Gimpel Beynish the Matchmaker
(Gimpl Beynish der Shadkhn)
Yiddish Comics of the early 20th century
Translation and commentary by Jane Peppler
Click here to read about and order the seven Gimpel books I've published.

Comics read right to left. Click on any comic strip for larger view.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

A winter Coney Island ... 1-2-1915

In memoirs, many who emigrated to New York City as children complained that their immigrant parents thought cold or wet weather would kill them.

Note the fascination, even in winter, with Coney Island. And note the fine Yinglish words "badert" for bothered, my perennial favorite "loyfers" for loafers, and "kom on" for come on


January 2, 1915: He's bothered by a mystery that not everyone understands.
  1. GB: They were here, those loafers, where have they gone?
  2. GB: Hey, loafers, why are you dragging yourselves around outside in such bitter cold weather?
  3. Motke and Notke: Come on, Papa, we're making a winter Coney Island, the water isn't very deep.
  4. GB: Go home, loafers! You'll catch a cold, you'll get devilishly sick.
  5. GB: America, what a country: they splash around up to their necks in water, and I get the cold.
1-2-1915
איהם באַדערט אױך אַ רעטעניש װאָס ניט אַלע פֿערשטעהען.
1
גימפּעל בײניש: זײ זײַנען דאָך דאָ ערשט געװען, דיא לױפֿערס, װאו זײַנען זײ אַהינגעקומען?
2
גימפּעל בײניש: העי, לױפֿערס, װאָס שלעפּט איהר זיך אַרום אין דרױסען אין אַזאַ ביטערער קעלט?
3
מאָטקע און נאָטקע: קאָם אָן, פּאַפּאַ, מיר מאַכען דאָ אַ װינטערדיגער קוני אײַלענד. דיא װאַסער איז ניט זעהר טיעף.
4
גימפּעל בײניש: אַהײם, לױפֿערס! איהר װעט זיך פֿאַרקיהלען װעט איהר נאָך קראַנק װערען צו אַלדע שװאַרץ יאָהר.
5
גימפּעל בײניש: אַמעריקאַ אַ מדינה: זײ האָבען זיך געפּלושקעט ביז אין גאַרטע אין װאַסער און איך בין פֿאַרקיהלט.

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by melinama @ 10:38 AM  

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