When I was growing up, "oy vey" was so common, I had no idea it was actually a "foreign" phrase. It was a term that conveyed eyes rolling like one does when confronting someone "stuck on stupid." I know you know what I mean. It was a substitute for "you've got to be kidding," or for "oh for Pete's sake." (Who the heck was Pete anyway?) Lately, I seem to be having "oy vey" moments several times a day. I've cast around for a suitable substitute, but nothing quite conveys an "oy vey" moment like "Oy Vey!"
oy vas mir 1. oy vey; Yiddish: short for "Oy vey iz mir," Oh, woe is me Yiddish for "oh woe", a Jewish expression often of frustration or exasperation, but also of excitement.
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