Yiddish, born in the eleventh century, has been an international language of the Jewish people ever since. At least ten million people speak Yiddish, and the tongue is so universal that it has become a linguistic passport in much of the world.

Wish you could say classic Yiddish proverbs, such as:

- A falsheh matba'ieh farliert men nit: A bad penny always turns up.

- Nit kain entfer iz oich an entfler: No answer is also an answer.

- Az se brent, iz a fei'er: Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Ever wonder what people mean when they say words like k'vetsh, meshugeh, nebbish, and shnook? This fascinating, useful, sometimes riotously funny collection of colloquialisms, proverbs, curses, maxims, and ribald expressions will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about one of the world's most remarkable languages.