In earlier times, he acted like a "real gentleman" (mostly in Britain) or a "Christian" might have had similar meanings to mensch. Ironic though the latter is. (My favorite ironic usage being the Thenardiers in Les Miserables singing "It's no more than we Christians can do.")
I don't really see either in modern literature or hear them in modern speech, but it's possible they're still used. My husband (who is Christian) has noted that he's sorry that that connotation, of acting like a Christian meaning doing the right and caring thing because your religion calls for it (more like the Bishop in Les Miserables) isn't used much these days.
Growing up in my little corner of Tennessee, I had such little exposure to Yiddish that I didn't know "mensch" was a good thing until I was in, oh, my late twenties. I thought it meant something like "lovable loser" until I heard it used to describe someone that couldn't possibly fit that description so I looked it up.
I don't know, but the fact that mitzvah and mensch are necessary borrowed words has always made me a little sad.
ReplyDeleteIn Lindalese (aka my mom's own language) a certain inflection given to "sweetheart" conveys the same meaning.
ReplyDeleteBut in regular English, I guess the closest we have is "stand-up guy" which doesn't count since it's more than one word. Ditto "A good egg"
In earlier times, he acted like a "real gentleman" (mostly in Britain) or a "Christian" might have had similar meanings to mensch. Ironic though the latter is. (My favorite ironic usage being the Thenardiers in Les Miserables singing "It's no more than we Christians can do.")
ReplyDeleteI don't really see either in modern literature or hear them in modern speech, but it's possible they're still used. My husband (who is Christian) has noted that he's sorry that that connotation, of acting like a Christian meaning doing the right and caring thing because your religion calls for it (more like the Bishop in Les Miserables) isn't used much these days.
Tennessee doesn't have a better word:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxiHkE6n0W8
(at 12:25)
Growing up in my little corner of Tennessee, I had such little exposure to Yiddish that I didn't know "mensch" was a good thing until I was in, oh, my late twenties. I thought it meant something like "lovable loser" until I heard it used to describe someone that couldn't possibly fit that description so I looked it up.
ReplyDeleteI'm past my late twenties and just learned that it's a good thing. I am clearly NOT a member of the Tribe.
ReplyDelete