photo by Shulamit Seidler-Feller
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Tir - טיר \TIR\ Noun \ Feminine \ Pl. Tirn:
Definition:
1. A door, doorway.
Pronunciation:
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Synonyms:
matone (מתנה), prezent (פרעזענט).
German equivalent:
die Tür.
Yiddish Phrases:
1.
lign mit di fis tsu der tir (ליגן מיט די פיס צו דער טיר) - to be dead (lit., to lie with one's feet to the door; based on the
Jewish practice of laying the body of someone who has just past away with his/her feet facing the door [I wasn't able to find a source for this practice in classical halakhic literature, so if someone can point me to one, I would much appreciate it])
2.
shtekn di finger tsvishn der tir (שטעקן זי פינגער צווישן דער טיר) - to intervene (lit., to stick one's finger in between the door [and the doorpost])
3.
varfn dem get far der tir (ווארפן דעם גט פאר דער טיר) - to quit (lit., to throw the
get [Jewish writ of divorce] in front of the door [of one's boss]; presumably based on imagery found in the Mishnah in b
Gittin 77a)
Yiddish Expressions:
1. Az es geyt, geyt es durkh tir un toyer (אז עס גייט, גייט עס דורך טיר און טויער) - Nothing succeeds like success. or When it rains, it pours (lit., When things are going, they go through door and gate; i.e., they overcome all obstacles). As Wex explains, durkh tir un toyer is a phrase which can denote both exceedingly good fortune and the opposite. Another meaning of the phrase is found in the expression: Bay im iz ofn tir un toyer (ביי אים איז אפן ווי טיר און טויער) - He is extremely hospitable (lit., Both door and gate are open at [his house]).
2. Arayngeyn geyt men arayn durkh a breyter tir; aroysgeyn geyt men aroys durkh a shmoler (אריינגיין גייט מען אריין דורך א ברייטער טיר; ארויסגיין גייט מען ארויס דורך א שמאלער) - Entrances are wide, exits narrow (lit., When entering, you go through a wide door; when exiting, you go through a narrow door). This expression is particularly applicable in the context of repentance: it's much easier to get into a bad habit than to extract oneself from it.
5. Itlekher hot zikh zayn bergl mist far der tir (איטלעכער האט זיך זיין בערגל מיסט פאר דער טיר) - Everyone has skeletons in his closet (lit., Everyone has his own little mound of refuse by the door).
Tir in a sentence: Bloyz zen di tir funem oygn dokter iz mir a shrek un a pakhed (בלויז זען די טיר פונעם אויגן דאקטער איז מיר א שרעק און א פחד) - Simply seeing the door of the optometrist gives me a fright.
Have a gute vakh! A gezunte vinter! A healthy winter!
Review (khazore) of previous Yiddish Words-of-the-Week:
1. Arbetn (ארבעטן) - to work, labor
2. Mid (מיד) - tired, weary
3. Tukh (טוך) - a cloth
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