Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
#132969 09/12/04 09:58 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Faldage Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
I'm taking a survey to see how common this word for a generously endowed woman is in your part of the world. Please respond with the country you live in and whether 'zaftig' is used or understood by English speakers there.


#132970 09/12/04 10:16 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Not being in a position to speak for all my compatriots, I will still hazard a guess and say that the word would be very uncoomon here in Zild. Few would know its meaning, fewer still would use it. That's my swag, anyway.


#132971 09/12/04 10:19 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
This is western NC, and the word has TWO syllables. Need I say more?



TEd
#132972 09/12/04 10:50 PM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Personally, I use it quite often. I also often have to explain myself.


#132973 09/12/04 11:08 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
B
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
B
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Though I've read that word. I have never heard it spoken by anyone in my life.


#132974 09/12/04 11:32 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
N
addict
Offline
addict
N
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
Have heard it occasionally; used it rarely.


#132975 09/13/04 12:23 AM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
B
enthusiast
Offline
enthusiast
B
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
I know it and sometimes use it, but my family is German, so maybe that's why. Was going to add that a few of my friends know it too, but was surprised to realise that they are German/Austrian, too!


#132976 09/13/04 03:34 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
know it, use it, (sometimes to describe myself, but that's really a stretch..)
to me, its well proportioned, (generous, in full bloom) but not the same as overweight... anna nicole was zaftig, she was full sized, with well rounded, full bust and hips, not just lumpy..


#132977 09/13/04 11:53 AM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526

I first heard it in the context of an old TRS-80 program called ZAP, which stood for Zaftig Alteration Program. This allowed you to go into any file (including executable programs) and change things down at the byte level - sort of like an interactive version of the Unix 'od' utility. I've seen the term used only a few times outside that context, but only a few times in a non-parenthetical context.

k



#132978 09/13/04 02:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
I use it on occasion and have heard it used.


#132979 09/13/04 06:53 PM
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Z
Zed Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
Z
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Western Canada calling. I've heard of rubenesque (rare), voluptuous (occasional and well understood) and Wow!! but never zaftig.


#132980 09/13/04 07:08 PM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
In the Northwest Corner of the Left Coast, the word is used primarily by Jewish people and by those who are in frequent conversation with Jewish people. It may be German, but it is Yiddish to me.



#132981 09/13/04 07:42 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
It may be German, but it is Yiddish to me.

Saftig is German; it means literally 'juicy'. Saft 'juice' is related to English sap, Latin sapio 'to taste, savor, smack; to smell; to know, be wise', and Illyrian sabaium 'beer'; zaftik (but written in Hebrew letters) means 'juicy, succulent' (< zaft 'juice'). Yiddish is a German language related to English, Dutch, German, Icelandic, and a host of others ...


#132982 09/13/04 09:08 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Faldage Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
zaftik (but written in Hebrew letters) means 'juicy, succulent' (< zaft 'juice').

Do you know, nuncle, if the common English meaning is from a Yiddish usage? That is, is it used in Yiddish to refer to a pleasingly plump woman?


#132983 09/13/04 10:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
Do you know [...] if the common English meaning is from a Yiddish usage?

Yes, according to the OED, MW, and AH it's from the Yiddish, but both Weinreich and Harkavy just give the literal translation. I've only heard it used in an Anglo-Yiddish context. I wonder if it has a particular, literary provenance.


#132984 09/14/04 01:29 AM
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
OED Online:
U.S. colloq.
[Yiddish, a. from German saftig 'juicy'.]
Of a woman: plump, curvaceous, sexy .

1937 Meyer Levin, The Old Bunch "He could see himself
on the road, whizzing by a flaming poster-- a
beautiful..girl, snappy, modern, zaftig."



#132985 09/14/04 09:48 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Faldage Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
I know the *word's from Yiddish. What I was wondering was if the 'pleasingly plump' meaning was used in Yiddish.


#132986 09/14/04 10:04 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 86
T
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
T
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 86
I'm taking a survey to see how common this word for a generously endowed woman is

I daresay most will agree that its obscurity is undeserved ... but perhaps fortuitous.

We have words enough in common use to describe "a generously endowed woman", including "voluptuous beauty" and other terms such as "bimbo" and "arm candy" which impress moral judgments on the figure [even as they impress contradictory judgments upon the eye ].

"Zaftig" leaves more to the imagination ... like a bathrobe, provocative in the right circumstances without being explicit.


#132987 09/14/04 02:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
J
veteran
Offline
veteran
J
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,475
I know the *word's from Yiddish. What I was wondering was if the 'pleasingly plump' meaning was used in Yiddish.

That's the only way I've heard it used in English. As I said above, the only meanings given in the two Yiddish-English dictionaries I have at hand gloss it as 'juicy'. othing mentioned about rubinesque women at all. That's why I was wondering if its use in English matches some translated use in Yiddish literature. Sorry about the confusion. I'll send a note to a Yiddish blogging buddy of mine and let you know.


#132988 09/14/04 02:32 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
fwiw, zaftig did not appear in the first few Yiddish dictionaries that popped up on Google.


#132989 09/14/04 03:57 PM
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
D
dxb Offline
Pooh-Bah
Offline
Pooh-Bah
D
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Never heard the word. It sounds like a name.

“Meet my colleague Zaftig, Mr Bond. He is the last person you will ever meet. Heh, heh, heh, snigger.”



#132990 09/14/04 11:33 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Faldage Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
In Yiddish it's zaftik.


#132991 09/14/04 11:37 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
W
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Honestly, Faldage, the first thing I thought of was a candy bar--and then I remembered: Oh, that's a Zagnut.

What does 'zaf' mean? I'll have to reread this thread because you proably already instructed us and I glided past that definition...will go check right this instant.
In fact, what does 'zag' mean?


#132992 09/14/04 11:43 PM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Faldage Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Modern German is saftig, from der Saft, juice. The Middle High German was saftec.


#132993 09/15/04 12:00 AM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
>In fact, what does 'zag' mean?

The opposite of zig.


#132994 09/15/04 12:09 AM
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
The opposite of zig.




formerly known as etaoin...
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 435 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5