how to say “to go south” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /]לְהַדְרִים

The Hebrew word for south is דרום[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /]. Its ah vowel in the beginning gets shortened to a short eh or cut off entirely when דרום appears in an of relationship (construct state or סמיכות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /]), as in:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /]הנגב נמצא בדרום הארץ.

The Negev is in the south of Israel.

To go south is להדרים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /]הוא עבד ביקב בצפון, אבל אז החליט להדרים לירושלים.

He worked at a winery in the north, but then he decided to go south to Jerusalem.

and the Talmudic statement:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /]הרוצה להחכים ידרים. (בבא בתרא כ”ה, ב’)

He who wishes to become wise should go south. (Baba Batra 25B)

The sages were referring to approaching the מנורה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/להדרים-#.m4a” /] – the candelabra, which stood in the southern part of the Holy Temple, but perhaps also to spending time with the sages of the southern part of Israel.

להדרים does not have the English-slang connotation of to become a bad deal.