March 31, 2010
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HOPE
Dear Mrs. Figgins:
We read the letter from Jackie in Minnesota and want her to know she and her family is not alone.
April is National Autism Month. Please print the following information from the Autism Society and help us bring more awareness to this very important cause.
Thank You, Mrs. Figgins.
Maria and Matt, Bethesda
Dear Maria and Matt,
Thank You for your letter and sharing the information below.
I’m certain Jackie is grateful for the support and kind words, as are many parents in her position.
Mrs. Figgins
National Autism Awareness Month
In order to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness about autism, the Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.
Want to get involved with the autism community this April? Show your support this month by joining the Autism Society in wearing the ribbon, bouncing for autism, texting, and more!
Put on the Puzzle! The Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon is the most recognized symbol of the autism community in the world. Autism prevalence is now one in every 110 children in America – that’s 13 million families and growing who live with autism today. Show your support for people with autism by wearing the Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon this month – as a pin on your shirt, a magnet on your car, a badge on your blog, or even your Facebook profile picture – and educate folks on the potential of people with autism! For suggestions and resources, visit www.autism-society.org/ribbon.
Spread the word. Helping the autism community can be as easy as updating your Facebook or Twitter status! On April 1, the Autism Society is asking supporters to change their status on Facebook and/or Twitter to “Autism affects 1 in 110. Text “AUTISM” to 50555 to donate $10 to the Autism Society. Help spread the word: http://bit.ly/bUAVRf.”
For the first time ever, supporters can now simply text “AUTISM” to 50555 to donate $10 to the Autism Society. 100% of your donations will go to support the Autism Society’s mission of improving the lives of all affected by autism.
Make a difference. There are several important bills moving through Congress that will have important effects on the autism community – safer educational settings (Keeping All Students Safe Act), better autism services (Autism Treatment Acceleration Act), greater financial independence (Achieving a Better Life Experience Act), better protection against toxic chemicals (Toxic Substances Control Act Reform, introduction anticipated soon), and more.
For more information about this legislation and to take action to support it, visit www.vote4autism.org.
Connect with your neighborhood. The Autism Society and inflatable playground franchise Pump It Up are bouncing again with “Bounce for Autism” – over 100 community-based fundraising events that combine family fun with raising awareness and support for autism in locations nationwide that welcome children on the autism spectrum.
Many Autism Society local chapters also put on events in the community through the month of April. But if you can’t find an event that suits you just right, create your own! 1Power4Autism is an online tool that makes it easy to mobilize friends and family and help make a difference.
Watch a movie. Did you know that something that seems as simple as going to the movies is not an option for many families affected by autism?
The Autism Society is working with AMC entertainment to bring special-needs families “Sensory Friendly Films” every month. Our special showing of How to Train Your Dragon is coming to a theatre near you on April 10. Or, you could see a movie about autism itself – the Autism Society is partnering with the Independent Television Service (ITVS) to support 70 community screenings of the new movie The Horse Boy, based on the memoir of the same name. In the film, Rupert Isaacson shares the inspiring story of how he and his wife learned to think of their son’s autism as an adventure rather than a curse, a beginning rather than an end. Find participating locations for both events at:
Advice on everyday issues dispensed by Mrs Figgins with straightforward common sense and old fashioned values
Children Issues, Relationships, Topics, advice
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Friends!
Dear Mrs. Figgins:
I belong to a bridge club. Some of us girls are widows and some are still going strong.
After a few glasses of wine the girls elected me to pose a most curious question. Why do some men give their “man parts” pet names?
You wouldn’t believe some of them!
Rhoda, Boca Raton
Dear Rhoda:
Oh yes I would!
I’ve heard it said more than once that “men want to be on a first name basis with the person who makes all their decisions”.
Mrs. Figgins
Advice on everyday issues dispenses by Mrs Figgins with straightforward common sense and old fashioned values.
Love, Relationships, advice
March 27, 2010
- ENJOY!
Dear Mrs. Figgins:
Thank You for the Passover wishes.
The Yiddish language is fun and full of rich expressions.
I wanted to share some of the colorful words with your non Jewish readers.
Happy Holidays!
Marlene, Toronto
Dear Marlene:
Thank You, I know everyone will enjoy.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Mrs. Figgins
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Baleboste
A good homemaker, a woman who’s in charge of her home and will make sure you remember it.
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Bissel
Or bisl – a little bit.
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Bubbe
Or bobe. It means Grandmother, and bobeshi is the more affectionate form. Bubele is a similarly affectionate word, though it isn’t in Yiddish dictionaries.
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Bupkes
Not a word for polite company. Bubkes or bobkes may be related to the Polish word for “beans”, but it really means “goat droppings” or “horse droppings.” It’s often used by American Jews for “trivial, worthless, useless, a ridiculously small amount” – less than nothing, so to speak. “After all the work I did, I got bupkes!”
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Chutzpah
Or khutspe. Nerve, extreme arrogance, brazen presumption. In English, chutzpah often connotes courage or confidence, but among Yiddish speakers, it is not a compliment.
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Feh!
An expression of disgust or disapproval, representative of the sound of spitting.
