&%$#! nonvulgar expletive!

smallthunder · Jul 6, 2007

My MC is basically a nice (Jewish) boy -- too well bred to use vulgarity, but "cheating" by using something very close in sound is OK.

Best case scenario: I'm looking for something amusing, but still believable.

Even better: An exclamation/something in Yiddish that SOUNDS bad (i.e. like an English expletive) but is, in fact, very innocuous.

Any one out there have any suggestions?

Tiger · Jul 6, 2007

"Aw... Schlumfeifl!"

Siddow · Jul 6, 2007

http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/

Type in a word that you'd like to use in English, and have it translated to Yiddish. Like dummy, silly, etc.

Siddow · Jul 6, 2007

Ah, there's no equivalent to silly.

But dummy is goylem.
And nerd is nebish.

Plot Device · Jul 6, 2007

I have no Yiddish for you.

But I have heard "aw, stink!" and "this stinkin' thing!" used as a generic euphemism for almost any profanity.

Azure Skye · Jul 7, 2007

"Oh fuuuuuuddddggggeeee. Except I didn't say fudge. I said *the* word. The queen mother of all dirty words. The eff dash dash dash word."

I remember seeing a few books in the bookstore with Yiddish euphemisms.

How old is your MC?

johnnysannie · Jul 7, 2007

Siddow said:
Ah, there's no equivalent to silly.

But dummy is goylem.
And nerd is nebish.

Nebish is not really translated as nerd; it's more like nothing, dreck (whoops, sorry, non-English word), lower than nothing, meaningless, doesn't matter

Ziljon · Jul 7, 2007

"Awe, shiksa!"

I think shiksa means non-jewish girl.

Not sure about the spelling or meaning, but I think it sounds funny.

smallthunder · Jul 7, 2007

Azura Skye said:
"Oh fuuuuuuddddggggeeee. Except I didn't say fudge. I said *the* word. The queen mother of all dirty words. The eff dash dash dash word."

I remember seeing a few books in the bookstore with Yiddish euphemisms.

How old is your MC?

He's 35 years old.

smallthunder · Jul 7, 2007

Ziljon said:
"Awe, shiksa!"

I think shiksa means non-jewish girl.

Not sure about the spelling or meaning, but I think it sounds funny.

I like! I like!
[and yes, it does mean that]

Maryn · Jul 7, 2007

I'm a big fan of non-expletives that start with F. Here's a few Yiddish terms your character might use that sound like he's going to say something much stronger.

Farmisht - Befuddled

Farmutshet - Worn out, fatigued, exhausted

Farshlepteh krenk - Fruitless, endless matter (Lit., A sickness that hangs on)

Farshmeieter - Highly excitable person; always on the go

Farshnoshket - Loaded, drunk

Farshtaist? - You understand?

Farshtopt - Stuffed

Farshtunken - Smells bad, stinks

Farshvitst - sweaty

Far-tshadikt - Confused, bewildered, befuddled, as if by fumes, gas

Feinkochen- Omelette or scrambled eggs

Feinshmeker - High-falutin'

Maryn, goy girl

Scrawler · Jul 7, 2007

When I was young, I used to say "Oh shhhhhugar!" Sometimes I'd push it to shhhheeeeeUGAR.
(This was back when I was smoking candy cigarettes.)

Sean D. Schaffer · Jul 8, 2007

Azura Skye said:
"Oh fuuuuuuddddggggeeee. Except I didn't say fudge. I said *the* word. The queen mother of all dirty words. The eff dash dash dash word."

I remember seeing a few books in the bookstore with Yiddish euphemisms.

How old is your MC?

I remember the first time I saw that movie: the kid did not originally say 'fudge'. The word was later changed and the narrative changed too. But it was a long REAL F-word that came from the actor's mouth in the version I saw for the very first time. I think it had first come out on VHS at the time.

Mac H. · Jul 9, 2007

The incredibly-G rated movie 'Madagascar' had the Zebra swear by saying "Sugar Honey Ice Tea" (In the scene where he realises the Lion is trying to eat him).

I've always been in favour of variations like 'Hucking Fell !"

Mac

Kadea · Jul 9, 2007

I've heard nucking futs a few times and I'm rather fond of it.

Sandi LeFaucheur · Jul 9, 2007

As a child, I used to say pig's feet. Don't ask me why. And h-e-double-toothpicks for hell. Flaming Norah is a good English one. But I'm afraid that none of those are Yiddish or even close to it. I'm intrigued by Maryn's list. Most of them start with "far". Is there a meaning to that prefix, or is it just coincidence?

Maryn · Jul 9, 2007

Sandi LeFaucheur said:
I'm intrigued by Maryn's list. Most of them start with "far". Is there a meaning to that prefix, or is it just coincidence?

I chose that section from a much longer list, since alternate-use non-swear words often begin with the same sound the "bad" word does. I assume these words took on this use when people started to say the naughty word and caught themselves only after having uttered the initial consonant sound. There's no other reason to say "Fudge!" when you hit your thumb with a hammer.

Maryn, who could also hunt up the SH part of the list

Bmwhtly · Jul 9, 2007

No Yiddish, I'm afraid. But 'cleaned-up' versions of curse words are always good for a giggle.

"Mother Hubbard" instead of... well, say it aloud and you'll get it.

As far as exclamations go, there are many unoffensive ones. "Hell's Teeth" springs to mind.

Chumplet · Jul 9, 2007

Those fellows on TBS are pretty adept at substituting swear words in movies. It really throws me off sometimes. Also, Ned Flanders comes to mind.

auntybug · Jul 9, 2007

One of my favorites:

"Got dandruff, some of it itches!"

Sorry - not yiddish - just good :tongue

Susie · Jul 9, 2007

I kinda like the word fakockta. (Sp?) Means messed up.

Tiger · Jul 12, 2007

What if the guy had a last name that he could whip out once in awhile? Like, "Aw, Lipshitz!"

Stressed · Jul 13, 2007

I have had a soft spot for ‘frak’ and ‘frakking’ since watching Battlestar Galactica years ago [original series, Dirk Benedict, swooooon]. And ‘pain in the mikta’ from Stargate SG-1 [Richard Dean Anderson, swoooooon].

Tornadoboy · Jul 15, 2007

Could you just have him sort of tap dance around an actual expletive? I once heard a guy describe how someone "wished sexual penetration upon him, his mother and the horse he rode in on", putting it in those terms had me rolling on the floor!

Tiger · Jul 16, 2007

Hah! But, do you really have to go into so much detail? I would just say something like: "Oh yeah? Well, you, the horse you rode in on, and the cactus ya hitched it to."

*&*%$#! nonvulgar expletive!

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&%$#! nonvulgar expletive!