Cafe Oleh Listings Cafe Oleh offers you a comprehensive guide to services and information within Israel. For changes or additions, email: cafeoleh@jpost.com Top Listings: Aliya Absorption centers and ministry, Immigrant organizations, Agencies, Resources Emergency Consulates, Crisis, Embassies, Emergency, IBA, Internet Cafes Business & Jobs Counseling, Employment Agencies, Guidance, Job search, Labor exchange, Placements, Resources Leisure Clubs/Bars, Community, Dance, Hobbies, Theaters/Concert halls Health Exercise, Forums, Health funds, Hospices, Hospitals, Nutrition, Resources, Support Red Tape Academic degrees, Government, Income tax, Insurance, Interior, Licencing, Resources All Listings

Say What?!
The complete Hebrew slang guide
to survival in Israel

By SHANI ROSENFELDER

Lifa
Meaning: Afro / your hair after a week without a wash. Probably a derivative of Luffa - the only plant known that could be used as a sponge – which, in turn, could resemble an Afro.

Example:
Dan: Haven’t seen you in ages. Quite a lifa you got there
Yossi: Haven’t cut my hair since 1999

Dapar
The Hebrew initials for ‘derug psihotechni rishoni’ – initial psychometric ranking – which is one of the parameters with which the army classifies a soldier’s quality. The score for the Dapar is obtained by taking the pre-draft psychometric test. In slang, when referring to someone as a dapar (or daparit for a girl), it means he/she is stupid.

Datlash
Hebrew acronym whose initials stand for dati le’she’avar (formerly religious). Usually applies to those who were once identified with the dati-leumi (national religious) sector, not haredi, for whom one would use the term hozer be’she’ela.

Fen
Meaning: A blow-dry. Fen is one may to say ‘fan’ in a heavy Israeli accent.

Example: Hi mami, I really need a fen. My hair is a mess. Can you squeeze me in your tight hair saloon schedule?

Pazatzta
Meaning: Hebrew Acronym that teaches IDF soldiers how to take cover and move towards the enemy. Pol – ‘Fall’ to the ground; Zhal – crawl; Tzfeh – scan area; Ta’ve’ach eish – open fire.

Shlager
Meaning: A hit. Was used mainly in the 70s and 80s

Example:
A: Ever heard of Arik Einstein and Shalom Hanoch?
B: Of course; mark my words, they will become the next Shlager!

Ke’ilu da
Literal translation: Like, da

Meaning: Teenage slang for ‘stating the obvious’

Asak
Meaning: Hebrew acronym for “aveirat sof kurs” (end of course atmosphere is the literal translation). In the army, when courses are at their final stages, an atmosphere of easiness and laziness often prevails upon the soldiers. As in many other slang words that originated in the IDF, this one too has crossed over to civilian life.

Example: Boss: What is this asak? Get to work!

Gute gute
Literal translation: Good, good (from German)

Meaning: High quality, fine. Widely came into use after it was used by the legendary LOOL comedy group (with Arik Einstein and Uri Zohar) in the 1970s.

Example:
Yossi: How’s the cigar?
Avi: Gute gute


Salamat, Salamtac
Meaning: Bidding farewell / see you later / goodbye. A Hebrew slang misuse of the Arabic word ma’asalame, which also means goodbye.

Example: A: Salamat
B: Going already?

Ambreks
Meaning: Hand break (in a vehicle). Somehow, a real twisted pronunciation made it to the mainstream of Israeli slang.

Example: Now slowly lower the ambreks and hit the gas pedal


Jada’it (Jedah)
Meaning: A woman whose either physically strong and / or excels in tasks usually considered more masculine in nature.

Example: If women were allowed into the navy seals, she would be an ideal candidate; she’s quite a jada’it.


Rula vs. tziflon
Meaning: Rula is a strong, big person (man or woman); tziflon is just the opposite.

Example: A tziflon like me against a rula like him? I won’t live to tell


Hevi lee et ha’janana
Literal translation: He brings me a janana

Meaning: He drives me crazy / he infuriates me

Example: I’m telling you I’ve had it with him. I don’t want to see him here again. He brought me the janana.

Zeh zeh
Literal translation: It’s it

Meaning: When someone feels he found a romantic match. Similar to the expression ‘This is it’ or he/she is the one

Example: I love him and he loves me. We’re a match. Zeh zeh.

1000%

Meaning: When someone is absolutely certain about something.

