JEW ME DOWN

 

A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to a yard sale in our community; it was close enough to our house that we decided to walk rather than drive.

We went there for shits and giggles because since we have downsized, we stopped buying STUFF we no longer really needed; although, I have been looking for a large plastic spoon so that I can properly scramble up eggs in a large frying pan.  It's a two-prong large plastic spoon that I once had.

Anyway, while we were at this yard sale, I heard the proprietor of the yard sale make the comment: "Everyone that has bought something today as tried to JEW ME DOWN on the price."

I did not think much about it then but a few days later it popped back up into my mind when FOX News was reporting a story on antisemitic views here in America.

My first thoughts went back to the yard sale and what that person had said.  I doubt that she was anti-Jewish even though her phrase was not flattering for the Jewish community.  I performed a google search trying to discover the origins of that phrase but got nowhere.

It appears that the Jewish community hundreds of years ago acquired a reputation of trying haggle on the price of everything they wanted to purchase...  hence:  JEW ME DOWN.

I remember hearing my parents and their friends use the phrase although I cannot remember under what circumstances it was being used.  Nevertheless, JEW ME DOWN has come to be used as a commonplace phrase by most Americans and I don't think they are consciously aware that they are disparaging the Jews every time they use it.

More importantly, this awareness of mine showed me how easily it is from someone to convey hate. without realizing it