Plautdietsch word of the day: beluare
Example: The Tjnals Rampel-shu was having faspa with the Henrich Lepp-shu, when the phone ran 1 long and 2 short (which they knew was a call for Peter Plett). They were on a “party line” with 3 other neighbors. So the Rampel-shu carefully lifted the phone to listen in on the conversation. They heard the Platt-shu telling the Jahaun Wiebe-shu that she suspected that the Joap Hoada-shu of watering down the milk that they were selling.
Definition: to secretly listen in on a conversation, to spy on. Yes…. it is true! Mennonite’s had an insatiable curiosity that many times gave way to somewhat less than honorable practices like listening in on others phone conversations (that may have been frowned upon, but only if you got caught ;-)
Check out our back issues of the Mennonite Enquirer by clicking on the barn below.