No indeed. Oy as in O and Gevalt as in Gewalt (German and Polish)=
Force, Power; "As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods/They kill us
for their sport", or Uh oh!/Oh no! Oy veh! is a related expletive, from
O weh! (nice example of that in Mahler's *Lieder eines fahrenden
Gesellen*)= Ah, woe is me! There are of course considerable connotative
differences between the Yiddish and other forms, I believe.
mj amateur mj
Kenneth Wolman wrote:
> Peter Cudmore wrote:
>
>> Care to elaborate on 'Oy Gevalts', Ken?
>>
>> P
>>
>
>
> Oy gevalt="pig" Yiddish signifying the fist shaken at the empty
> heavens, the cry of despair, the What Else Can Go Wrong?? Answer: the
> worst is not when we can say This Is The Worst.
>
> Welcome to Oy Gevalt. You don't have to be Jewish, etc.
>
> ken
>
--
A man may write of love, and not be in love, as well as of husbandrie, and not goe to plough: or of witches, and be none: or of holinesse, and be flat prophane. - Giles Fletcher the Elder.
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