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Glitch
Or glitsh. Literally “slip,” “skate,” or “nosedive,” which was the origin of the common American usage as “a minor problem or error.”
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Gornisht
More polite than bupkes, and also implies a strong sense of nothing; used in phrases such as “gornisht helfn” (beyond help).
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Goy
A non-Jew, a Gentile. As in Hebrew, one Gentile is a goy, many Gentiles are goyim, the non-Jewish world in general is “the goyim.” Goyish is the adjective form. Putting mayonnaise on a pastrami sandwich is goyish. Putting mayonnaise on a pastrami sandwich on white bread is even more goyish.
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Kibbitz
In Yiddish, it’s spelled kibets, and it’s related to the Hebrew “kibbutz” or “collective.” But it can also mean verbal joking, which after all is a collective activity. It didn’t originally mean giving unwanted advice about someone else’s game – that’s an American innovation.
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Klutz
Or better yet, klots. Literally means “a block of wood,” so it’s often used for a dense, clumsy or awkward person. See schlemiel.
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Kosher
Something that’s acceptable to Orthodox Jews, especially food. Other Jews may also “eat kosher” on some level but are not required to. Food that Orthodox Jews don’t eat – pork, shellfish, etc. – is called traif. An observant Jew might add, “Both pork and shellfish are doubtlessly very tasty. I simply am restricted from eating it.” In English, when you hear something that seems suspicious or shady, you might say, “That doesn’t sound kosher.”
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Kvetsh
In popular English, kvetch means “complain, whine or fret,” but in Yiddish, kvetsh literally means “to press or squeeze,” like a wrong-sized shoe. Reminds you of certain chronic complainers, doesn’t it? But it’s also used on Yiddish web pages for “click” (Click Here).
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Maven
Pronounced meyven. An expert, often used sarcastically.
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Mazel Tov
Or mazltof. Literally “good luck,” (well, literally, “good constellation”) but it’s a congratulation for what just happened, not a hopeful wish for what might happen in the future. When someone gets married or has a child or graduates from college, this is what you say to them. It can also be used sarcastically to mean “it’s about time,” as in “It’s about time you finished school and stopped sponging off your parents.”
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Mentsh
An honorable, decent person, an authentic person, a person who helps you when you need help. Can be a man, woman or child.
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Mishegas
Insanity or craziness. A meshugener is a crazy man. If you want to insult someone, you can ask them, ”Does it hurt to be crazy?”
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Mishpocheh
Or mishpokhe or mishpucha. It means “family,” as in “Relax, you’re mishpocheh. I’ll sell it to you at wholesale.”
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Nosh
Or nash. To nibble; a light snack, but you won’t be light if you don’t stop noshing. Can also describe plagarism, though not always in a bad sense; you know, picking up little pieces for yourself.
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Nu
A general word that calls for a reply. It can mean, “So?” “Huh?” “Well?” “What’s up?” or “Hello?”
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Oy Vey
Exclamation of dismay, grief, or exasperation. The phrase “oy vey iz mir” means “Oh, woe is me.” “Oy gevalt!” is like oy vey, but expresses fear, shock or amazement. When you realize you’re about to be hit by a car, this expression would be appropriate.
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Plotz
Or plats. Literally, to explode, as in aggravation. “Well, don’t plotz!” is similar to “Don’t have a stroke!” or “Don’t have a cow!” Also used in expressions such as, “Oy, am I tired; I just ran the four-minute mile. I could just plotz.” That is, collapse.
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Shalom
It means “deep peace,” and isn’t that a more meaningful greeting than “Hi, how are ya?”
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Shlep
To drag, traditionally something you don’t really need; to carry unwillingly. When people “shlep around,” they are dragging themselves, perhaps slouchingly. On vacation, when I’m the one who ends up carrying the heavy suitcase I begged my wife to leave at home, I shlep it.
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Shlemiel
A clumsy, inept person, similar to a klutz (also a Yiddish word). The kind of person who always spills his soup.
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Schlock
Cheap, shoddy, or inferior, as in, “I don’t know why I bought this schlocky souvenir.”
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Shlimazel
Someone with constant bad luck. When the shlemiel spills his soup, he probably spills it on the shlimazel. Fans of the TV sitcom “Laverne and Shirley” remember these two words from the Yiddish-American hopscotch chant that opened each show.
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Shmendrik
A jerk, a stupid person, popularized in The Last Unicorn and Welcome Back Kotter.
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Shmaltzy
Excessively sentimental, gushing, flattering, over-the-top, corny. This word describes some of Hollywood’s most famous films. From shmaltz, which means chicken fat or grease.
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Shmooze
Chat, make small talk, converse about nothing in particular. But at Hollywood parties, guests often schmooze with people they want to impress.
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Schmuck
Often used as an insulting word for a self-made fool, but you shouldn’t use it in polite company at all, since it refers to male anatomy.
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Spiel
A long, involved sales pitch, as in, “I had to listen to his whole spiel before I found out what he really wanted.” From the German word for play.
