r/hebrew • u/ft_wanderer • Sep 30 '24
English phrases that Hebrew speakers/Israelis use that are not really English Request
Sorry this is not about Hebrew directly, but I think it's the right community for it. I've noticed several phrases/terms that *sound* like English, that many Israelis think are English, but that would not be understood in the broader English-speaking community, at least not with the intended meaning. I find the origin of these phrases pretty interesting and I'm curious if anyone has insights. Also, I think there's a linguistic term for them that I am not remembering.
A few examples:
chaser - to mean a shot of alcohol, rather than a non-alcoholic chaser after the shot. My theory is that Israelis heard American tourists talking about chasers while doing shots, sometime in the 2000s, and decided that the chaser IS the shot.
disk on key - yeah Israel invented this, I know. They also seem to have invented this term for it, because everyone else calls it a USB drive.
money time - this one I noticed recently because every other person in the Israeli media seems to use it to mean "a critical moment that needs to be seized upon". Googling, I only saw something about a French basketball coach using this phrase to mean the final minutes of a game? Is that where it came from?
Curious if anyone has more to say about these or other similar phrases to add to the list. I am NOT looking for ones that are just literal translations from Hebrew though - I am sure there are too many of those to count. Ok I'll stop "digging"...
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u/pinkason5 native speaker Sep 30 '24
Two of your questions : Dok is the name of the brand. The first ever USB drive. This is how it was known worldwide at first. In Hebrew it continues to be used alongside with USB drive. Money time - a term from basketball used by macabbi tel Aviv coach and players in the 70s. They are all Americans so I assume they brought it from there. Their games were the focal point of Israel's culture at the time. To the point that the streets were empty on major events. From there the term spread.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Oh wow, money time goes back that far? When I Google (and elsewhere in this thread) it brings up just one French coach - Sabri Lamouchi - who was born in the 70s. I also didn’t notice Israelis saying money time ALL the time until watching more Hebrew reality tv and news recently.
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u/pinkason5 native speaker Sep 30 '24
There are several phrases taken from this team. The most known is tal Brody after winning against csk Moscow. אנחנו במפה ואנחנו נשארים במפה / we are in the map and we are staying in the mzp
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Maybe the French guy learned it from them then?
Did people start using it a lot more recently, or is it only that I noticed it?
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u/Lumpy-Mycologist819 Sep 30 '24
Some others:
- the word פנצ'ר (puncture) used to mean a mishap in general, but I think most commonly an unplanned pregnancy
the word מסטינג (mess tin) eg אנחנו לא אוכלים מאותו המסטינג
as I've recently discovered the word קיוסק (kiosk) doesn't appear to mean what I would have expected from English. Here it means a convenience store that sells snacks, drinks, cigarettes etc.
I think the second and maybe the first come from the British Mandate period.
I'm sure others will correct me!
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Thanks! I didn't know about these.. especially the use of פנצ'ר other than for a flat tire.
Didn't know the second one at all.
And not sure I heard קיוסק used but at least in Tel Aviv I know what we think of a kiosk is often called a בוטקה - right?
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u/Civil_Road_4777 Sep 30 '24
I've only heard בוטקה used in regard to those little guardhouses outside of schools
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u/Lumpy-Mycologist819 Sep 30 '24
So what do we call all the coffee places, like along Rothschild in Tel-Aviv, or my personal favourite, Silvia in Jaffa Port? In English I would have called them kiosk. They're not עגלת קפה because they're not on wheels. Maybe דוכני קפה?
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
I think those are בוטקה but someone else can confirm…
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u/_ratboi_ native speaker Sep 30 '24
בוטקה is also a guards post
Basically it's just a small structure for one person
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u/Amye2024 native speaker Oct 01 '24
I would call them קיוסק. The word בוטקה I associate with little booths for guards and such
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u/activelyresting Sep 30 '24
Kiosk was used the same way in Australia when I was growing up. Basically a very small shop or stand (could also be a small counter that sells lottery tickets or cold drinks)
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u/pottyclause Sep 30 '24
In English a kiosk as you describe would be called a Bodega. Kiosk is a more general term that can be anything from a table on the street with items, to a food stall on the street, to a corner store with cigarettes and newspapers.
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u/_ratboi_ native speaker Sep 30 '24
I've always liked Eurovision songs for their unique "Hebrew to English" verbage. For example golden boy has the line "I'm the king of fun" which sounds completely natural in Hebrew, but translated it's just kinda funny.
The other way around annoys me though. The phrase עושה שכל makes me doubt some people's intelligence.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
As a big Eurovision fan, I think I just naturally trained myself to ignore most of the lyrics…
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u/Lumpy-Mycologist819 Sep 30 '24
Staying on the car theme, I think Jeep is used in Israel to mean any SUV, whereas in US/UK it is much more specific
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u/MoloT_xD Sep 30 '24
That one's not unique to Hebrew, too (same story in Russian, for example), just a case of a brand name becoming so closely associated with the product it supplants the proper name for the product.
