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Are You a Meshuga? Trivia Quiz

How many everyday English words actually come from Yiddish/Hebrew? You'd 'davka' be surprised!

A multiple-choice quiz by grisham. Estimated time: 2 mins.

Author
grisham

Time
2 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
377,495

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
9 / 10

Plays
562

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What is 'meshuga' or 'meshigina' in the Yiddish language? Hint

Evil

Nice

Crazy

Rich

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Question 2 of 10

2. How many everyday English words actually come from Yiddish/Hebrew? You'd 'davka' be surprised! The Yiddish word, 'Davka', means what? Hint

Actually

Specifically

Necessarily

All of these and more

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Question 3 of 10

3. One of the most famous Yiddish words, 'Chutzpah', means what? Hint

Kindness

Cynical

A mean streak

Audacity

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Question 4 of 10

4. 'Kosher' food means what kind of food? Hint

Prepared according to Biblical law

Healthy

Delicious

Organic

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Question 5 of 10

5. Yes or No: 'Gefilte fish', a delicacy for European Jewry, is a naturally occurring species of fish.

Yes

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Question 6 of 10

6. "Lechayim" is the Yiddish equivalent of "cheers", such as might be said before drinking a glass of schnapps. It literally means what? Hint

To life

Here's lookin' at ya

Drink up

Hope ya don't get a hangover

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Yiddish word 'kvetch' means a kind of sigh or whine.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. If in Yiddish you say something is "a whole megilla", what would you be describing? Hint

Gorilla

A long involved story

Hairdo

Bedroom set

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Question 9 of 10

9. The Yiddish word 'shlep' refers to what activity? Hint

Untidiness

Kind of food

Synagogue

Dragging

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Question 10 of 10

10. 'Shalom' or 'Shulem' (depending on which Yiddish dialect you speak) can mean hello and goodbye and what else? Hint

Peace

Children

Quiet

Love

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is 'meshuga' or 'meshigina' in the Yiddish language?

Answer: Crazy

Do not confuse a meshigina with someone who comes from the glove state of Michigan. Meshuga means crazy, while a meshigina is a crazy person.

Like many Yiddish words the source of the word meshuga is Hebrew - hence the term Yiddish/Hebrew in the intro. The actual source for this word is Biblical (Deut. 28:34).

Note that Yiddish is mostly a mixture of Hebrew, Aramaic and German - and whatever country it is spoken in. For example, chrein (horseradish) is russian; feyer heidrant (fire hydrant) is English.

2. How many everyday English words actually come from Yiddish/Hebrew? You'd 'davka' be surprised! The Yiddish word, 'Davka', means what?

Answer: All of these and more

Davka is sort of a catch-all word. It can even include your children who do 'davka' - the opposite of what you asked them to do.

3. One of the most famous Yiddish words, 'Chutzpah', means what?

Answer: Audacity

It is such Chutzpah to ask such a question.

4. 'Kosher' food means what kind of food?

Answer: Prepared according to Biblical law

The term "kosher" can also be used to describe anything that is legitimate and above-board. For eaxample, a dishonest business deal can be described as "not kosher".

The origin of kosher laws are biblical and mostly based on Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

5. Yes or No: 'Gefilte fish', a delicacy for European Jewry, is a naturally occurring species of fish.

Answer: No

It actually means any sort of stuffed or filled fish. It is mostly made from whitefish, carp or Nile perch, but can be made using just about any other kind of kosher fish.

6. "Lechayim" is the Yiddish equivalent of "cheers", such as might be said before drinking a glass of schnapps. It literally means what?

Answer: To life

To life, to life, lechayim
lechayim, lechayim to life

Those lyrics from 'Fiddler on the Roof' make it easier to remember.

7. The Yiddish word 'kvetch' means a kind of sigh or whine.

Answer: True

It is literally a squeeze. It is used when a situation is squeezing the energy from you - hence the sigh or the whine (depending on what happened).

8. If in Yiddish you say something is "a whole megilla", what would you be describing?

Answer: A long involved story

It is literally a scroll but used in the vernacular as a long story.

The cute, animated gorilla named Magilla was a childhood favorite of mine though I never found out where they got the name Magilla from.

9. The Yiddish word 'shlep' refers to what activity?

Answer: Dragging

A long shlep can also mean a trip that takes a long time and you may be 'shlepping' bags with you as well, as you are usually kvetching about it.

Someone who is untidy is actually a 'shlump' a 'zhlub' or a 'schloch'.

10. 'Shalom' or 'Shulem' (depending on which Yiddish dialect you speak) can mean hello and goodbye and what else?

Answer: Peace

The everyday greeting can also be 'Shalom Aleichem'. So Shalom to you all and may you all live in Shalom.

Source: Author grisham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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