I don’t speak Yiddish

[JesusA (imported)]

There has been recent discussion among sex researchers about the surge in HIV infection rates among young (25 and under) gay males. In some states, the reported rate for 2009 is nearly double that for 2008 (e.g., Minnesota with a jump of 84%). The rise in infection rate among young gay men is seen in Australia and western Europe as well as North America.

One of the AIDS researchers noted that, “I know that this is not empirically testable, but the best succinct definition of male sexuality is a Yiddish proverb that says “When the penis is hard, the brains are soft.” Having heard many patients discuss why they have unprotected anal sex, I am convinced of the wisdom of the proverb.”

Does anyone here know the Yiddish original and/or a different translation? I own several proverb dictionaries and can’t find a reference to it.

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[bobover3 (imported)]

I did a quick Google search. The saying seems to have been quoted in several publications by Dr. Charles Silverstein. One citation - Silverstein, C. (1984). The ethical and moral implications of sexual classification: A commentary. Journal of Homosexuality, 9(4), 29-38.

As a true folk saying, this may never have been committed to writing, except by scholars such as Silverstein.

I asked Google to translate the English into Yiddish, and here's what I got. I don't read Yiddish, so I can't vouch for accuracy or render it phonetically. ווען דער שמאָק איז שווער, די סייכל זענען ווייך.

When I was a kid, my father wouldn't let me learn Yiddish, which he believed to be the language of Jewish oppression. He and my mother could both speak, read, and write Yiddish, but they wanted me to become a proud Yankel, which I did.

[moi621 (imported)]

My mother and her family spoke Yiddish.

In the early 60's her brother traveled around the world.

Where ever there was no English speaker, there was a Yiddish speaker.

In the mid late '60's I drove my mother and our Jewish (HOW-ish) Argintine neighbor to TJ, Mex. One shop keeper spoke Spanish to one and Yiddish to my mother.

My father, a linguistics purist who loved French, hated English and Yiddish as bastard languages and also spoke Russian, German, Spanish, and studied Hebrew as a child raised by his Orthodox Grandfather in Odessa. My dad remembered the WW1 Odessa occupation by the Germans. They were nice! Well His grandfather instructed him to respond to a letter from a relative in Yiddish. When reminded he did not know Yiddish he was told to write German in the Hebrew alphabet. Relative responded what wonderful Yiddish this child could write.

Then there was the Yiddish explosion of words to the English dictionary in late '60's. Schlamiel for example one minimally knows is not some hero.

Talk about a, Lost Language. A language with authors, philosophers, etc.

Gone.

< fade to Gone with the Wind music >

Truly

Moi

[bobover3 (imported)]

Not so far gone as you might fear. There's been a resurgence of Yiddish among young people looking to connect with their roots. All the swelling population of Orthodox and Hasidim speak it. It's taught at all major universities. There are large Yiddish libraries - the NY Public has a collection of several hundred thousand Yiddish volumes. There's still live Yiddish theater in NY. There are probably more Yiddish speakers now than there were forty years ago. It's our generation who were the aggressive assimilators. The young flock to it.

[JesusA (imported)]

I did a quick Google search. The saying seems to have been quoted in several publications by Dr. Charles Silverstein. One citation - Silverstein, C. (1984). The ethical and moral implications of sexual classification: A commentary. Journal of Homosexuality, 9(4), 29-38.

My source was Silverstein, in a post that he made to the Sexnet listserve. So far, it's been a circular search. Did he create a "proverb" out of thin air, or is it a real, traditional saying? I will email Wolfgang Meider, who is probably the greatest living proverb scholar, to see if he can give me a better source. While I've only met Silverstein once, I usually see Wolfgang and socialize with him over a few glasses of wine at least twice a year.

BUT, much more important than a source for the possible proverb is, this far into the AIDS epidemic, WHY IS THE RATE OF HIV INFECTION GOING UP among young people???

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[Riverwind (imported)]

Young people are invincible. We knew everything when we were in our 20's, now in our 60's we question everything and ask why.

River

[graylayer02 (imported)]

My source was Silverstein, in a post that he made to the Sexnet listserve. So far, it's been a circular search. Did he create a "proverb" out of thin air, or is it a real, traditional saying? I will email Wolfgang Meider, who is probably the greatest living proverb scholar, to see if he can give me a better source. While I've only met Silverstein once, I usually see Wolfgang and socialize with him over a few glasses of wine at least twice a year.

BUT, much more important than a source for the possible proverb is, this far into the AIDS epidemic, WHY IS THE RATE OF HIV INFECTION GOING UP among young people???

.

Young people (anyone younger than me, not really kidding) don't remember the original AIDS crisis of the '80s. That...and the cost of getting infected has gone down since the drugs have gotten better. Those are my two theories but they're not strongly held.

[Paolo]

Why's the rate going up?

When you sleep with someone, you sleep with them and their entire sexual history. And the history of the history...

And, like my stupid Nephew, younger people don't use condoms.

OR, they think anal sex is safe(r).

Like River said, they think they're invincible. "OH, that can't happen to me."

Uh-huh, sure...

[Dagoberto Mota (imported)]

There is a brazilian popular proverbe with similarity with the Yiddish mentioned in the Message Board: "Quando a cabeça de baixo levanta, a de cima abaixa", whose free translation to English could be: "When the lower head goes up, the upper goes down".

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

Young people are invincible. We knew everything when we were in our 20's, now in our 60's we question everything and ask why.

River

I think Mark Twain said it best, I am not good enough to quote him exactly, but what he said about that went something like this:

"When I was 19, my father was cowardly old fool, completely incapable of any thought or reason. By the time I was 26 I was absolutely amazed at how far he had come along."

I just KNOW that was not the exact way he put it, but I came close to expressing his idea.