"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Robert Green" wrote:

"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message

stuff snipped

everything goes all fershugina, the zip drive for minor melt downs on
current projects, and the off-site in case of fire, flood, earthquake
or
pestilence. I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy (grin).

Since Google shows only 13 hits for "fershugina" and at least four of
them
are yours, I have to conclude that it's not a real word. I've been
searching through the Yiddish dictionary for a while now with no hits:

It was something I picked up from Mad Magazine WAYYYYY back in the
day. They had various kinda-sorta-but-not-quite Yiddish words that they
would use. IIRC (and I can't find my copy of Ridiculously Expensive Mad
right off to confirm) I first saw it in a Wallace Wood take-off called
BatBoy and Rubin. I probably fractured even their spelling over the
years. I liked the sound and thought it went well with what was trying
to be communicated (grin).

After I pressed send I realized that I had seen something like it before in
Mad. I think it's one of many Yiddish words that got "repurposed" for use
in the magazine.

furshlugginer
An aracane adjective used as an expletive in the earliest issues of Mad
magazine (e.g. 1950's) - comparable to "garshdarned" (see examples).
However, maybe it's true that it was also used to mean 'asshat' later on, as
claimed above.) Possibly a parody of some German or Yiddish word, I suspect.
Correct spelling may actually be 'furshluggenner'.
1) What the hell IS that furshlugginer thing?!?
2) Get that furshlugginer thing out of here!
3) Why would anyone waste their time on a furshlugginer thing like that?!?

Potrezebie was another such word.

Mystery solved!

--
Bobby G.