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HEBREW UNIVERSITY DICTIONARY<br />
1. R eg a: Most commonly shouted by disgruntled people as the bus doors close on their bags or<br />
legs, much to the delight of the bus driver. It has endless uses and is occasionally accompanied by<br />
an upturned hand shoved in your face while the person you’re trying to talk to finishes doing<br />
whatever they were doing.<br />
2. Nahag: The devil’s spawn. He has no compassion for people with babies, strollers, packages, or<br />
2 broken legs — he will close the door on them all. Much less evil if you own a Chofshi Chodshi,<br />
the nahag will scowl and yell if you attempt to pay him with anything larger than 2 NIS. He is a<br />
creative driver. His goal is to be a #23 driver, which would allow him to drive from Mt. Scopus to<br />
downtown in 1.5 minutes, stopping only to shout at rock throwers in East Jerusalem.<br />
3. C h eeseto a st Men: No one can really tell them apart-only the woman behind the counter (is<br />
she their mother/lover/sister?) really knows. They make cheesetoast, a multi-meal favorite, and say<br />
nothing except, “CHEESETOAST! Who has cheesetoast?” Students, in return say nothing to them<br />
except “Cheesetoast?!?!”, as in “May I have some...,” or “Where the hell is my damn... ”) When<br />
spotted on campus, they are ignored by lofty OYP students, who whisper, “There’s the cheesetoast<br />
man” as they go by.<br />
4. Frank's: Cafeteria popular with OYP students, or daily lunch consisting of schnitzel, chips or<br />
rice, and salad. No one is allowed to get anything else- you may as well learn to love it. Used in<br />
conversation as a noun, “Do you want to go and get some Frank’s?” or an adjective, only when<br />
eating outside, “Look at that schnitzel- it’s got that Frank’s shine.” Sinatra would never come<br />
here-sorry.<br />
5. Yesh Tor Can: Expression indicating a group, crowd, or some other formation that is supposed<br />
to resemble a line. Most often heard in the Forum post office by the bitter American man behind<br />
the counter, who occasionally adds “chaver” at the end for a personal touch. Also heard while<br />
waiting to board an Egged bus by smug Israelis as they push you and your friends’ matching LL.<br />
Bean backpacks out of the way.<br />
6. Shilshool: See “A Dahabian Diarrheay.”<br />
7. Naots: Israeli Birkenstock look-a likes. Worn by OYPers who swore they’d NEVER wear<br />
Birkenstocks.<br />
8. Shekel V ’C hetzi RabotaiI: The most common ploy used by Machane Yehudah vendors to<br />
increase business. It doesn’t matter that they’re selling red peppers for 9 NIS; they know that<br />
students love a supposed bargain. If you’re female, this becomes a mating call; it is often followed<br />
by profuse and insincere compliments, ie-"Your eyes are as green as these MELAFAFONIM!!<br />
SHEKEL V’CHETZI RABOTAI!!!”<br />
9. Eshtanor: A felafel of mammoth proportions that for some unknown reason is not available on<br />
Saturday nights. Also a part of the lyrics of a popular dance song in Israel- “Ecstasy, ESHTANOR,<br />
Ecstasy, ESHTANOR...” Why is there so much bread left over at the bottom?<br />
10. B ’zman: Literally, “on time.” when a hardy yearbook staff member ventured into the OSA office<br />
to ask for an example, no one there had ever heard of this expression. Puzzled, the OSA workers<br />
continued laminating next year’s vitally important Package Deal cards.<br />
11. Ain Bayah: Everything that strikes Americans as a problem of any degree, for example, the<br />
wrong ulpan class, being late for an appointment, the snow, illness, war, is viewed as NO<br />
PROBLEM to the Israeli public. When confronting an Israeli with what seems to be a BA YAH, they<br />
will shake their head, wave their hand, and murmur, “AIN BAYAH.”
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