על הפנים (al hapanim)

Meaning: Terrible, awful, in a wretched state.

Language: Hebrew

Literally: On the face

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: The image of someone flat on their face captures everything going badly; a staple of everyday Israeli speech.

More idioms — Body & Senses

• Les doigts dans le nez — To do something with the greatest of ease.
• By the skin of your teeth — By the narrowest possible margin.
• Ser uña y carne — To be inseparable; the closest of friends.
• Fare le corna — To ward off bad luck — or to signal that a partner is being unfaithful.
• Stare con le mani in mano — To stand around doing nothing while others work.
• 腹が黒い (hara ga kuroi) — Scheming and malicious behind a friendly face.

More Hebrew idioms

• לאכול סרטים (Le'ekhol sratim) — To overthink and imagine dramatic worst-case scenarios.
• בא לי (ba li) — I feel like it; I'm in the mood for it.
• קופצים על המציאה (Kofsim al hamtsi'a) — To seize a great opportunity at once.
• מצא חן בעיניי (matsa chen be'einai) — It pleased me; I liked it.
• תפסת מרובה לא תפסת (Tafasta merubah lo tafasta) — Overreach for too much and you end up with nothing.
• שבר את הראש (shavar et harosh) — To rack your brains over something.

← Back to Idioms

Loading the full interactive collection…