Passing Phrase - www.learnhebrew.org.il

Posek Sefatayim

Literally: Opens his lips wide
Idiomatically: Someone who doesn't shut up / A gossip

The source from Proverbs (13:3) refers to someone who can expect trouble when he "opens his lips wide," as opposed to keeping quiet which can be life-preserving. The keyword is "poseik" from the root "Pei-sin-kuf".פ-ש-ק When someone opens their lips (mouth) wide usually it is to talk or eat. In this case, it is referring to someone who simply shoots their mouth off with either nothing important or something harmful to say.

האם זה חדשות או רק פושק שפתיים?

"Haim zeh chadashot oh rak poseik sefatayim" Is it news or just gossip?

Alternatively, today, we may call this "fake news."

Note that the sentence in Proverbs is in the masculine form and not feminine – just something to think about.

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