Hermanas The Play

Living in three cultures can be confusing. You can try to interchange words in English, Spanish and Yiddish, but even though some words look the same…
their definitions are not!

Yiddish:

Naches – good things

Spanish:

Nachos – yummy things

Spanish:

Tacos – meat on a tortilla

Yiddish:

Tuches – meat on a rear end

Spanish:

Partir el queso –

literally, to cut the cheese; metaphorically, to make a statement

English:

Cut the cheese – to pass gas

Yiddish:

Meshugene – loco

English:

Michigan – locomotive capital of the U.S.

English:

Embarrassed – humiliated

Spanish:

Embarazada – pregnant

Spanish:

Chicano –

cultural identity used primarily by people of Mexican descent in the U.S.

English:

Chicago – cultural city of the U.S.

Yiddish:

Shalom – peace

Spanish:

Cholo – Chicano gangster

Spanish:

Hoy – today

Yiddish:

Oy – woe

English:

Carnal – sensual

Spanish:

Carnal – Mexican slang for buddy

Spanish:

Brisa – breeze

Yiddish:

Bris – circumcision

Spanish:

Fresa – strawberry

Yiddish:

Freser – glutton

Yiddish:

Gelt – money

English:

Guilt – a familiar Jewish emotion

Spanish:

Yo – I

Yiddish:

Yo – yes

English:

Yo – wazzup

English:

Mistletoe – evergreen plant under which people kiss

Yiddish:

Mazel tov –

congratulations, or what you’d say to people under the misteltoe

Yiddish:

Matones – gifts

Spanish:

Matones – killers

Spanish:

Es – is

Yiddish:

Ess – eat

English:

Ess – curve

Yiddish:

Bracha – blessing

Spanish:

Bruja – witch

English:

Locks – with keys, they way into a room

Yiddish:

Lox – with bagels, the way into a Jewish mother’s heart

Yiddish:

Kugel – casserole of noodles, raisins and cheese

English:

Kegel – pelvic floor exercise

Yiddish:

Yingele – little boy

Spanish:

Chingale – um…if you don’t know, ask a Mexican