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Shikse
A non-Jewish woman, all too often used derogatorily. It has the connotation of “young and beautiful,” so referring to a man’s Gentile wife or girlfriend as a shiksa implies that his primary attraction was her good looks. She is possibly blonde. A shagetz or sheygets means a non-Jewish boy, and has the connotation of a someone who is unruly, even violent.
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Shmutz
Or shmuts. Dirt – a little dirt, not serious grime. If a little boy has shmutz on his face, and he likely will, his mother will quickly wipe it off. It can also mean dirty language. It’s not nice to talk shmutz about shmutz. A current derivation, “schmitzig,” means a “thigamabob” or a “doodad,” but has nothing to do with filth.
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Shtick
Something you’re known for doing, an entertainer’s routine, an actor’s bit, stage business; a gimmick often done to draw attention to yourself.
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Tchatchke
Or tshatshke. Knick-knack, little toy, collectible or giftware. It also appears in sentences such as, “My brother divorced his wife for some little tchatchke.” You can figure that one out.
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Tsuris
Or tsores. Serious troubles, not minor annoyances. Plagues of lice, gnats, flies, locusts, hail, death… now, those were tsuris.
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Tuches
Rear end, bottom, backside, buttocks. In proper Yiddish, it’s spelled tuchis or tuches or tokhis, and was the origin of the American slang word tush.
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Yente
Female busybody or gossip. At one time, high-class parents gave this name to their girls (after all, it has the same root as “gentle”), but it gained the Yiddish meaning of “she-devil”. The matchmaker in “Fiddler on the Roof” was named Yente (and she certainly was a yente though maybe not very high-class), so many people mistakenly think that yente means matchmaker.
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Yiddisher Kop
Smart person. Literally means “Jewish head.” I don’t want to know what goyisher kop means.
Advice & opinion on everyday topics with common sense and old fashioned values by Mrs. Figgins
Faith, Favorite Finds, advice
- Invitations?
Dear Mrs Figgins:
What’s wrong with this picture? My husbands co-worker, whom he also plays basketball with on Thursday nights, invited “him” to his wedding in Canada. We live in Montana for crying out loud!
My husband says he doesn’t want to go. Yet I’m thinking if this is about a gift or something else?
I think it at the least it’s darn rude!
Not Sure in Billings
Dear Not Sure:
One thing is certain, proper etiquette was not observed.
Your husband told you about the invitation, and he also said he doesn’t want to go. Absent any reason to think otherwise, you need to accept what he says as truth.
Send a gracious note with regrets from “ Mr. & Mrs ____”.
Because they work together – and if it makes you and your husband feel better – upon the bride and groom’s return, give them a little gift. The enclosure card should be signed “Mr. & Mrs ____”. That said, a gift is not necessary.
Mrs. Figgins
Advice & opinion on everyday topics with common sense and old fashioned values by Mrs. Figgins
Etiquette, Love, Relationships, advice
March 26, 2010
- 29 March Sundown
Dear Mrs Figgins:
I’m new in town and have made a good friend at work.
She’s invited me to her home for Passover.
I’m Christian so I know what Passover is, but don’t know “sadar”. Is there an appropriate gift I can bring to their home?
Sandi, NY
Dear Sandi:
Passover or “Pesach” commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
It is celebrated for eight days with special prayers and symbolic foods at home, starting with the “Seder,” a ritual meal that re-enacts that ancient deliverance and emphasizes the freedom of the Jews under the guidance of God.
Seder is the most important event in the Passover celebration. Usually gathering the whole family and friends together, the Seder is steeped in long held traditions and customs.
Dietary restrictions during the holidays are adhered to during the holidays. A bottle of kosher wine or flowers are always lovely.
I know you will have a very special and memorable.
Chag Same’ach!
Mrs Figgins
Advice & opinion on everyday topics with common sense and old fashioned values by Mrs. Figgins
Etiquette, Faith, How To, Relationships, advice
March 25, 2010
- Protect The Children
Hello, mrs. figgins
I am currently in the a town of california called windsor but i will be moving to the city of santa rosa,ca that’s where my kids are currently now it’s not that far away but i want to get them safe as well but i don’t have custody of them that’s what i am working at right now. I am mostly worried about them and i want to make them safe as soon as possible i can myself be able to call the police if they intent to get in the house or what ever the situation maybe but they can’t. Please respond me as soon as possible thank you and my respects to you and god bless.
Esmeralda
Dear Esmeralda:
Please call one of the following hotlines. They may not be close to your house but they will be able to tell you where to go for help.
Be very careful and plan ahead.
GOD Bless,
Mrs. Figgins
La Casa de las Madres
San Francisco, California
Crisis Line: 877. 503. 1850
Email: info@lacasa.org
Marin Abused Women’s Services
San Rafael, California
Line: (415) 457-2464
Email: contact@maws.org
SAVE (Safe Alternatives to violent Environments) 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: (510) 794-6055 Fremont, California (near Washington Hospital)
Email: info@save-dv.org
NOTE:
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If you are in danger, please use a safer computer,
call 911 or 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) nationwide.
Advice & opinion on everyday topics with common sense and old fashioned values by Mrs. Figgins
Children Issues, Topics, advice
