# Fargin (Yiddish) is the antonym/opposite of schadenfreude (German) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 16, 2026, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108 "2026-05-16T04:45:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/1 "2026-05-16T04:45:14Z")
For any who have seen the 1984 movie, “Johnny Dangerously”, the characters (esp. Joe Piscopo) use the phrase “fargin’ icehole” a lot. Kind of a preemptive, “Forget you!” or “Finding a stranger in the Alps” I looked up the word “fargin” the other day. **Fargin** (often pronounced _far-gin_, also spelled _fargen_) is a Yiddish word that means to wholeheartedly celebrate, rejoice in, or not begrudge another person’s success or good fortune [link](https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/4165) The exact opposite of _schadenfreude_ - finding joy in someone else’s misfortune. When you _fargin_ someone, you are genuinely happy for their wins as if they were your own. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/2 "2026-05-16T06:31:18Z")
Sounds a lot like [compersion](https://www.whatiscompersion.com/). > Compersion is our wholehearted participation in the happiness of others. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/3 "2026-05-16T09:37:56Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > The exact opposite of _schadenfreude_ - finding joy in someone else’s misfortune. I would have said the exact opposite of that is being miserable at someone’s good fotune. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/4 "2026-05-16T10:07:27Z")
That would just be envy, a common concept. So common that even the German word for it is short: _Neid_. There is a German antonym to _Schadenfreude_ BTW, to wit: _Mitfreude_. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/5 "2026-05-16T12:06:54Z")
Am I just stating the obvious that “fargin’ icehole” is the PG version of “copulating anus”? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/6 "2026-05-16T12:30:57Z")
Yes. It was a cleaner version of “fucking asshole” which was obvious to everyone who watched the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/7 "2026-05-16T12:31:38Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > For any who have seen the 1984 movie, “Johnny Dangerously”, the characters (esp. Joe Piscopo) use the phrase “fargin’ icehole” a lot. Actually, it’s the character Roman Moroni (as played by Richard Dimitri) who regularly uses mangled versions of cuss words, like “fargin’,” “iceholes,” “cork-soaker,” “bastage,” and “son-a-ma-batches.” ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fargin-yiddish-is-the-antonym-opposite-of-schadenfreude-german/1030108/8 "2026-05-16T16:03:45Z")
He is the top malapropist (?) yet ISTR that many characters, except Keaton, use them. [Roman Moroni](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0227315/?ref_=ttqu_qu): I would like to direct this to the distinguished members of the panel: You lousy cork-soakers. You have violated my farging rights. Dis somanumbatching country was founded so that the liberties of common patriotic citizens like me could not be taken away by a bunch of fargin iceholes… like yourselves. It still got the (then new - for all the gore in Spielberg’s Gremlins and Indiana Jones movies) PG-13 rating and a 15 in the UK. I saw it on HBO and was out of High School then, yet I can imagine what kids who’d seen it were saying in Middle School’s the next day. Speaking of schools, after Columbine, Comedy Central removed Vermin’s (PIscopo’s) line about his 88 Magnum, “It shoots through schools.”.