The Underground Academy for the Hebrew Tongue presents the new -- if partly retro -- fourth edition of its guide to the spoken street. The Hebrew that you don't learn, you just pick up.


ARSS TZA'ATZOOA - ערס צעצוע

Arss In Training [See Arss, below). Young, often pre-pubescent male who furiously studies and emulates with varying degress of the success the speech, carriage, and dress of the grown Arss.

ARSS - ערס

Hyper-groomed young male, characterized by highly developed table ritual of pondering held glass of Turkish coffee while fingers of same hand hold lit cigarette and other hand manipulates cell phone.

Also known to exhibit pack behavior, especially while
driving subwoofer-on-wheels. Often observed eyeing, if not in company of, Fre'kha.


FRE'KHA - פרחה

Mega-coutured female characterized by stiletto heels and language to match. Protective coloration provided by blinding if precision-executed patterns on nails of fingers and toes.

Often seen in groups, with arss [see above] and three identically dressed friends pursuing within earshot.


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DEPT. OF 'WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?'


AWANTA - אוונטה

Retro reference: Noun denoting pretentiousness, hyper self-esteem.

Interchangeable with DAAWEEN, below.


DAAWEEN - דאווין

Retro synonym of AWANTA, above. As in the song, 'What is your daaween?'


FALTZANI - פלצני

Describes one who puts on airs, intellectually/culturally. Derived from verb L'hafleetz, describing breaking of wind.

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BRAHN'JAH - ברנז'ה

Retro entitlement reference. The Old Boy's Club, the gang, the elite.



DAPAR - דפ''ר

Doofus, beyond inept.

Retro military reference. Contraction of Diroog Psychotechni Rishoni, or Primary Psychological-technical Ranking.


DAPAR EFESS - דפ'ר אפס

The person who has a Dapar for a superior.



HORESS - הורס

Devastatingly handsome.

Literally: destroyer, destructive.


KOO-SOHN - כוסון

Hot. As in sexually desirable. Male form of KOO-SEET.

Derivative of slang term for female genitalia.


KOO-NEI-FA - כונייפה

Ugly, disgustingly unattractive. Generally applied to females, although even more disparaging when applied to a male.


L'NA-KER - לנקר

To nod off, literally, with head striking nearest lower surface.


LIT'FOHSS TAHAT - לתפוס תחת

Lit. Catching butt.

Yet another version of thinking one is more special than they actually are. As in "Al Tit'fohs al'ai Tahat" or, Who do you think you ARE?



ME'ANTEZET - מענטזת

Beyond retro. To walk in a alluring manner. Believed to derive from Arabic word for derriere.



SOHF SOH-FI SOHFA-NI - סוף סופי סופני

Newly-minted term meaning "The best of the best of the best."

Lit.: "End, Final, Terminal."


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For the diligent, we reprise the previous three editions:


A'FOOF - עפוף

Exhausted. See L'HIT'AFEF, below.


BAS'A - באסה

Bummer, or that which has caused said bummer.


COM'BEE'NAH - קומבינה

Somewhat sleazy deal, which often has the effect of screwing one or more of its partners, to the advantage of the COMBINATOR, see below.


COMBEE'NA'TOR - קומבינטור

The primary entrepreneur - and main beneficiary - behind a COMBINA, above.


FEN - פן

Retro reference. Women's beauty / psychotherapy regimen, characterized by absence from work in mid-day, blow-dry and styling of hair and group consult session with peers undergoing same treatment. Origin: Hebraization of "fan."


HAFOOKH - הפוך

Wasted, dead tired.

Literally, upside down. Commonly used as a short form for ordering cafe au lait or cappuccino.

Variation: HAFOOKH AL HAFOOKH. A concept turned on its head twice, thus returning full circle, usually to approximate its original meaning.


LEEFA - ליפה

Jewfro. Outsize, naturally bushy Hair-type hair.


L'HIT'AFEF - להתעפף

To nod off.


M'VOO'AHSS - מבואס

Bummed, down, feeling blue. See BAS'A, above.


M'KOOMBAHN - מקומבן

A person well set-up in life, as a result of one or more COMBINOT, see above.


MA'AFAAN - מעפן

Piss poor, below par, screwed up, relating to object rather than person.


SAROOT - שרוט

Cracked, as in, "That [insert name of disliked politician] is totally saroot."



