So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[vitanola]

Because of my years doing dialects on radio, I have an unfortunate tendency to pick up inflections from anyone I spend a lot of time with. A close friend has a strong North Shore Massachusetts accent, and some of her inflections have found their way into my permanent speech, especially the word "Bahhston." I have other friends with strong New York Jewish accents, and I have picked up traits from them, and another friend speaks BBC Received Pronunciation English. I actually substituted for her once on a radio show without anyone ever catching on the difference, and every now and then one of her pronunciations will slip into my everyday speech. And god forbid I ever should spend time around a Southerner or a Minnesotan, because I'll fall right into mimicking them without realizing I'm doing it.

Can you do a Molly Goldberg, or perhaps a Jeannie Goldstein? Among others I have a quite excellent Joe Hayman accent in my back pocket for occasional use. Used to be able to slay elderly Jewish gentlemen with "blue" Barton Brothers jokes with their punchlines in Yiddish, but that audience seems to have entirely passed on to their reward.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Oy, the Yiddische I am doink. Molly Gol'boig crossed with Minnie Pious, widda leetle bid Molly Picon I am t'rowink in for goot measure, I'm tinkink.

 

[Hercule]

My wife is from north-central Pennsylvania and says melk."

I also say "melk," which was the only way anybody said it around here when I was growing up. I'd hear "milk" on the radio, and I wouldn't know what they were talking about.

My wife is from north-central Pennsylvania and says "melk", I've always said milk.

Quarter vs quater anyone?

 

[Fading Fast]

Growing up, I did not know many Yiddish expressions, but having worked in NYC for decades and having worked for years on a trading desk next to a older Jewish man who liberal sprinkled his conversation with every Yiddish expression known to man, I now have a reasonable library of Yiddish words in my head that come out without me trying when they just "fit" the situation.

But that is quite common in this city that has a large Jewish population. My favorite recent "cross-culture" event was when a good friend of ours - of German decent and raised tradition Catholic (Catholic schools, uniforms, the whole sha-bingo-bango), blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin - was describing all the things she had to get done on a recent Saturday and finished the list with a heavy sigh and an "oy vey."

It wasn't just that she used it correctly, but she had the inflection down perfectly - she could have been the older Jewish man I sat next to all those years ago. There's a lot of fake and a lot of forced multiculturalism out there, but that was a perfect moment of authenticity.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My wife is from north-central Pennsylvania and says melk."


My wife is from north-central Pennsylvania and says "melk", I've always said milk.

Quarter vs quater anyone?

"Quatta"

 

[LizzieMaine]

It wasn't just that she used it correctly, but she had the inflection down perfectly - she could have been the older Jewish man I sat next to all those years ago. There's a lot of fake and a lot of forced multiculturalism out there, but that was a perfect moment of authenticity.

There's a wonderful scene in a 1932 Warner Bros. quickie called "Taxi!," in which James Cagney appears as a fast-talking Irish hackie, and helps a cop deal with an agitated Yiddish-speaking pedestrian:

Cagney didn't have to take lessons for that scene -- he was a fluent Yiddish speaker.

Among the items in my collection of radio recordings is a broadcast of a local New York show called "The Jewish-American Board For Peace and Justice," which is a reality-show type of thing where a rabbi helps couples solve their marital and family problems. The participants sound exactly like the agitated gentleman in the above clip, with Yiddish blending in seamlessly with occasional words and sentence fragments in English. With a just little bit of knowledge of basic German, it's actually quite easy to figure out what they're saying.

 

[vitanola]

Ektchuhuelleh, Meine Yiddish ken es sometimes sei nur a bissele more "Yinglish" den Yiddish anfluenced Ainglesh. Meher Menasha Skulnik als Moe the Schmoe. When I was younger, before I lost my upper vocal range I could do a rather good Aron Lebedeff. If I say so my self, my "In Odess" and "Roumainia, Roumainia" were rather good.

 

[Fading Fast]

There's a wonderful scene in a 1932 Warner Bros. quickie called "Taxi!," in which James Cagney appears as a fast-talking Irish hackie, and helps a cop deal with an agitated Yiddish-speaking pedestrian:

Cagney didn't have to take lessons for that scene -- he was a fluent Yiddish speaker.

That is freakin' awesome. Cagney's smile early in the scene seems genuine - like he was enjoying the scene himself. And, of course, he spoke Yiddish with the same rapid fire he speaks English - amazing. He references in the scene, what I assume coincidentally is the truth, that he learned Yiddish growing up on the Lower East Side? There is nothing that man could not do, and do pretty darn well.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yep, that's one of the things I love about him -- he just drips authenticity in everything he does.

As for that particular conversation, the pedestrian seems to be looking for help finding his way to Ellis Island to pick up his brother, a dentist, who has three kinder -- kids -- but is frustrated having to deal with a goysiche cop. Cagney breaks into the conversation and the fellow asks him if he's Jewish. Cagney basically replies "You were expecting a sheygitz -- a gentile?"

