My wife recently told me that it took her years to figure out that Bracha Livatala was two words that contained multiple syllables. That got me thinking about the hundreds of words frum people slur into combinations that seldom match the original. Obviously, I don’t have time to go through every single instance in which 3 words are made into one barely recognizable word. I did however try to get to the 20 most commonly slurred words by frum people.
- Rosh Yeshiva: I’m not sure if there’s anyone who actually says Rosh Yeshiva or Rosh HaYeshiva in two words, if you’re frum (modern orthodox is not considered frum in this case) you will almost always say it as Roshiva.
- Rabbi Akiva Eiger: I’m not sure how it happened, but out of all the poskim, gedolim, and roabbonom, Akiva Eiger got shafted with regards to his name, no one pronounces it and pretty much everyone says it in a very slurred way that means that most people of a non-frum bent will probably never know from Rabbi Akiva Eiger.
- Baruch Hu Baruch Sh’mo: I’m fairly certain that this is even slurred and mumbled by non-frum Jews. Bruchshmo is the common vernacular, but sometimes in a very rare while, someone will add the Hu into there slur. Other pronunciations include Sh’mo, Br-Shmo, and baruch shemo.
- Im Yirtza Hashem By You: AKA soon by you, is commonly made into one word. Due to the shidduch crisis and the proliferation of this offensive bracha, many folks simply say Yitzashem by you, the “im” is most commonly dropped and sometimes the bracha itself sounds like a racial slur aimed at those we deem as nebachs of the community, the broke guy who can’t get a job, the older singles, and the childless couples.
- Good Shabbos: If you can even discern the shabbos in Good/Gut Shabbos you are probably being greeted by someone who didn’t grow up frum. This most commonly mumbled under ones breath as if they are being forced by some imaginable being to say it to you.
- Gut Vuch: Another one that usually sounds like someone has something stuck in their throat, rather than someone willingly wishing you a good week.
- Yasher Koach: Shkoyach is the term across the board, only idiots say an actual “Yasher Koach”.
- Baruch Hashem: Often combined with 100%, this is one of those things you would think to be spoken clearly, but it seldom is.
- Kin ayin harah: I had no idea that kinaynaharah and kin ayin harah were the same word until recently
- Tizku L’mitzvos: As if your mitzvah sucks, it seems that this term is becoming more slurred as the frum community is bombarded by tzedaka scams.
- Ribono Shel Olam
- Yimach Sh’mo
- 100%
- Shalosh Seudos: Possibly the most famous word that doesn’t really match the original, shaloshudos = shalosh seudos.
- Robosai Mir Vellen Benchten: One would think that someone leading a mizumin would speak clearly, but Bosaivellenbentchin hardly sounds like rabosai mir vellen benchten.
- Bracha Livatala; Brachavatalla is the most common way to say it.
- Shalom Alechim
- Aleichem Shalom
- Gut Yuntiff: Yuntiff, as easy as it is, is almost always said in a slur.
- The entire shemona esrei: I’ve heard people try to say shemona esrei in 3 minutes, but I just don’t think it’s possible, the slurring is endless.
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My cousin mumbles “pajamas” to people on Shabbos and they respond with Good Shabbos. Try it, it’s fun!
Kind of like Rubber Tires never break or rub my thighs with your rake – instead of rabosai nivurech
Hey – I actually did that one Shabbos, great fun!
“100%”. Total frum word. You never hear regular people say that. Right up there with “tremendous”.
tremendous – you beat me to it
“by”
who are you by?
by us, we bla bla bla
“Petrified”
“Nerd” (to mean nebech)
“Shticky”
“Give me chills”
“Stunning” (pronounced “Stawwwning”)
Stunning! I passed one of my neighbors one recent Shabbos and commented about the nice weather. She said “I know, the weather is stunning.” !!
when used appropriately, it can be a powerful word….just don’t water it down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LpMNKsjPY4
But this list is about SLURRED words. The slow mumble slur. Not the racial slur.
Scratch that. Slurring is fast.
Another big one is “big time”.
When I hear “big time”, I think of Dick Cheney’s remark about Adam Clymer. That was back in 2000 I think. The frum world always catches on it’s passe.
when I hear big time I hear paul rudd in I love you man
slappin the bass – big time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W3NERMKIBM
I had no idea that “kenaynahara” had anything to do with an ayin hara until I started taking Yiddish.
Great post! This mumbling s**t never happens in the Modern Orthodox world – even if we’re not frum enough for you. Please write a post about how frum people cannot shake hands properly. I’ve experienced the “dead fish” to the “death squeeze and extended pump” – and everything in between.
Congratulations to David Heller for making two contributions to the list!
http://rabbipruzansky.com/2013/11/29/the-few-v-the-many/
“Guy” is the frum word for a male individual.
Barukh “” ham’vorach l’olam vaed.
If you actually say all the syllables, you will be a good five seconds behind the rest of the minyan.
This idiot actually says “Yasher kochacha.” Unless it’s to a woman, then, “Yasher kocheich.”
At least I don’t say “Yeyasher…”
You’ve gotta be a real old time litvak to say yeyasher.
There are actually a few versions with different meanings. Shkoyach=thank you. Yash’koyach=congrats on dvar torah or whatever. Hashem Yeyasher Kochachem=I am showing off my grammar knowledge but no one likes me.
How about “Mish HaBarach” instead of “Mi Shabarach.” Also, I used to that idol worship was “avode azarah” instead of “avodah zara.” I thought “azarah” was the name of a female pagan deity.
I once heard this guy give a shiur where he kept referring to the ‘eigel ha’zuv’. Had us giggling good.
heshy you look like NBA player Anderson Varejo
why does it bother me that they call women “ladies”
how could you miss Baruch-dyin-emes!
you’re forgetting chol hamoed which turns magically into chol-cha-moid
cholamoyd
Boruch hu uVoruch Sh’mo
say ‘cheebashmoi’
I was once in a shiur where the rabbi was talking about the Coin Guddle. I mentioned this to a friend later and he said, “Yeah, the Coin Guddle. That’s the guy who serves in the Skooch Skoochem.”
Teachers in Israeli schools fight against their pupils who insist that brachot begin with ‘bochtnoi’
And heshy, you always write ‘hava minah’ instead of ‘hava aminah’.
And how many gemarah learners say ‘kamiflagei’ instead of ‘kamipalgei’ or ‘hi noach’ instead of ‘hainu hach’
How could I forgot?:
Tehillim becomes Tillum. “Tell’em to say Tillum.”
Vilna Gaon becomes Vilna Goen
Motzaey Shabbat becomes Motzishabbos.
“it’s shabbes, you’re nodaloudoo”
Buchamuchalum, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz!
misheberach
i used to think, before i was part of the frum community but i would listen to Country Yossi on the radio, that Motzei Shabbos was ”Monsey Shabbos”
on the other hand i thought misha and nichnas in the mishenichnas adar song were two words – also i wondered, before i was frum,, why would anyone want to have a nagila – for some strange reason i thought a nagila was an orange of some sort – i was a weird kid
Even yasher koach isn’t good enough. How many people actually even KNOW that the correct pronunciation is ye-yasher kochacha?