Example:
Yotam: Are you sure you saw her with someone else?
Eli: 1000%


Eichsa, eichs, fichsa
Meaning: Yuck

Example: Yoni: Eichsa, this is not tasty at all
Mom: Yoni, we don’t say eichsa on food


Sof ha’olam smola
Literal translation: End of the world, left

Meaning: The middle of nowhere. It’s so isolated that when one reaches the end of the world, one has to turn left…

Example: I am not living in a place where I am surrounded by desert. Forget it. It’s sof ha’olam smola

Hitputar
Meaning: A combination of the words ‘hitpater’ (quit) and ‘putar’ (fired); used in cases where it is not entirely clear if a person was fired or quit. In many such cases, to spare someone the embarrassment of being fired, he is basically told by his employer that if he won’t quit, his job would be terminated.

Example:
So did Maccabi’s head coach quit or was he fired?
I don’t really know; ‘hu hitputar’

Total loss
Meaning: Israelis have adopted the above phrase to describe a car that has been damaged beyond repair in a road accident.

Example: The good news is that were all ok. The bad news is that the car is ‘total loss’


Aroch kmo ha’galut
Literal translation: Long like the Diaspora

Meaning: Something that takes forever or is very long (physically, like ones hair). Like the 2000 years the Jews were forced to live in exile as they did not have a homeland.

Example: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict?! Covering just a mere fraction of this topic would bring us beyond our timetable. It’s aroch kmo ha’galut.


Karahana
Meaning: Partying to an extreme; wild partying

Example: The event will start off slowly and will pick up after midnight. That’s when the real karahana will begin.

Haltura
Meaning: A job someone does on the side, often out of financial necessity to supplement his/her main salary.

Example: I am an artist. I sell my paintings. One day, I will make it. But until that happens, and for me to pay my rent, I have no other choice but to continue to teach these drawing classes to elementary school kids.


Of mechubas
Literal translation: a chicken that underwent laundry

Meaning: A bland chicken cooked in boiling water.

Example: If we go to your mom, we will again be forced to eat her of mechubas. If we go to my mom, well, all I can say is yummy mommy


Vuzvuz
Meaning: A ridiculing term for Ashkenazim. Probably termed by sabras or Sephardim who heard Ashkenazim repeat the common Yiddish word for what: vos.

Example: Are you sure you want a lot of hot sauce in your falafel? Not so sure a vuzvuz like yourself would be able to handle it.

Sanjer (verb: le’sanjer)
Meaning: Someone who continuously gets stuck with tasks nobody wants to do

Example: I’m totally mesunjar; my boss picked me, again, to do the overnight shift…

Artist (pronounced ar-teest)
Meaning: An imposter, charlatan

Example: Don’t believe all the nice words and all the promises. This guy is such an ar-teest.

Poza
Literal translation: Pose

Meaning: Someone who puts on a facade that is expressed by his behavior, language or apparel; a person with a poza is usually very, and possibly, over trendy and fashionable.

Example: Your glitz and glamour is not what I’m looking for. I don’t date guys with a poza.

Sivuv da’a’win (or samech daled)
Translation: Strut your stuff, show off

Meaning: To check out the scene of a certain physical space (bar, party, beach strip, mall etc.) while showing whoever is out there — especially the opposite sex — of your presence.

Example: After Yossi and Tal arrive at the beach, Yossi pours tanning oil on himself, puts on his shades and says to Tal: "I am going for a samech daled"

Pazam dofek
Meaning: Pazam is short for perek zman (a time frame). Pazam dofek is like saying that the meter is running, when it comes to a soldier’s time in the army.

Example: Soldier A’: Will your 30-day sick leave be included in your army service or will you have to add an extra month to your service to make up for it? Soldier B’: I will not have to add a single day to my service! Pazam dofek!

Distance (pronounced dees-tance)
Meaning: The degree of remoteness that exists in a relationship between a subordinate and his superior (boss/employee, soldier/commander etc). The bigger the gap between the positions of the two, the more dees-tance there is. Like in most of Israel’s slang phrases, this one too comes from the army.

Example:
A heavy dees-tance relationship: A soldier in basic training and his commanding officer — the soldier is not even allowed to call his superior by name, but only ’sir’ or ’commander’.
Light dees-tance: Certain boss-secretary relationships — despite the fact that relations are not as formal, there are still some barriers between the two, as no side would become too cordial with the other.

O-to-to
Meaning: In just a moment, very soon

Example: O-to-to I will be with you, please wait in line like everybody else

Smoch aly / Tarbut ha’smoch
Literal translation: Trust me, the trust culture

Meaning: An Israeli cultural trait, usually considered negative. Over-confidence that often results in goals that aren’t realized due to a lack of coordination — when one relies on another instead of on himself (the trust culture), or arrogance that things will work out even if one does not ensure to the last detail that they indeed will.