SHAFOOKH - שפוך

See Hafookh, above.


SHA'VOOZ - שבו'ז

The feeling in the pit of stomach when returning to work on Sunday [In the world, on Monday].

Contraction of shavoor zayin, literally a reference to a broken male member.

Object form: SHVIZOOT.

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FANAAN - פנאן

Good times, a groove, as in, "B'seder [all right], Fanaan."


JEEFA - ג'יפה

Lit. unusuable material left over after oil extracted from olives. In practice, any form of ucky material, especially something with the consistency of earwax.


LHIT'FANEN - להתפנן

To have a good time. See Fanaan, above.



M'JA'A'JAY'A - מג'עג'ע

Rickety, falling apart, as in, an affordable used car in Israel.



M'JAI'EF - מג'ייף

Disgustingly filthy. Adjective form of Jeefa, above.



SKH'LEH - סחלה
The liquid that forms at the bottom of a sack of garbage. More generally, an unpleasant substance. See Jeefa above.


TERMS OF AFFIRMATION

The following are equivalents of the elegant American idioms "Uh, huh," "Right," "Righteous," "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout," "Awesome," "Awesome, Dude," and "Yeah."

They are expressions to be used in conversation, in response to declarative statements, affirming the speaker as well as assuring him/her that one is paying attention.


AHLA - אחלה

Great, Real, Estimable.


ASH'KARA - אשכרה

Lit. Genuine. In practice, "No question."


DUGRI - דוגרי

Lit. Direct. In practice, "Too true."


RASMI - רשמי

Literally, official. Colloquially: Absolutely, Yes.


SABABA - סבבה

Fine, cool.


WAL'LA - וואלה
How true.



TERMS OF NEUTRAL ENDEARMENT

Interjections of universal applicability. May be used alone, or as punctuation for declarative or interrogative sentences.

While they imply affection or a pre-existing bond, they may be used with total strangers or to defray or mask annoyance, ire, or accounts receivable:


EINA'IM SHELI - עיניים שלי
Literally, "My eyes." Denotes general endearment.


KAPARA - כפרה

Accent on second or third syllable. Literally, absolution or expiatory sacrifice. Definition, see above.


MOMMY - מאמי

Term is uniform with respect to gender, age, and even degree of affection or disdain. As in Chinese, inflection is everything.

MOTEK - מותק

Accent on first syllable. Sweetie. As above, one form for both Masculine and Feminine.


NESHAMA - נשמה

Accent on third syllable. Lit.: Soul, breathing, spirit. Used interchangeably with above, or in conjunction with them.


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ACHOOL S'RATIM - אכול סרטים

[Literally, "Eaten up by Movies"]

Adjective describing person consumed by anxieties, or one who imagines nightmare scenarios.

DAT'LASH - דתל"ש

Rhymes with "Got Gosh"

Acronym for Dati L'she'avar, or Formerly Religious.


EIN MATZAV - אין מצב

[Lit. "There is no situation"]

No chance, no way, no way in hell. As in, "Ein Matzav that this blind date will work out." See Yesh Matzav, below.


EIZEH SERET - איזה סרט

[Literally, What a movie]

What a nightmare. As in, "Eizeh Seret that guy was. You know, the blind date guy."


HAVAL AL HA'ZMAN - חבל על הזמן

[Original meaning: A waste of time]

21st Century meaning: (Adj.) Great, Awesome. As in, "That steak was Haval al Ha'zman."


HAVLAZ - חבל"ז

Acronym for Haval al Ha'zman [above]


HA'ZUI - הזוי

[Origin: Hazayah, or hallucination]

Totally bizarre, beyond weird.


NICH'NAS/NICH'NESET L'SRATIM -
נכנס/נכנסת לסרטים

[Lit. "Goes into movies."]

Gets hysterical, as in "One tiny roach in his salad, and the guy nichnas l'sratim."


SOF HADERECH - סוף הדרך

[Literally, "the End of the Road"]

Beyond awesome. The absolute best. Even better than Haval Al Ha'zman. Also an adjective.


TOTACH - תותח

[Literally "Cannon"]

Talented, hot, alpha male.


YESH MATZAV - יש מצב

[Lit., There is a situation]

There's a chance. As in, "Yesh matzav that you can sneak me out the back so I can ditch the blind date?"