IdiomDaily Life
Hebrew
Hebrewחבל על הזמן (Ḥaval ʿal ha-zman)
Meaning: Amazing, fantastic — though it literally means 'a waste of time'.
Literally: A pity on the time
Example: “הקונצרט אתמול היה חבל על הזמן!” — Yesterday's concert was out of this world!
English equivalent: Out of this world
Equivalents in other languages
English: out of this world
Origin: "A pity about the time": originally "a waste of time," not worth bothering with. In Israeli slang the phrase turned around to mean the opposite, something so amazing that words are a waste of time. When the switch happened is not documented.
More Hebrew idioms
- על הפנים (al hapanim) Terrible, awful, in a wretched state.
- לאכול סרטים (Le'ekhol sratim) To overthink and imagine dramatic worst-case scenarios.
- קופצים על המציאה (Kofsim al hamtsi'a) To seize a great opportunity at once.
- 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.
- יצא מכליו (Yatsa miklav) To lose your temper; to be beside yourself.
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