Example: Tenant: Are you sure this problem will eliminate this terrible odor? Plumber: Trust me, everything will be okay.

Zabasho / Zabash’ha
Meaning: Short for ’ze ba’aya shelo’ or ’ze ba’aya shelha’, which means in Hebrew ’It’s his/your problem.’

Example:
Hitchhiker: I’m sorry I smoked in your car and ashed in the back seat. Please don’t let me off here, it’s the middle of nowhere.
Driver: Zabash’ha

Be’shushu / Shushuist
Meaning: Doing something quietly or secretively, behind the scenes without notifying anyone; probably a play on words deriving from shush or shh…. A shushuist is someone who is secretive about what he does (usually, in the army, when someone has a high security clearance)

Example: Why do you always have to do things be’shushu? Think you’re some hotshot shushuist intelligence officer?

Tsumi
Meaning: Deriving from ’tsomet lev’ (attention in Hebrew), someone who is a ’tsumi’ always seeks attention while trying to make those around him aware of his presence. The term is usually used in a derogatory context.

Example: Stop being such a tsumi; my 1-year-old is less whiny than you are

Magnivation
Meaning: Cool, with an American twist. The initial ’magniv’ term — which stands for cool — is also used now with TION at the end, which is just another sign of the Americanization of Israeli culture.

Example: So you’re all coming to our one-week villa party. Magnivation

Ma ani, ez?
Literal translation: What am I, a goat?

Meaning: Protesting unequal treatment

Example: After noticing all the kids got cake but him, Yossi turned to Danny mother and said: "Ma ani, ez?"

Branza
Meaning: A type of elite made up of people who are usually well-known/in-the-scene type journalists, artists or members of the entertainment business. Probably derived from Bohemia or the Yiddish word Branzesh which means a branch of commerce.

Example: Tomer: Did you see how that guy just got in the club without waiting in line? Why doesn’t stuff like that happen to me? Dani: ’Cause you’re not part of the branza

Na’alei Kipi
Literal translation: Kipi shoes

Meaning: Slippers worn by Kipi on Rehov Sumsum (Israel’s version of Sesame Street’s Big Bird, though Kipi is a hedgehog). Some Israelis even go out to the grocery store wearing them.

Kova tembel
Literal translation: Idiot hat

Meaning: A dome-shaped cap and hallmark of Israeli attire, especially during the 1970s. You may still come across some today if you happen to visit a kibbutz. Why the name? Probably because someone who wears it looks kind of silly.

Ch…nevetz
Meaning: A pathetic person; probably derives from the Yiddish word of Nebech

Example:
A: I don’t feel very good. I think I will pass on our little excursion and stay home
B: You’re such a ch…nevetz

Bdihat keresh
Literal translation: A plank of wood joke

Meaning: A really stupid and unfunny joke

Example:
Question: What can never be served during dinner?
Answer: Breakfast and lunch.

Kama kama?
Literal translation: How much how much?

Meaning: What's the score?

Example:
Kama kama Maccabi-Hapoel?
2:1 Hapoel

Burekas movies
Meaning: Movies made in Israel mainly during the 1970s which are synonymous with superficial culture and bad filmmaking. The name burekas (a type of pastry) was probably picked because it's considered a popular and low-cost snack. Despite their poor cinematic quality, they are still considered classics in Israeli popular culture.

Example: In your video store ask for: Charlie va'hetzi, Hagiga ba'snuker, Muvtal batito and Aba ganuv

ABU yoyo
Meaning: Piggyback ride. Considered a word in "Jerusalemite" (called sak kemach’ (bag of flower) in the rest of the country)

Example: My legs are really tired; can you "do me an abu yoyo"?

Asli
Meaning: Authentic, the real deal

Example: This guy takes his tradition for serious, he is an Asli Moroccan

Atzitz
Translation: Plant

Meaning: Someone who does nothing, but in a positive connotation. Army slang that refers to veteran soldiers who are reaping the fruits of their seniority.

Example: After 30 months in the army, I am officially declaring myself an Atzitz

Para Para
Literal translation: Cow, cow

Meaning: Doing one thing at a time, step by step

Example: "We've got a lot of things to deal with here so let's just work through it para para".

Lo (x) ve lo na'alaim
Literal translation: Not (example) and not shoes

Meaning: Replying with extra emphasis that someone/something is not as it seems

Examples:
A: She is really smart
B: Smart? She is not smart and not shoes
A: How was your holiday?
B: Holiday? What holiday? Not a holiday and not shoes

She'elat kitbeg
Literal translation: Kitbag question

Meaning: A particularly stupid question that results in the questioner becoming newly obligated in a matter form he was previously exempt. Its origins can be found in IDF basic training.

