[ExI] You know what?

[PJ Manney]

On Jan 25, 2008 2:08 AM, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>There are other American English
> expressions that have a similar sarcastic inversion of an apparent
> sense, such as 'Tell me about it!', which usually means 'Don't tell me
> about it, because I know all about it already'. The Yiddish 'I should
> be so lucky!', in which the real sense is often 'I have no hope of
> being so lucky', has a similar stress pattern with the same sarcastic
> inversion of meaning as does 'I could care less'.
>
> See also:
> <http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ico1.htm>
> Perhaps the answer is that Americans didn't understand British sarcasm.  :)

Somehow most Americans get Jewish sarcasm just fine, although it has
taken a while.  Yiddish as a language of sarcasm has infiltrated
American speech to a remarkable degree, mostly through the performing
arts of theater, movies/tv, and standup comedy. Seinfeld, Woody Allen,
Lenny Bruce, etc. are obvious, but there are moments of it in Arthur
Miller, Stephen Sondheim and many others.

So I agree that "I could(n't) care less" falls into the same general usage.

Your previously stated "I should be so lucky" -- Az a yor ahf mir: I
should have such luck.
Others:
Darf min gehn in kolledj?: For this I went to college?
Zol es brennen: The hell with it. (Lit. let it burn!)
Gelt is nisht kayn dayge: Money is not a problem (Meaning it's always
a problem!)

And if you really want to be confused, the subject of the sarcasm all
has to do with the placement of the accented word.  The ** word is the
stressed word, from "The Joys of Yiddish":
*I* should buy two tickets for her concert?--meaning:, "After what she
did to me?"
I *should* buy two tickets for her concert?--meaning: "What, you're
giving me a lesson in ethics?"
I should *buy* two tickets for her concert?--meaning: I wouldn't go
even if she were giving out free passes!
I should buy *two* tickets for her concert?--meaning: I'm having
enough trouble deciding whether it's worth one.
I should buy two *tickets* for her concert?--She should be giving out
free passes, or the hall will be empty.
I should buy two tickets for *her* concert?--Did she buy tickets to
our daughter's recital?
I should buy two tickets for her *concert*?--You mean, they call what
she does a "concert"?

>From bubbygram.com: According to [Joys of Yiddish], there are other
linguistic devices in English, derived from Yiddish syntax, which
subtly "convey nuances of affection, compassion, displeasure,
emphasis, disbelief, skepticism, ridicule, sarcasm, and scorn."

Mordant syntax: "Smart, he isn't."
Sarcasm through innocuous diction: "He only tried to shoot himself."
Scorn through reversed word order: "Already you're discouraged?"
Contempt through affirmation: "My partner, he wants to be."
Fearful curses sanctioned by nominal cancellation: "May all your teeth
fall out except one, so that you can have a toothache, God forbid."
Derisive dismissal disguised an innocent interrogation: "I should pay
him for such devoted service?"

Ahh... I can hear my grandmother now...  :)

PJ