Three types of individual commonly watch indoor games like chess or bridge: kibbitzers, dibbitzers and tstsibachers. A kibbitzer is a person who tells the player what to play. A dibbitzer is a rather more timid soul who stands behind the kibbitzer and tells him what to tell the players. A tstsibacher is a very rare individual who stands at the edge of a large crowd watching a game of chess or bridge and for perhaps an hour at a time says nothing. Yet he knows where every face card is, where every trick is, the potential of the weakest pawn. Yet he says not a single word. However, every so often, at the play of a card or move of a piece, he sadly shakes his head and clicks his tongue "tsitsitsitsi." Thanks to Mansoor Ally for this contribution.
This message was sent on 18 Jul 1996