Kudos to Dana Milbank for his Dec. 23 op-ed, "Oy vey iz mir! Enough of Trump," on the word "schlonged," which Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump used in a campaign appearance. Milbank's column included the first explanation I have seen of what the word means.

I must confess I was puzzled as to whether “schlonged” really was a vulgar word or just sounded that way. It didn’t ring a bell. When TV commentators seemed to shy away from explaining it, I was afraid I might never be sure. Now we all know.

“Schlong” evidently is the same word as “schlange” in modern German, a language that shares many words with Yiddish because of their common links to old high German. In German, which I studied in high school and college, the primary meaning of “schlange” is snake or serpent. One can easily see how in Yiddish “schlong” might well serve as a vulgar synonym for a certain part of the male anatomy.

Advertisement

Of course, it is possible that Trump is not familiar with Yiddish and picked up the word at some point, by osmosis, as it were, from some of the associates with whom he has worked in business or politics; that he used it without understanding its connotations and really believed that it meant only "to be beaten badly." This is a man who claims to be smart. How could he not have known? Then again, "schlonged" may have been part of his German immigrant grandfather's multilingual vocabulary, handed down through the generations in his family.

Presumably, though, if Trump is as smart as he claims to be, he is capable of learning and will not be making “schlonged” a part of his campaign routine. One can only hope so, for his own sake as well as that of everybody concerned.

James A.M. Elliott, Arlington

Advertisement

Dana Milbank's liberal use of Yiddish terms was distasteful and disturbing. Readers should not be forced to guess or to puzzle about phrases sprinkled throughout a column.

Okay, I get it. Milbank is clearly ripping Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and showing off his own brilliant Yiddish skills. I happen to be an American of Jewish ancestry, and I pretty much get the meaning of the phrases. But others cannot and should not be led on a linguistic game of Yiddish scrabble.

Perhaps Milbank would like to be spirited back to an earlier time in New York’s Borscht Belt where Shecky Greene, Buddy Hackett, Joey Bishop and Myron Cohen used Yiddish in their acts in its funniest and most vulgar form. But, Mr. Milbank, how about having some courtesy for the vast majority of readers who do not speak, have never heard and don’t understand Yiddish? Now that, sir, would be a real demonstration of sechel.

John S. Rosenberg, Burke

Dana Milbank's column was a real mitzvah. Yasher koach, Mr. Milbank, though I think you should add just one more word: gonif.

Linda Sapin, Takoma Park

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLyxtc2ipqerX5mypLXPoZyroZ6cerq1w52grKBfZ31ygo5paGhoYWSDcXyPmm1ybl2WsnaxjGponm1dl395fYxtapxokmqDp4KQn5iYq6Skv7p6x62kpQ%3D%3D