Oy vey

Not to be confused with Oi (interjection).

Sign on the Williamsburg Bridge leaving Brooklyn

Oy vey (Yiddish: אױ װײ) is a Yiddish phrase expressing dismay or exasperation. Also spelled oy vay, oy veh, or oi vey, and often abbreviated to oy, the expression may be translated as "oh, woe!" or "woe is me!" Its Hebrew equivalent is oy vavoy (אוי ואבוי, ój va'avój).[1][2] Sometimes the phrase is elongated to oi yoi yoi (with the yoi being repeated as many times as desired).[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chabad.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ See Proverbs 23:29, where King Solomon asks, "To whom is oy and to whom is avoy?"
  3. ^ Goren, Biranit (2013-05-29). "An Ode to 'Oy'". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved 2024-01-02.