Israeli army slang
Almost every Israeli did army service, and the army gave the language half its slang. These are the words that came home with them.
trempiyada(trempiada)טרמפיאדה
roadside hitchhiking spot
חיכיתי בטרמפיאדה ביציאה מהבסיס חצי שעה עד שמישהו סוף סוף עצר.
“I waited half an hour at the trempiyada outside the base until someone finally stopped.”
miluimnik(miluimnick)מִלּוּאִימְנִיק
the perpetual reservist, the guy who keeps getting called back up
אחי הוא מילואימניק ותיק, כל שנה הוא נעלם לשלושה שבועות וחוזר עם סיפורים.
“My brother is a veteran miluimnik — every year he disappears for three weeks and comes back with stories.”
tirturטִרְטוּר
being deliberately run around in pointless circles
שלושה חודשים טרטרו אותי בין ביטוח לאומי לעירייה, וכל פעם חסר לי מסמך אחר.
“For three months they ran me back and forth between National Insurance and the municipality, and every time a different document was missing.”
jobnikג'ובניק
a soldier with a cushy, non-combat job
אחי ג'ובניק בבסיס ליד הבית, חוזר כמעט כל ערב עם כביסה.
“My brother's a jobnik on a base near home, comes back almost every evening with laundry.”
khamshush(chamshush)חַמְשׁוּשׁ
a long weekend from Thursday through Saturday
אחרי שלושה שבועות במילואים סוף סוף יוצא לי חמשוש בבית.
“After three weeks of reserve duty I finally get a Thursday-to-Saturday break at home.”
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
Want to go further with a teacher?
A real 30-minute lesson, one to one — Modern Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew, Yiddish or Aramaic. No card required.
Study 1-on-1 with YaacovPrefer a small group? Eight-week groups
More Modern Hebrew words by topic
Israeli slang wordsHebrew expressions and idiomsHebrew words for peopleHebrew words for feelings and moodsHebrew words for everyday life in IsraelHebrew words for money and dealsHebrew words for talking and complainingHebrew words that came from YiddishHebrew slang that came from Arabic