Proper adjectives

[tcward]

...when I was growing up in Michigan, we used Michigander. Perhaps Michigas [Yiddishized Hebrew for craziness/crazy things] would be more apt.

For that truly Yiddish effect, it seems that Michigannas would be a better term...

-Tim

[sluggo]

Perhaps Michigas [Yiddishized Hebrew for craziness/crazy things] would be more apt.

Hee hee very good. I've heard that word and never seen it spelt until now (kinda like North Kakkalakee)

[Bailey]

I always thought it was Mishegas,

see here for more yiddish for beginnrers.
mark

[Perry]

I always thought it was Mishegas,

see here for more yiddish for beginnrers.
mark

It probably should be mishegas. But since that is a transliteration in any event (Yiddish is written in Hebrew characters), I took the liberty of keeping the mich from Michigan.

[Stargzer]

I always thought it was Mishegas,

see here for more yiddish for beginnrers.
mark

It probably should be mishegas. But since that is a transliteration in any event (Yiddish is written in Hebrew characters), I took the liberty of keeping the mich from Michigan.

Ah, but isn't mishegas is an abstract noun? I think Tim was closer, although maybe he should have spelled it Michuginas to pick up on the Yiddish pun.

Still, his Michigannas has the virtue of being both a Yiddish homophone and an English homothea ( or maybe a homoblepo, a look-alike; I just made those up).

[JacobS]

Hi,

Regarding the Yiddish word Meshige and Meshigas -

Meshige - or as many others pronounce it: MeshUga - means crazy. It's a Yiddish adjective taken from Hebrew. The word is naturally integrated in the Yiddish language and used in daily language.

The Yiddish word Meshugas is a noun. There's not such a word in Hebrew. It means a whim.

Re. Michigen, yeh, when Yiddish speaking kids hear it for the first time, it sounds funny, because it's similar to the word Meshige.

There's another word in Yiddish used for Meshige - Tzedreit.

A crazy person is in Yiddish a Meshigener (or meshugenger) and tzedreiter.

By the way, I've just started a blog about Yiddish words and translation .http://a-yiddish-word-from-mr-yiddish.blogspot.com I hope to write there much about the Yiddish grammar and other aspects of the Yiddish language.

[Perry]

The Hebrew equivalent of the noun mishigas is shegaon (שגעון). It is mishagas to think that the noun doesn't exist in Hebrew.

[melissa]

Enough already ....
Back on topic, ever notice how headline-speak treats states ( I hear you Mexico!) as in Massachusetts man/ Wyoming woman vs Hawaiian man/ Alaskan woman, no New Yorker man or god forbid Utahn woman ....
Michigander is just silly, I have a fondness for an Arkansawyer

[sluggo]

...I have a fondness for an Arkansawyer

ooh, a cutting remark...

[Stargzer]

When Tom rafted South from Missouri with Jim he became an Arkansawyer.