In honor of my late grandparents and their generation, I am making this series of entries to pass on some terminology that might be useful in your navigating the real estate world. As you know, there are a lot of Jewish players in the industry, and endearing yourselves to them can never hurt. One way to do this, whether you are Jewish or not, is to casually slip a Yiddish phrase in here or there in your conversations with them, as an homage of sorts to the Jewish culture. Here are a few terms and applications to get you started. Please comment back with more real estate applications of the juiciest language ever spoken. (Note: I am not a Yiddish expert or a speller-of-Yiddish expert)
Terms
Schlep – verb; to lug or carry an unwieldy or cumbersome load
Real Estate application: “The property manager was schlepping a refrigerator for Unit 3B up the stairs this morning.”
Farmisht (fuhMISHT) – adjective; flummoxed, confused, irritated
Real Estate application: “These new rent control laws have me all farmisht. I feel like I’m reading Greek.”
Farkokt (fuhCOCKT) – adjective; screwed up, unnecessarily complicated
Real Estate application: “They installed these new farkotkt thermostats that nobody can figure out.” (and by extension, “We’re all farmisht”)
Gonif (GAAniff) – noun; crook, thief
Real estate application: “That contractor is a gonif. He’s been paid but didn’t finish the work and now isn’t answering his cell.”