A bunch of months ago, NBC anchor Brian Williams turned heads over at the Forward with his online ruminations on the use of the word “tsoris” in the Sopranos. Then he really impressed us (I was working there back then) when he explained why it was such a bigger deal than breaking out a “chutzpah”:
“That’s pretty entry level,” Williams said. “This goes with ponim, mishpokhe, shpilkes and keynehoreh. This is for the pros. This is Triple-A ball.”
Well, tonight, on a night when New Hampshire saved Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Mr. Williams cemented his status as the greatest Yiddishist in the network news business. Recalling Clinton’s emotional remarks on the campaign trail the day before, Williams noted that she had become “verklempt.”
Of course, he’s the not first NBC icon to popularize the word (wait till 3:03) …
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