meaning of "Mensch"
Reesa Morrison
The following is from The Joys of Yidish by Leo Rosten
Mensh or Mench
Rhymes with 'bench'. From German: mensch: 'person'. Plural Menshen.
1. A human being. 'After all, he is a mensh, not an animal.'
2. An upright, honourable, decent person. 'Come on, act like a 'mensh'!'
3. Someone of consequence; someone to admire and emulate; someone of
noble character. 'Now, there is a real 'mensh'!'
It is hard to convey the special sense of respect, dignity, approbation,
than can be conveyed by calling someone ' a real mensh!'
The finest thing you can say about a man is that he is a 'mensh!' Jewish
children often hear the admonition: Behave like a mensh! or 'Be a mensh!'
This use of the word is uniquely Yiddish in its overtones.
The most withering comment one might make on someone's character or
conduct is: 'He is not (did not act like) a 'mensh'.
To be a mensh has nothing to do with success, wealth or status. A judge
can be a 'zhlob'; a millionaire can be a 'momzer'; a professor can be a
'shlemiel', a doctor a 'klutz', a lawyer a 'bulvon'.
The key to being 'a real mensh' is nothing less than - character:
rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous.
Many a poor man, many an ignorant man, is a 'mensh'.
--
Now that is probably more information that you wanted to know, plus a few
more Yiddish words that may require explanation. --)
Bullock, David
In article <31E35D...@wpcusrgrp.org> Reesa Morrison <rmor...@wpcusrgrp.org> writes:
>From: Reesa Morrison <rmor...@wpcusrgrp.org>
>Subject: meaning of "Mensch"
>Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1996 00:35:35 -0700
>The following is from The Joys of Yidish by Leo Rosten
[Actually 'Yiddish']
(deleted)
I'm glad you introduced Leo Rosten, as I was about to do the same.
Amy Gold contrasted mensch with shmo, a polite form of 'shmuck', which
refers to the penis as well as to a jerk or idiot. Rosten illustrates most
Yiddish words with stories and for 'shmuck' tells the following (abridged
here):
Mr Lefkowitz was lonely in Miami and asked a man-about-town how he could
acquire as many friends. "Easy," came the reply. "Get a camel, ride it up
and down Collins Avenue and soon everyone will be asking 'Who *is* that
man?' You'll have to hire a social secretary to handle all the invitations."
One morning the telephone rang. "Mr Lefkowitz, this is the parking lot!
Your camel - it's gone! Stolen!"
Mr Lefkowitz immediately called the police. After a number of questions a
bewildered sergeant asked what sex was the camel.
"How am I supposed to know?" "Wait! Aha! It was a male!"
"Are you sure?", asked the sergeant.
"I'm positive, officer, because I just remembered people yelling: 'Hey, look
at the shmuck on that camel!'"
I can't resist adding my all-time Rosten favourite, the word "Aha!",
pronounced with a note of sudden comprehension, pleasure or triumph.
(Abridged) Mr Sokoloff ordered his usual chicken soup in his habitual Second
Avenue restaurant.
"Waiter, taste the soup", he requested.
"Hanh? Twenty years you've been eating here..."
"Waiter, taste the soup", said Sokoloff firmly.
"Sokoloff, what's the matter with you?"
"Taste the *soup*!"
"All right, all right," grimaced the waiter. "I'll taste - where's the
spoon?"
"Aha!" cried Sokoloff.
Get the book, and enjoy! (McGraw-Hill, 1968; Pocket Books 1970)
David.
David W. Bullock Tel: 64 3 325 3803
Centre for Molecular Biology Fax: 64 3 325 3851
Lincoln University E-mail: BUL...@lincoln.ac.nz
PO Box 84, Canterbury
New Zealand "Language is the greatest barrier to communication."