חבל על הזמן (Ḥaval ʿal ha-zman)

Meaning: Amazing, fantastic — though it literally means 'a waste of time'.

Language: Hebrew

Literally: A pity on the time

Category: Daily Life

Origin: Originally a genuine 'don't bother', modern Israeli slang flipped it into high praise so strong it's beyond words.

More idioms — Daily Life

• בא לי (ba li) — I feel like it; I'm in the mood for it.
• قربونت برم (ghorbunet beram) — An affectionate thank-you or term of endearment — 'you're so dear to me'.
• زیر آب کسی را زدن (Zir-e āb-e kasi rā zadan) — To secretly sabotage or betray someone behind their back.
• Tong kosong nyaring bunyinya — Those who know the least often talk the most.
• Besar pasak daripada tiang — To spend more than you earn.
• Buah tangan — A souvenir or gift brought back for others from a trip.

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.
• 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.

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