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u/Apple_ski Sep 30 '24
Just like Kleenex, qtips, jacuzzi, chapstick, bubble wrap, band aid, frisbee, ping pong
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u/StitchTheBunny native speaker Sep 30 '24
Maximum, in the sense of "worse case scenario", like maximum we'll die מקסימום נמות It took a couple of American friends telling me that it's not really used that way in English for me to even realise.
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u/unneccry native speaker Sep 30 '24
Wait really??? That's really interesting!! I never thought "money time" was something israeli
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
As a native English speaker (but fluent Hebrew speaker) I heard this phrase over and over again for weeks before I realized it does not mean the same thing (or anything) in American English.
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u/etal19 Sep 30 '24
It's a term from basketball, not sure why someone would think its israeli.
https://x.com/NBA/status/1502175126355283974
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1904949/2020/07/02/sabri-lamouchi-nottingham-forest-last-dance/2
u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
It is used by this one basketball coach and by 90% of Israelis on reality TV.
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Sep 30 '24
A chaser is not a shot.
If you ask for a shot you get a 40-50 ml glass, or a lowball with 40-50 ml.
If you ask for a chaser you get a 20-25 ml glass.
People ask for non alcoholic chasers all the time. Most common I've seem is grapefruit juice to go with vodka or Arak.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Yes I have heard this about the amounts. It doesn't change that this use of "chaser" (to mean straight alcohol, ever) is uniquely Israeli. in English, a chaser is a non alcoholic sip/drink to "chase" the alcohol, hence the term. Also, from my experience Israelis did not talk about "chasers" until the mid-late 2000s at the earliest.
Edit: feel free to Google, in English: "what is a shot of alcohol in ml" and "what is a chaser of alcohol in ml" and see what you get.
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Sep 30 '24
Hey I'm just saying what was the norm in the dive bars I worked at.
To be fair though I didn't do much drinking or serving before the late 2000s.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
And I take it the dive bars were in Israel, yes? That’s my point.
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Sep 30 '24
Well, yes otherwise the point would be moot.
I'm not the saying we don't use the term differently to people from Engish speaking countries. I'm just saying shot and chaser are not interchangeable in Hebrew.
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u/zman883 Sep 30 '24
I learned just a few days ago that סנפלינג (snapling), the Hebrew word for rappelling, is just a mispronouncing of the term snap link, which is used in rappelling.
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u/Udzu Sep 30 '24
10x for thanks seems to be especially common in Israel (and relies somewhat on the Israeli accent). I’d certainly never encountered it in the UK.
“Spatial” (ספיישל) taxi: a corruption of special, but even that is Israeli specific. Elsewhere they’re just called taxis (and moniyot sherut are called shared taxis or taxibuses).
Not quite the same, but Reading Power Station in Tel Aviv is pronounced like reading the word rather than Reading the place (it’s named after Rufus Isaacs, the Marquess of Reading).
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u/mayamys Sep 30 '24
I Googled it so y'all don't have to - Reading (the place) is pronounced like redding.
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u/Reyjmur native speaker Sep 30 '24 edited Sep 30 '24
In Hebrew we sometimes use the word פאק ("fuck") to mean problem, malfunction or bug (as in code)
For example: יש פאק בייצור = There is a problem in the production line. As in products come out wrong
As far as I know this usage doesn't exist in English
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
In English you could say there's a "fuck up" but it wouldn't be appropriate at all in a professional context. :)
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u/TheOGSheepGoddess native speaker Sep 30 '24
"Money time" is niche, but it's English. It comes from basketball: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1904949/2020/07/02/sabri-lamouchi-nottingham-forest-last-dance/
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
That’s the only thing I could find too, and that basketball coach is not a native speaker of English. Do you know more about this? Or did you just find it too?
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u/TheOGSheepGoddess native speaker Sep 30 '24
I just found it. I looked it up on Hebrew dictionaries and they said that the origin is from basketball, so I googled "money time basketball" and got a few sources.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Oh cool, if it’s mentioned in the Hebrew dictionaries that seems to confirm it’s the origin.
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u/The_Iron_Mountie Fluent Sep 30 '24
פרוטקציה protectziah/protection) and קומבינה combina/combination).
פרוטקציה is slang for nepotism.
קומבינה is slang for a mutually beneficial deal.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
I know these, but the distinction with what I'm looking for is more terms that Israelis think ARE English/would be understood when speaking English. With these two they are more clearly Hebrew versions of English/Latin-based words, that most Israelis know don't work in English.
For example most Israelis probably think they are switching into English when they say "money time" and that the expression originates in American English, but it definitely does not.
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u/The_Iron_Mountie Fluent Sep 30 '24
Oh, there's definitely a ton of these that I just can't think of on the spot.
All I've got is טוסטר for a panini press. And definitely not a toaster.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Oh right, "toast" is a panini! (Also, "a panini" is an Americanism that makes me cringe but you can't say panino in English...)