Examples:
Original kitbeg question:
Commander: Run around the camp 10 times.
Soldier: With my kitbag?
Commander: Since you aksed, yes with your kitbag

Civilian kitbag question:
Is Monday's meeting obligatory for all staff members or just senior staff?
Boss: now that you mention it, I think everyone should come

Ha'ex Hamitolgi:
Literal translation: The mythological ex

Meaning: Not simply an ex, the ex. A boyfriend or girlfriend one had in the past, usually in the framework of a serious long-term relationship who enjoys an almost mythical status.

The unfortunate current partner will always be compared to the mythological ex. He/she is always there, hovering in the background of present relationships. The mythological ex stays in his or her lauded position until a better partner shows up.

Hafuch
Literal translation: Upside-down

Meaning: 'Exhausted' and also the Israeli word for 'cappuccino'

Example: Can I get one 'upside-down' with 2 sugars and low-fat milk? And make it extra strong as I am 'upside-down with tiredness.'

Eizeh seret
Literal translation: What a movie

Meaning: A series of out-of-the-ordinary events in real-life, usually in a negative connotation, resembling something one might only see on the big screen.

Example: "Why does it always take you so long to pack? Now we missed the last ferry out of this godforsaken island. And we also have no food since you've already consumed it all. Not to mention any warm clothes because you were so certain that today would be a lovely day. What a movie"

Protekzia, Vitamin P
Meaning: Utilizing connections to your advantage. Similar to nepotism, cronyism. Vitamin P (the P stands for protekzia) will give you power just as any other vitamin would. You always hate those who have it easy because of their protekzia or Vitamin P, but at the same time you wish you had it too.

Example: "The new guy only got in 'cause of his daddy. Only protkezia can explain his recruitment."

Srita / sarut
Literal translation: A scratch / scratched

Meaning: A quirk; if it's more serious: emotionally scarred, messed-up.

Examples:
"We all have our srita in one form or another"
"After all those drugs, no matter he's so sarut."

Shnat Tarapapu
Literal translation: The year of 'tarapapu'

Meaning: Ages ago. Probably a play on words of the well known date in Jewish history — shnat tarpat (1929 or 5689), which, well, was ages ago.

Example:
- Remember vinyl records?
- Hardly, they were in 'shnat tarapapu'

Uktzur, ha'kitzer, bekitzketz
Meaning: All forms derived from the Hebrew word be'kitzur which means, in short or to make a long story short. Could also be used as 'anyways', 'anyhow', 'In any case' etc.

Example: Ha'kitzer, he then turned his head and yelled, "Turn off your cellphone! Can't anyone watch a movie in this country without a ring-ring?"

Beten gav
Literal translation: Stomach, back

Meaning: A time of relaxation, when the only activity one does is turn over from lying on the back to lying on the stomach.

Example: Work, work, work I really need some beten gav.

Walla
Meaning: The Hebrew slang word that encompasses a wide variety of interpretations. Depending on the pronunciation of walla, it could mean: really? really?! Hmm, I see, ok

Examples:
A: The new Harry Potter book has just been released
Harry potter junkie: Walla?!

or

A: The new Harry Potter book has just been released
Not a Harry Potter junkie: Walla?

Gilita et America
Literal translation: You discovered America

Meaning: When someone says something he thinks is news to everybody but actually is a well-known fact.

Example:
A: You're not gonna believe it but they've begun making different falafel flavors
B: Really? Gilita et America.

Grandma slang:
Kesher savta, lech saper le savta shelha, im le'savta hayu galgalim

Literal translations: Grandma knot, go tell your grandma, if grandma had wheels

Meaning: Grandma knot is the most basic knot (unlike the granny knot in English which is NOT the most simple knot)

Example:
Go tell your grandma — go tell it the marines, go teach your grandmother how to suck eggs

If grandma had wheels — to indicate a condition not likely to be fulfilled. If I had a million dollars

Boker tov Eliyahu
Literal translation: Good morning Eliyahu

Meaning: Nice of you to remember to show up / remember

Example: Boker tov Eliyahu where the hell were you? We said 10 and it's now 11

Aruhat Schitut
Literal Translation: Corruption meal

Meaning: A feast

Example: You missed out big time. We prepared a corruption meal

After
Meaning: A short, usually unexpected break from the army; ranges from several hours of free time (usually at some mall) to an entire night at home.

Example: This is unreal, in the middle of basic training we got an after! Mommy's food and my own bed — here I come!