I love that there were no subtitles or any attempt at translation and yet the scene is easy to follow just from the inflections.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Ektchuhuelleh, Meine Yiddish ken es sometimes sei nur a bissele more "Yinglish" den Yiddish anfluenced Ainglesh. Meher Menasha Skulnik als Moe the Schmoe. When I was younger, before I lost my upper vocal range I could do a rather good Aron Lebedeff. If I say so my self, my "In Odess" and "Roumainia, Roumainia" were rather good.

Menasha! Mine Onkel David!

 

[vitanola]

"Among the items in my collection of radio recordings is a broadcast of a local New York show called "The Jewish-American Board For Peace and Justice," which is a reality-show type of thing where a rabbi helps couples solve their marital and family problems. The participants sound exactly like the agitated gentleman in the above clip, with Yiddish blending in seamlessly with occasional words and sentence fragments in English. With a just little bit of knowledge of basic German, it's actually quite easy to figure out what they're saying."

Those I'd love to hear!

I'm assuming that Sapoznik has copies?

 

[Fading Fast]

Yep, that's one of the things I love about him -- he just drips authenticity in everything he does.

As for that particular conversation, the pedestrian seems to be looking for help finding his way to Ellis Island to pick up his brother, a dentist, who has three kinder -- kids -- but is frustrated having to deal with a goysiche cop. Cagney breaks into the conversation and the fellow asks him if he's Jewish. Cagney basically replies "You were expecting a sheygitz -- a gentile?"

I love that there were no subtitles or any attempt at translation and yet the scene is easy to follow just from the inflections.

You wonder if it wasn't influenced by the fact that the studio owners almost all came from the same Jewish / Lower East Side background - as, I assume, did a lot of the, at least, NYC movie-going audience.

I haven't been to a Broadway show (or any theater) in 25 or so years - I don't like theater style acting, I don't like the jammed-in seats and it is darn expensive (but, that's all just me, if you love it, cool - to each his own), but there is a show playing "Cagney" that I've been told is fantastic if you love Cagney. It probably won't happen (see list of reasons immediately above), but I will admit to, for a fleeting moment here and there, having considered going. I'm just so impressed with him as a performer.

Edit Add: just watched it again - Cagney's little chuckle just before the end is perfect.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Menasha! Mine Onkel David!

Ah, Wisconsin got a Menasha.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menasha,_Wisconsin

 

[LizzieMaine]

"Among the items in my collection of radio recordings is a broadcast of a local New York show called "The Jewish-American Board For Peace and Justice," which is a reality-show type of thing where a rabbi helps couples solve their marital and family problems. The participants sound exactly like the agitated gentleman in the above clip, with Yiddish blending in seamlessly with occasional words and sentence fragments in English. With a just little bit of knowledge of basic German, it's actually quite easy to figure out what they're saying."

Those I'd love to hear!

I'm assuming that Sapoznik has copies?

I suspect so, I got mine from Dave Goldin, who I believe got them from him. Shoot me your email address in PM and I'll send you an mp3.

 

[Hercule]

With a just little bit of knowledge of basic German, it's actually quite easy to figure out what they're saying.

Yes, but that's the easy part. It's written Yiddish that's the biggest roadblock! My son has been working on a history project and the primary source is in Yiddish from 1950. Our solution was to use a 1990 Hebrew reprint (basically the same written lettering) and work with a Hebrew translator (in our case a charming old woman who was active in preparing kids for their bar/batmitzvah). Were the original source available in a digital text format I could have plugged it in to a translator and gotten a transliteration and done the translating myself.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I do have a bit of a regional country accent (which sounds a bit... southern, in some of the pronunciation, but is NOT a drawl).

A lot of people misunderstand a drawl, and think any accent they associated as Southern US as being one. A drawl is very specific, and its elongating words, turning one syllable words into two syllables, so you'd hear words like "milk" pronounced "me-ilk" or "well" comes out as "way-ul".

 

[HudsonHawk]

Quarter vs quater anyone?

What irritates me the most is whe it's pronounced "corder". I think that's a specific northern thing, but I'm not sure where.

 

[LizzieMaine]

A lot of people misunderstand a drawl, and think any accent they associated as Southern US as being one. A drawl is very specific, and its elongating words, turning one syllable words into two syllables, so you'd hear words like "milk" pronounced "me-ilk" or "well" comes out as "way-ul".

In much of New England, "beer" is a two syllable word -- "bee-ah." "Hey Sully, you goin' downa packie? Gimme some bee-ah!"

 

[HudsonHawk]

In much of New England, "beer" is a two syllable word -- "bee-ah." "Hey Sully, you goin' downa packie? Gimme some bee-ah!"

So a Maine drawl. Nice

I'm vacationing in Florida right now. My Uber driver the other night was from Maine. She had that thick Maine accent. It wasn't without its charm.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

In much of New England, "beer" is a two syllable word -- "bee-ah." "Hey Sully, you goin' downa packie? Gimme some bee-ah!"

In Texas "damn" is two syllables: "day-um."