Jenni Lukac (X) Oct 2, 2009:

Nice aclarations from both BD and Suzan. Although it is still used as an "insider word" as BD mentions, it does make many Jews cringe when they hear it.

B D Finch Oct 1, 2009:

Overtones As Kim points out and Leo Rosten apparently didn't, the term is racist. I grew up hearing it used by older people in my family and it was "inside" only in the sense that using a derogatory term amongst themselves was an affirmation that not only were they not "schwartes" but, even better, they were Jewish and not "goyim".

Suzan Hamer Oct 1, 2009:

Leo Rosten (The Joys of Yiddish): shvartzer

1. (As adjective, masculine) Black.
2. (As noun) Negro.

shvartzeh
1. (As adjective, feminine) Black.
2. (As noun) Negress.

Shvartzer and shvartzeh, to mean Negro man and woman, became "inside" words among Jews -– cryptonyms for Negro servants or employees. Since the growth of the civil rights movement, these uses have declined. Many Jews would not, for instance, approve of the retelling now of the following true, well-known, and (to me, at least) disarming story:

A Jewish matron dialed a number and asked, "Hello. Mrs. Weiss?"

"No, ma'am," came a melodious voice. "This is the shvartzeh."