Kibitz is the Oxford English Dictionary’s ‘Word of the Day’ — but their definition will surprise you
The Oxford English Dictionary’s online word of the day is kibitz.
However, the dictionary’s first definition is a bit jarring for Americans who are accustomed to the using the word as a colloquialism for warm, friendly chatter.
Instead, the OED defines it as “To watch (a card game or card player) as a spectator, typically while offering (unwelcome) advice or criticism,” and includes the more positive meaning of kibitz as a secondary definition: “To chat, banter, or joke (with a person), esp. in a lighthearted or informal manner; to fool around.”
The word comes from the German word kiebitzen.
The dictionary also offers several spellings, including kibitz, kibetz, kabitz and kibbitz.
The post Kibitz is the word of the day! appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30