Shtiya means drinking, but it could also mean beverages. In the last Israeli elections, political pundits spoke about shtiyat kolot, ‘votes drinking.’ What does it mean, and how did this saying make the jump from army slang to civilian slang?

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New Words and Expressions:

Shtiya – Drinking, beverages – שתייה

Hu shata – He drank – הוא שתה

Lishtot – To drink – לשתות

Shata-Lishtot; Ratsa-Lirtsot; Bana-Livnot

Efo ha-shtiya – Where are the drinks? – ?איפה השתייה

Ma lehavi? – What should I bring? – ?מה להביא

Falafel plus shtiya 20 shekel – Falafel plus drink for 20 shekel – פלאפל פלוס שתייה 20 שקל

Shtiya kala – Soft drinks – שתייה קלה

Yesh shtiya kala? – Are there any soft drinks? – ?יש שתייה קלה

Mashka’ot, shtiya – Beverages – משקאות, שתייה

Shtiya charifa – Alcoholic drinks – שתייה חריפה

Mechonat shtiya – Beverage vending machine – מכונת שתייה

Kampeyn neged shtiya – A campaign against drinking – קמפיין נגד שתייה

Im shotim, lo nohagim – If you drink, you don’t drive – אם שותים, לא נוהגים

Ma nishte, kafe o te? – What will we drink, coffee or tea? – ?מה נשתה, קפה או תה

Ma tishte/tishti/tishtu? – What would you like to drink? – ?מה תשתה/תשתי/תשתו

Ma ba lachem lishtot? – What do you feel like drinking? – ?מה בא לכם לשתות

Ma shotim? – What are we drinking? – ?מה שותים

Tishtu mashehu? – Would you like to drink anything? – ?תשתו משהו

Tishte, ata me’abed nozlim – Drink, you’re losing liquids – תשתה, אתה מאבד נוזלים

“Shtiyat kolot” – When one political party absorbs the votes of another – שתיית קולות

Lishtot le-mishehu mashehu – To steal something from someone – לשתות למישהו משהו

Shatu li et ha-sakash – Someone took/stole my sleeping bag – שתו לי את השק”ש

Mi shata li et ha-sakash? – Who took/stole my sleeping bag? – ?מי שתה לי את השק”ש

“Achlu li, shatu li” – Always excuses/complaints – אכלו לי, שתו לי

Ze mei shtiya? – Is this drinking water? – ?זה מי שתייה

Playlist and Clips:

Im shotim lo nohagim

Campaign neged shtiya

Isolierband – Kafe o te? (lyrics)

Tishtu mashehu? – Pirsomet

Sarit Haddad – Achlu Li Shatu Li (lyrics)

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