In Yiddish (from which the word has migrated into American English), mensch roughly means "a good person". A mensch is a particularly good person, like "a stand-up guy," a person with the qualities one would hope for in a dear friend or trusted colleague. According to author and Yiddish popularist Leo Rosten,
Menschlikhkeit is the properties which make one a mensch.[a] mensch is a someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. The key to being "a real mensch" is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous. (Rosten, Leo. 1968. The Joys of Yiddish. New York: Pocket Books. 237)
mensch
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- Lexiterian
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mensch
From Wikipedia:
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." -- Mark Twain
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- Grand Panjandrum
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While in Dutch -- or rather in my region -- there are two meanings for "mens" (<mensch), both with an article of their own:
de mens: human being (neutral)
het mens: an annoying (older) woman (pejorative).
[no idea how widespread it is, but a few seasons ago, there was a major theater play over here called "Het mens", so i guess it's widely understood.]
Frank
de mens: human being (neutral)
het mens: an annoying (older) woman (pejorative).
[no idea how widespread it is, but a few seasons ago, there was a major theater play over here called "Het mens", so i guess it's widely understood.]
Frank
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Spaceman and Frank : I thought «het» was the undeclined definite article in Dutch, corresponding to the English «the» ; would not then «het mens» be ambiguous ? (Timorous type that I am, I shan't say what the phrase would mean in Swedish, as that could lead to certain difficulties....)
Henri
Henri
曾记否,到中流击水,浪遏飞舟?
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