Before I bring you yet another batch of entries from the Official Our Shiputzim Heblish-English Dictionary, I’m afraid that I must inject a serious note into the proceedings.
As you will no doubt recall, back in my introduction to an earlier excerpt from this popular reference work, I observed that these definitions serve two important functions:
“Not only do they help teach our children how to speak properly, but they serve as reminders for those of us who’ve become inured to things like the infamous ‘City in Growing Process’ sign.”
Unfortunately, however, it may be too late.
You see, a certain Our Shiputzim reader called me up the other day and suggested that I include the phrase “going up to kitah aleph” in my next Heblish post.
“But that’s not funny,” I demurred.
And that’s when I realized that the damage had been done. I had become so accustomed to the Heblish expression that I had forgotten that it isn’t English…
Here, then, is the official dictionary entry:
Going up to kitah aleph: Hebrew source – ‘עולה לכיתה א. English definition – Going into first grade. Sample usage - “He’s finished with gan; next year, he’s going to go up to kitah aleph.”
And here are another four definitions for your linguistic pleasure:
In a good matzav: Hebrew source – במצב טוב. English definition – In good condition. Sample usage - “My skirt from last summer is still in a good matzav.”
Too less: Hebrew source – פחות מדי . English definition – Too few; not enough. Sample usage - “I had too less money to buy that item.”
A vee: Hebrew source – וי. English definition – A check mark. Sample usage - “I got the answer right, and the teacher gave me a vee.”
To work Hashem; to work avodah zarah: Hebrew source – לעבוד את ה’; לעבוד עבודה זרה. English definition – Serve/worship Hashem; worship idols. Sample usage - “Instead of working Hashem, Bnei Yisrael worked avodah zarah.”
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Previous Heblish editions are available here: Heblish I, Heblish II, Heblish III, Heblish IV, and Heblish V.
This could grow into a booklet for English-speaking visitors to Israel.
ReplyDeleteIlana-Davita - Great idea! Maybe I should try and contact the Tourism Ministry and see if they want to run with it...
ReplyDelete:-)
it's funny to see how quickly the kids begin to speak "Heblish." We've been here less than two years and already my kids have told me that they "learned for the test" and I got to hear all about the "switching teacher". Of course, it works in reverse too, more than one child has said "lakachti mivchan" only to be asked where they took it to.
ReplyDeleteWhat's especially funny to me, though, is when they learn a hebrew word for something they didn't know in English, and then don't immediately realize that the word comes from English. As an example, my son recently asked me how to say "habasis shel hapyramida" in English. . .the answer, of course, is "the base of the pyramid."
Rachel - "Lakachti mivchan" is similar to what we all would say (at least until the Israelis corrected us) back when I was here after high school: "lakachti miklachat"...
ReplyDelete:-)
"I learned for the test" is indeed a classic one. And now since we're in bagrut season, I keep correcting my kids who tell me they studied 3 songs (i.e. poems) already and only have one more...
ReplyDeleteBTW, I fully agree wth ilandavita that these should be compiled. There's also the famous "in the close time" (sometimes phrased as "in the near time"). But all this reminds me of a TV sports broadcaster interviewing a (non-Israeli) Maccabi TA player after they lost (once again) in the final four (or "fay-nell forr" for our Israeli children): "So, this is the second time Maccabi has made it to the finals and lost, do you think the third time will be ice cream?" The tall, black basketball player looked at him as if he were from another planet. The broadcaster was, of course, translating the Hebrew phrase "pa'am shlishit glida" which means the third time will be lucky."
ReplyDeleteMalke - I love that "pa'am shlishit glidah story"!
ReplyDeleteAnd RE: "fay-nell forr" - Why do our children, who can speak English with flawless American accents when they so desire, say things like "fay-nell forr" when they're speaking Hebrew?! For instance, a certain up-and-coming young computer genius* of my acquaintance always says things like "Weendows" and "Oh-feess" when speaking Hebrew - even though he's perfectly capable of saying "Windows" and "Office" the rest of the time...
:-)
* The young computer genius in question is more than welcome to weigh in on this issue...
Here's another one I get a kick out of, the "V" vs "W" last names. My kids ENGLISH speaking friends have last names like "Vacsman" and "Veinberg." Don't they realize how hard their grandparents worked to say the "W" when they left Europe for America!
ReplyDeleteRachel - The real question is: Have your kids started to refer to "Mrs. Weinberg" and "Mrs. Wachsman" as "the mother of Veinberg" and "the mother of Vachsman", respectively...
ReplyDelete:-)
I just told my kids I'm going to take a shower. Ilana then asked, "So, who's going to save on us?" She then repeated it when I asked, "What?" and it took me a minute to realize that she was saying לשמור עלינו in English. :) Shabbat Shalom.
ReplyDeleteYaffa - She must have learned that from her cousins. See the very first comment on this post. It was written by Ilana's aunt...
ReplyDelete:-)
Shabbat Shalom to you too!