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From: kriha_p@actrix.gen.nz (Paul J. Kriha)
Subject: Re: Nebbuch, Nebbish (was: Yiddish definitions)
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Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 15:00:23 GMT
References: <45e4kl$k35@newsbf02.news.aol.com> <460cb8$1pk_001@actrix.gen.nz> <1995Oct18.192457.1@hujicc>
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In article <1995Oct18.192457.1@hujicc>, backon@vms.huji.ac.il wrote:
>In article <460cb8$1pk_001@actrix.gen.nz>, kriha_p@actrix.gen.nz (Paul J. 
Kriha) writes:
>> In article <1995Oct16.194844.1@hujicc>, backon@vms.huji.ac.il wrote:
>>>In article <45q8s7$1ma@mckinley.cit.macalstr.edu>, jmansfield@macalstr.edu 
>> (Justin Mansfield) writes:
>>>> In article <45mttd$s6s@ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>, taibi@ix.netcom.com 
(Solomon 
>> Taibi ) writes:
>>>>>My impression was:
>>>>>
>>>>>Nebbuch or nebbish (noun) -- Ne'er-do-well
>>>>>
>>>>>Nebbuch (interjection) -- What a pity!
>>>>>
>>>>>Does anyone out there have an actual etymology?
>>>> 	I heard that the etymology is unknown, but the word is thought to be
>>>> derived from "Nebuchadnezzar"
>>>> 
>>>>>--
>>>>>S. Taibi
>>>
>>>
>>>NEBBECH, you're wrong :-)
>>>
>>>It comes from the Czech  *neboky*.
>> 
>> And what's that supposed to mean?
>> (asks a native Czech speaker)
>
>
>Make that *nebohy*  (ungodly)
>               ^
>The Yiddish may have turned this to nebbech.
>
>Josh
>backon@VMS.HUJI.AC.IL

OK,  _nebohy'_  (with long y) that's more like it.

However, I would not translate it as ungodly.
It's a person whose god is not standing by him.
Nebohy is a luckless person, unlucky not necessarily
through any fault of his own. It fits well with the
Yiddish usage.

Paul JK.
