Kvell

Read The Word Mavens’ Essays

Did you read the Word Mavens Mother’s Day essay in The Philadelphia Inquirer? Come across one of their “Shmoozing With the Word Mavens” blog posts? Enjoy their entertaining program at your Sisterhood luncheon?

If you want to read – and laugh – some more, here’s a sampling of their essays and articles. Click on each title to read the story. Consider it a nosh. And if you’re still hungry, you can read 34 more essays in their latest book, The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudnicks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories.

From The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Commentary: Bonus points! Free stuff! For our loyal customers”
Many clubs want us as members, and not a day goes by without them emailing us with offers. Sometimes the advantages are dubious, but if you ask us, we’ll likely sign up – just in case.

​“Time to Relive the Favorites of Summer​”
Our kids gave us a reason to do our favorite things all over again. So if the ice cream truck arrived right before dinnertime, we didn’t deny our kids, because we wanted ice cream, too. We’d stand in line with them, helping them choose, and then we’d ask them for a bite.

“Just Wait Till You Have Kids!”
It’s a revelation to young mothers when they discover that there are many different ways to parent.

​“To Pack or to Pitch? We’re the Grown Ups Now”
Cleaning out our parents’ and in-laws’ apartments and houses — when they’ve downsized, moved, or died — has made us vow not to put our kids through the same task. 

From The Forward

“Six Excuses to Celebrate Jewishly This Summer”
In the name of anthropological research, we dug into the vault and uncovered a few unknown holidays observed by Jewish suburbanites around the country. Won’t you join us in celebrating Rosh to Barbecue and Pulke Day? We will whip up an apple cake and set the table for 10.

From HerMoney.com

“Who Needs a Money Market Account When You Have a Knipple?”
Knipple sounds like a dirty word, like something that may slip out of a low-cut dress. But it’s not a body part. It’s the Yiddish word for a woman’s secret stash of money – and after you read this, you might want to have one!

From Kveller.com

“The Fine Art of Kvelling”
Kvelling wells up until you burst with joy and pride. You can’t just help it. Most kvelling is up close and personal. It’s you expressing pride in a child, spouse, sibling or friend. But there are other opportunities – from distance kvelling to tribal kvelling.

“These 10 Yiddish Words Will Get You Through the Quarantine”
Yiddish was the language that grandparents spoke when they didn’t want us to know what they were talking about. During the coronavirus quarantine, when are literally all over you 24/7, wouldn’t it be nice to have a secret language when you want to have a discreet chat with your partner?

“From Costco Samples to Shiva Spreads, Say Goodbye to the Free Nosh”
We love a free nosh, but they are nowhere to be found because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We say a fond goodbye to deli pickle bars, Costco sample stands, donut-filled office meetings, butlered wedding hors d’oeuvres, the bulk bin and the salad bar.

From NewsWorks.org (WHYY)

“Are We Too Old to Wear That?”
When you can’t decide which clothes you should keep, you need a daughter. We’d lend you ours, but we need them.

“How to Leave a Party Early – And Still Be a Good Person”
On the way to the affair, one of our husbands is wont to ask: “What time does this party end?” His follow-up question? “How long do you want to stay?”

From the Jewish Exponent 

“Is the World Ready for Chaim Potter?”
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was translated into Yiddish in March 2020 and sold out immediately. Whaaat? The more we thought about it, the more sense it made. Harry could keep away the evil spirits with a good “Kineahora!” and be a member of the Chutzpahdik house.

From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency 

“South Philly’s Hippest Bakery Has a Yiddish Name” 

At Essen, South African-born pastry chef Tova du Plessis is updating Eastern-European Jewish classics with her chocolate halva babka, za’atar-topped challah, and reinvented honey cake.

From InterfaithFamily.com

“Cohen, Israelite, Levi or Royal”
When we received an email suggesting that Kate Middleton might be Jewish, we were off and running, imaging a balabusta in Buckingham Palace.

From The Dirty Spoon Radio Hour

​“Hey, What Are You Calling Fat?”
The Word Mavens’ essay all about shmaltz was featured on the Dirty Spoon Radio Hour, which airs on WPVM radio in Asheville, NC. Enjoy the music; the essay starts at 00.16.

Permissions

To request reprint permission for any of the articles appearing here, please contact The Word Mavens at  info@thewordmavens.com.