פֿויגלמילך

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• פֿויגל־מילך (foygl-milkh)

Etymology

Equivalent to פֿויגל (foygl) +‎ מילך (milkh), literally “bird milk”. Compare German Vogelmilch.

Noun

פֿויגלמילך • (foyglmilkh) f

1. (figurative) ambrosia, rare or delicious thing

   האָבן פֿון פֿויגלמילך ― hobn fun foyglmilkh ― to be in clover, to have everything one could wish for (literally, “to have from ambrosia”)

2. (idiomatic) something unobtainable

References

• Justus van de Kamp et al., “פֿויגלמילך” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [1].
• Beinfeld, Solon, Bochner, Harry (2013) “פֿויגלמילך”, in Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, →ISBN