Ah, the limits of language. We’re all familiar with the clichéd speeches that we’re forced to hear at notable life events: weddings, bar and bat mitzvah, births, and unfortunately, deaths. Politicians regale us with promises; athletes and other performers passionately recount their achievements in print and online. But why is it that in each of these cases, the speakers in question often preface their remarks with the phrase: “words can‘t express…” and then proceed to spend at least ten minutes of one’s valuable time “expressing” exactly how they feel! Truth is, there’s a definite limit to the precision with which speech conveys meaning, and as often as not, our words miss their mark, distort, or, well, just confuse us. I’ve taken the opportunity to review some of the more egregious examples of what I mean in the following paragraphs.
First, there are the downright distortions that occur in our everyday conversations. We’re all familiar with the fellow who opines about the state of the local rental market by announcing that “no one can find an apartment,” when he means it’s difficult to do so, but certainly not impossible. And who can forget the economic “genius” who grabs you at the Shabbat kiddush and insists loudly that “interest rates” are “going up (or down)” while conveniently forgetting to tell you which interest rates of many he’s talking about and for how long they’ll stay where he says they’re going. No, the common use of words such as “everyone,” “nobody,” and other absolutes to describe societal conditions often falls far from expressing any meaningful reality, but we conveniently let the speaker get away with this fuzzy-headed thinking. Our tolerance for this imprecision (some call it venting “hot air”) has caused a crisis of sorts. In response to this phenomenon, I have compiled some examples of the consequences of this continued imprecision in speech. Consider this my “little list” of society’s offenders who never will be missed.
First, there are those people who don’t bother to get their facts straight. In this category fall all those who fail to properly attribute the origins of familiar objects. As an example, were you aware that the very tasty and filling (and, sadly, fattening) puff pastry known as a Danish is not really Danish in origin or design? It seems back in the 1850s, the bakers went on strike in Copenhagen, resulting in the hurried immigration of a legion of Austrian bakers to Denmark, where in a matter of weeks, they introduced the familiar confection that to this day the Danes (ever precise) call “wienerbrod,” while we Americans insist on calling it a Danish. This totally confuses Danish visitors to the United States, who are at a loss when they enter a bakery and can’t find what they want for breakfast.
I don’t wish to imply that our language has no room for expansion and evolution where appropriate. Take, for example, those people, mostly dog lovers, who have taken to mixing their breeds linguistically in an array of novel compound names. Now while I’m aware of Torah prohibitions on mixing plant strains, I’m unsure if they apply in any way to either canine or feline species. Nevertheless, the array of colorful—if confusing—names that have been applied to these mixed breeds seems totally superfluous; whatever happened to the perfectly acceptable term “mutt” to describe these creatures? I list below just a few of these new breeds and neologisms that my ears have detected in recent years: Today one can buy exotic combinations such as a Siberian retriever (Husky and Labrador mix), Chiweenie (Chihuahua and Dachshund mix), Shorkie (Shih-tzu and Yorkshire terrier mix) and Weimador (Weimaraner and Labrador mix). Then there are the slew of poodle mixes to choose from: Shih-poos (Shih-tzu-poodle mix), Schnoodles (schnauzer-poodle mix), Goldendoodles (Golden retriever-poodle mixes), Whodles (Wheaton terrier-poodle mixes), Yorkipoos (Yorkshire terrier-poodle mixes) and the favored Cockapoos (Cocker spaniel-poodle mixes). These canine combinations appear to be here to stay, so one might as well get familiar with these names, as strange as they may seem.
Two other linguistic oddities are worth mentioning, both with German overtones. The first concerns that favorite smoked fish that Americans love with their morning bagel and cream cheese. I refer, of course, to lox or, more specifically, smoked salmon. The term lox is directly derived from the German word for salmon, lachs; technically, smoked salmon in Berlin would be called raucherlachs. Ask for lox in your kosher hotel or bed and breakfast and the waiter will likely deliver a piece of grilled salmon to share with your bagel. If you’re looking for the popular, salty treat we’re used to in the tri-state area, prepare to ask for the raucher variety or you’ll be disappointed!
Finally, there remains to consider place names whose origins should never have been forgotten, but remarkably have been. Consider a local Jewish community, who after years of negotiation with local authorities, purchased a large plot of land and constructed an impressive synagogue and social hall on a busy Teaneck street called Roemer Avenue. Most individuals assumed the name of the avenue (soon incorporated directly into one of the names by which the shul, Keter Torah, was to be known) was either somehow related to a German-American owner of the plot of land on which it was built or some other historical figure. They might also believe that the term refers to a type of valued medieval German goblet produced in ancient glass factories (Roemer is German for Roman, in fact.) No one for sure assumes that Roemer bore any relation to Jewish history or life in any shape or form. Yet, the truth is far different. Forgotten by local New Jersey Jewish residents is the close association of the earliest European Jewish community, that of Frankfurt, Germany, with all things Roemer. Frankfurt, almost 4,000 miles from Teaneck, was historically home for a millennium to many Jews; today it has evolved into the “New York”’ of modern Germany, the largest financial center in continental Europe. In the middle of this bustling metropolis lies the Altstadt (old town). The Altstadt is surrounded by the present-day center of the city. In it are contained many of Frankfurt’s most important sights, including the Roemerberg Platz (Plaza) with the famed Roemer city hall, not very far from the location of the old Jewish Ghetto, the Frankfurter Judengasse. Rather than having no connection with things Jewish, Roemer Avenue in Teaneck carries the name of one of the oldest historical world Jewish communities. Today, in fact, this Teaneck avenue functions as the religious and congregational home to many descendants of Jews who lived in yesteryear near the Roemer of Frankfurt, Germany, thus establishing a direct link to that historic community.
As you can see from the foregoing varied samples, words and names—language, in short—can express thoughts and ideas not easily apparent or understood at first glance. The lesson to be learned is to always listen attentively: You may be surprised by what you discover.
Joseph Rotenberg, a frequent contributor to The Jewish Link, has resided in Teaneck for over 45 years with his wife, Barbara. His first collection of short stories and essays, entitled “Timeless Travels: Tales of Mystery, Intrigue, Humor and Enchantment,” was published in 2018 by Gefen Books and is available online at www.Amazon.com. He is currently working on a follow-up volume of stories and essays. © 2020 Redmont Tales
