Kibitz: a useful word for life in Malta
Published:
September 26, 2010 at 9:06pm
From the OED:
kibitz |ˈkɪbɪts|verb [ intrans. ] to informally look on and offer unwelcome advice, esp. at a card game.• speak informally; chat : she kibitzed with friends. DERIVATIVE Skibitzer noun ORIGIN 1920s: Yiddish, from colloquial German, from German Kiebitz ‘interfering onlooker’ (literally ‘lapwing’ ).
9 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
So true! Once whilst (decently) parking my car, I saw this 70-something year-old man looking at me in disgust. When I got out of the car he made a scene because he said my tyres were flat. I could not believe it.
I felt so bullied that I actually did go to the nearest service station, only to find that there was nothing wrong with them.
Since then I’ve noticed and overheard much unwelcome and unsolicited advice. Good to know there’s an actual word for it. I would just keep it simple and use the phrase: BUSYBODY!
Kibitzing is a perfect description of how Joseph Muscat comes across. He’s not really involved; he’s just an interfering onlooker.
This is news to me. What a word. No wonder my parents and their friends were invariably furious with me when playing rummy and sent me to my room.
I must say that I have done my level best not to kibitz for the past 55e years. I learned my lesson. However I am aware that this is a very common pastime in Malta.
Generally, people who kibitz are also schmo or shmuck (also from Yiddish) meaning dorks or jerks
The continuous gesturing and frantic behaviour when driving with headlights on. Sickening.
Sonetimes they even risk their lives.
Would you consider the act of those who put their comments on the online board of “Ta Times” as kibitzing?
Young parents with babies are popular targets.
Yes, there is a whole corps of baby police.