OY GEVALT!
Bei Mir Bist Du Sheyn
(To Me You Are Beautiful)

(continued from page 1)...so many things, like: you are beautiful, or, you may not be but you are beautiful to me.

The meaning of beauty is on so many levels, and we should know that sheynkayt (beauty) is in the eye of the beholder. "To me you are beautiful, Bei mir bist du sheyn," exclaim your mother, your bubby, or your favorite tante.

How you appear to the rest of the menchen you interact with could be an entirely different meinsa. Ask, "Vos zogt dayn shpigl?" (what does your mirror say?) to assess your appearance and determine if you are doing the most with what you have. Looking like a shlump is not for you.

Es iz azoy geshmak (it feels so good) when somone says, "You look great!" Noch besser (better still), when heads turn in admiration as you whiz by. That's when you know you've got it together.

It is not so difficult to achieve, mein kind (my child). So let us treat our appearance as we do a resume. We want to say to the employer, "Geb a kook auf mir" (take a look at me), just as we wish an observer to do when they see us. Excuse me a moment, my telephone is ringing.

"Hello, Yes Thelma, so vos machts du (so how are you), my Florida cousin?"

"I miss all your storms I've been hearing about."

"Balt (Sure), gai in bod and koch luchen (go in the bathtub and cook noodles), that's how much I believe you miss them. Listen, I am in the middle of some shenkayt (beauty) advice. Do you have thoughts on the subject?

Well...Was danks du (what do you think) is the most important thing to be concerned with in the morning, if you want to make a good impression?"

"Thelma, hast du shane fargessen? (have you forgotten already) what we used to call The Shlump Check? It's just a daily geb a kook (give a look see). We start at the fees a ruf (go from the feet up). Remember...

And what about what we used to call The Nicht Gut List?

  • No fodems (threads) hanging
  • No hairs on shoulders
  • No dandruff on shoulders
  • No buttons, hooks or snaps missing
  • Sleeves not too long or they'll look shulmpy
  • Shirt collars for men not too loose, not too tight
  • No A.M. crotch wrinkles, top wrinkles, or skirt wrinkles."

    "Roz, that will get one off to a good start. But, what about color? So many people have trouble deciding what goes with what."

    * * *

    Stay tuned for the next installment: "Call a Color Consultant!"

    Roz Rachlin
    Roz Rachlin, known in some circles as
    "the chochema" (the wise one), has had
    18 years of consulting to the corporate
    world in all categories of business
    gifts and giveaways.

    Glossary of Yiddish Words and Phrases

    Global Gifts from The Wizard of Roz