The expression “oy vey” wasn’t kosher for the New York City Transportation Department, which Jan. 19 rejected a request from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz for a sign on the Williamsburg Bridge reading “Leaving Brooklyn: Oy Vey!”

The agency felt the sign – featuring the Yiddish phrase for “oh, woe” – would be more distracting than helpful to Manhattan-bound motorists.

“ 'Oy vey' was originally a Jewish phrase, but everyone knows what it means, and it's now a common Brooklyn expression – part of that Brooklyn attitude,” said Markowitz, a Brooklyn native, who spoke to The Associated Press. “All I'm trying to do is put a smile on people's faces. I'm sorry if the DOT has no sense of humor.”

The city earlier nixed a sign reading “Leaving Brooklyn: Fuhgeddaboudit!” at the Verazzano Narrows Bridge for what agency spokesman Tom Cocola said was the same reason: “a lack of directional information.”

While the “Fuhgeddaboudit!” sign was criticized by some as an anti-Italian slur, Cocola said any concern that the “Oy Vey” sign might offend Brooklyn's large Jewish community was not part of the agency's decision.