bli neder

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Pronunciations

bli neder (blee NEH-der) listen
bli neder (beh-lee NEH-der) listen

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Definitions

  • interj. An expression meaning 'without vowing' that is added to a casual promise to avoid it being taken too seriously.

Example Sentences

  • "Bli neder, I'll have the schedule posted by Friday."

  • "OK, I'll drive you to the airport on Monday, bli neder." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH בלי נדר bli néder > Y בלי־נדר bli-néyder

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      b'li neder, beli neder, bli neyder, bli nayder, bli neider, bli naider, beli nayder, beli neyder, b'li neyder, b'li nayder

Notes

  • Often abbreviated B"N.

    Jewish law regards undertaking even minor oaths or promises very seriously. Therefore, this phrase is often said just before or after expressing the intention to do something in the future so that one is not responsible for breaking a vow.

    See also neder.

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