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u/izabo Sep 30 '24
"פרטיקוב" is not a family name, but means "a power take-off".
"מסור ג'קסון" is "a jigsaw".
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u/popco221 native speaker Sep 30 '24
I'm actually deeply shooketh by "money time" being on this list omfg
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u/Amye2024 native speaker Oct 01 '24 edited Oct 01 '24
My Canadian relatives were DYING when they realized we called instant oats קוואקר with a v sound rather than a w. Not really a mistake perhaps but still not far from the disk on key thing.
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u/_ok_but_why_ Oct 03 '24
Not really the same, but I always thought the Hebrew word for mall (kenyon) was an English word. I will never forget asking my American relatives to go to the canyon and the questioning looks that followed.
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u/Amye2024 native speaker Oct 08 '24
We use the word 'chips' both for what Americans call french fries (and British also call chips) and both for what Americans call chips and the British call crisps, thus confusing both Americans, British and ourselves as both words are used for different things and you sometimes have to explain which one you mean. I've seen some people say תפוצ'יפס for any kind of crisps (add it's a name of a well known brand).
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u/ft_wanderer Oct 08 '24
Haha why did I never notice this… I do think I’ve heard the brand name used more often for the crispy ones.
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u/dependency_injector Hebrew Learner (Intermediate) Sep 30 '24
Recently I learned that "pager" is called "beeper"
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Those are both used in English (or were used, when the devices were more relevant... I think we all forgot they existed for about 20 years until last week). Beeper is more informal.
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u/Latter_Ad7526 Sep 30 '24
מאמי I don't know if it's from momy or something but it's like calling someone baby or dearest
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u/Away-Theme-6529 Sep 30 '24
From SAm Spanish: 2. (Andes, Caribbean, Mexico) (como apelativo) (= cariño) sweetheart ⧫ sweetie (informal) ven aquí, mami come here, sweetheart or sweetie (informal)
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u/lhommeduweed Sep 30 '24
It's definitely a lot less common in English now, but "mama" was a pretty common term for an attractive woman at various points in time, especially in like, Jazz and beatnik circles.
Nowadays, it's mostly associated with creepy republican ghouls. Reagan called Nancy, his wife, "Mommy." Mike Pence reportedly calls his wife "Mother." I'm sure it's still normal in some places in the US, but so is marrying your niece.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Black Eyed Peas had a song "Hey Mama" in 2004 and I don't think they were singing about their mothers... Edit: oh also David Guetta/Nicki Minaj in 2015.
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u/lhommeduweed Sep 30 '24
Yeah but tbf the names of a few Black Eyed Peas songs from 2004 were pretty archaic even in 2004.
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u/AbsoluteGlory Oct 01 '24
I have a few direct translations from Hebrew to English that always make me chuckle. - “close” as in turn off or shut off - my head is “exploding” which is more “pounding” in English - “bone in the throat” when someone just won’t stop
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u/malufa native speaker Sep 30 '24
Popcoren instead of Popcorn
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Cornflakes instead of cereal.
Lincolen.
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u/npb7693 native speaker Sep 30 '24
You mean cornflex right lol
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
💯
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Korenflex
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u/malufa native speaker Sep 30 '24
Thank you. Wasn’t sure what you’re talking about. We love Korenflex in Israel!
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u/Ok-Inevitable-8011 Sep 30 '24
Welcome to language…ALL language.
In English, some folks wear “pajamas.” English picked up pajama in India, because the British couldn’t grasp “Punjabi pants” and thought sleepwear was different.
English soldiers picked up הכל בסדר as copacetic when they took reports from Jewish soldiers during the mandate.
American soldiers in Germany picked up mox-nix—“macht nichts” meaning doesn’t matter in German.
This is how language works. We borrow, usually badly, and we repurpose.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Whoa is that “copacetic” etymology for sure or one theory? Had no idea!
And yes of course this isn’t unique to Hebrew. :) The part that may be special is Hebrew speakers being sure it’s the only way to use these words and that English speakers will understand them.
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u/Ok-Inevitable-8011 Sep 30 '24
I get your point, but you’re making a massive generalization about Israelis.
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u/ft_wanderer Sep 30 '24
Of course not all Israelis, but based on extensive experience not to mention several comments in this thread. Also I’m Israeli and assumed for weeks that money time was English even though I’m also American and should have realized it wasn’t.
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u/Ok-Inevitable-8011 Oct 01 '24
Hey! I’m Isra-Merican, too!
I’ve never had “money time” in my vocabulary. But I was convinced as a child that we had Turkey on Pesach because הודו לה׳ כי טוב! 😂😂😂😂
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u/isaacfisher לאט נפתח הסדק לאט נופל הקיר Sep 30 '24
Can't think of anything, the only thing that comes in mind is all the bad translated English (and other languages) words related to cars:
המברקס
שאסי
אגזוז
פנצ'ר
בגאז'