I don’t really remember the skit.  It was eons ago, back when we still watched TV.  But the word has stayed with me throughout the years, and I invariably smile every time I think of it: verklempt.  On Saturday Night Live, the show was Coffee Talk and featured Mike Myers, a Jewish woman with a heavy New York accent and a fascination with Barbra Streisand.  In one memorable episode, Madonna and Roseanne are guests and everyone is talking about one of Streisand’s movies.  Unbeknownst to the actors, Streisand herself was slated to show up and it made for a great show as the actors managed to stay in character.In a way, The View is a lot like Coffee Talk.  A bunch of women sit around getting themselves all worked up over small things, and this makes them verklempt.  Picture Mike Myers, all dolled up in a dress and wig, dabbing at his eyes and saying in a voice choked with emotion, “I’m so verklempt!”  Maybe you just have to see it to understand, but verklempt will always be one of the greatest words of our time.

According to dictionary.com, verklempt is a Yiddish word that means overcome with emotion; clenched.  Maybe it was Myers’ way of saying it, or maybe it is just a funny word, but anytime someone gets themselves worked up, I can’t help but smile a little and think of that silly little spot on Saturday Night Live.

So next time you are out and about, watching someone get all worked up over something silly, cover your smile and go on about your day, with that catchy word ringing in your ears.