Tony Snow, Yiddish Maven
The following exchange took place at the start of the May 18 briefing held by Tony Snow, the recently installed White House press secretary.
MR. SNOW: Okay, let’s begin. Welcome, one and all. Good afternoon. For those of you who weren’t here, we have coined the term “bupkes list” for items that the press secretary may not have had complete and full answers for during the gaggle. So, in response to this morning’s bupkes list, who is —
Q: How do you spell “bupkes”?
MR. SNOW: Bupkus — b-u-p-k-u-s.
Q: Yiddish.
Q: E-s.
MR. SNOW: Thank you, corrected. E-s.
Actually, our sources have it as i-s. Perhaps, when Mr. Snow has found his sea legs, he should check out Philologos’s August 19, 2005, column, “A Hill of Bupkis” (https://forward.com/articles/3837).
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
