The proverb can be said to people of all ages and regardless of which family member or acquaintance they are experiencing difficulty with.

Item

The piece was recalled in its English version, which is how Hannah has always used it. She is aware that the piece also has a Yiddish translation from which it originated, which she looked up and provided.

“Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t!”

Translation to Yiddish-

“Besser mitn taivel vos m’ken eider mitn taivel vos, ‘ken im nit!”

Collector’s Comments

This proverb is a clear example of Dundes’ “Better _______ than ______ structure” and a clear example of a Yiddish proverb. Particularly in English, this proverb had the interesting characteristic in that it is rather a mouthful to say and has a specific rhythm to it. Given that this proverb is used to dispel tension through humor (as well as give advice), I have speculated that the rhythm and clunkiness of the English saying within itself provides a way of diverting a conversation out of concerns over a relatives visit and into the proverb and humorous response to follow.

Collector’s Name: Hannah Margolis

Hannah Margolis, 20

Hinman Box 2464

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH 03755

Russian 13

Fall 2018

Tags/Keywords

Verbal Lore
Proverbs
Yiddish Proverb
Relationships
Family
Friends