5 Ways Donald Trump’s Twitter Insults Could Be Better In Yiddish
Image by Getty Images
By Laura E. Adkins August 3, 2016
While his haters may think he is totally fercockt (all screwed up), Donald Trump can dish it right back. The Donald seems to have no shortage of incendiary tweets ready to hurl at anyone and everyone who disagrees with him.
But he does sometimes seem to have a shortage of hateful words at his disposal. While his Twitter insults can hit right in the kishka (guts), I believe some of his derisions could benefit from the added color that only Yiddish can provide.
Below are a few of his recent tweets, and my Yiddish word swap recommendations.
#5:
Our incompetent Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was the one who started talks to give 400 million dollars, in cash, to Iran. Scandal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2016
Instead of incompetent, try goylem.
A goylem, or golem in Hebrew, is an animated clay creature made out of mud. It connotes something ill-formed or raw. It has the added advantage of being associated with a certain unsightly movie character.
Image by Getty Images
#4:
The Washington Post calls out #CrookedHillary for what she REALLY is. A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR! Watch that nose grow! pic.twitter.com/FsrUGByuuD
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2016
Instead of PATHOLOGICAL LIAR, try gonif.
Even when it’s not in all caps, this word packs a punch. A gonif, which roughly translates into a bamboozler, is a person who is notoriously untrustworthy. This would also a good substitute for #CrookedHillary.
#3:
President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2016
Instead of president, try shlemiel.
President sounds generic — sad! Shlemiel is a better word for an unfortunate and stupid guy. This is also a good substitute for calling someone “the worst!”
#2:
Wow, it is unbelievable how distorted, one-sided and biased the media is against us. The failing @nytimes is a joke. @CNN is laughable!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2016
Instead of failing, try moyshe kapoyer.
Like the lamestream media in Trump’s mind, a moyshe kapoyer has it all wrong. This is best used to insult someone who is constantly mixed up and doing things incorrectly.
#1:
The people who support Hillary sit behind CNN anchor chairs, or headline fundraisers – those disconnected from real life.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2016
Instead of the “weak” word people, try the mouthful khokhem fun der hagode.
This final phrase would certainly take Trump’s Twitter game to a new level. The khokhem fun der hagode is the “wise son in the Passover story,” and is used ironically to refer to those who think they know everything.
Here’s to more of Trump’s meshugah (crazy) antics!
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
