# ירד אל העם



## cfu507

Hi, 
When someone is acting as a patronizing person, or just didn't talked with us for a long time we use to say "ירדת אל העם" as a joke.
I was wondering if there is an equivalent expression for this in English. When I looked up in my dictionary I found: "went to the people", but the explanation for this in my dictionary is: "went to elections, was put to the vote", which is very different from the Hebrew meaning. I also didn't find "went to the people" in google.
So, how would you translate this expression, or do you know another expression for this purpose?
Thanks


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## Flaminius

Hello CFU,

I don't know this Hebrew expression, so what does "going to the people" mean?  Is the metaphor a prophet appealing to _Am Israel_?  I may not be helping you much but just curious.


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## cfu507

זה הפירוש בעברית:
ירד אל העם - החליט לנהוג שלא בהתאם למעמדו הרם והתבולל (התערבב) בעם הפשוט​ 
בימינו נוהגים לומר זאת בציניות לאדם שמזמן לא שמעת ממנו, ולעיתים גם סתם כך כדי להחניף לאדם שבא לדבר איתך כאילו שהוא הוד רוממותו.​


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## just a normal guy

it mostly says that someone stopped behaving arrogantly and started behaving as like as everybody else.


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## Leonardoo

From your second post, I understand the meaning. In French, one would say: "se mêler au bas peuple" (to mix with the lower people) ou "descendre de son estrade" (to go down from one's podium). The expression in Hebrew seems to be a mix of the two. "To get out of / get down from one's ivory tower" might be one possibility, but does not convey the idea of mixing with people.


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## camaysar

We might say that "he came back to the reservation" or is "back on the reservation". This phrase really means that someone had rebelled against a group and set out for himself, then came back to conformity. I suppose it has an "overlapping" meaning in common with the Hebrew.

The idea is that a Native American ("Indian") has left the government-controlled area allotted to his conquered people ("the reservation"), to shake off its bonds and restrictions... but then returns, for whatever reason, such as because he couldn't make it on his own, or was brought back in line. So this would be used in a joking way.

Alternately, and more in line with what you are looking for, you might also say, and also in a rather jocular way, "He is back among his own kind".


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## talmid

071007      2110

HI!

You could say jokingly:

"Oh! So you do talk to the plebs sometimes! (slang-but widely understood amongst the educated)
 (from Latin -plebeians-common folk)

or 
"So you do talk to the hoi poloi  sometimes!(from Greek-the common people)

or "So you've come down from your mountain top !" (I imagine this has a biblical origin)

Hope this may be of some use


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## morgoth2604

How about "Ah, so you've finally decided to mingle with the commoners eh?"


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## Aoyama

> In French, one would say: "se mêler au bas peuple" (to mix with the lower people) ou "descendre de son estrade"


When it comes to French, I'd rather say : "se mêler à la plèbe" (close to Hebrew, literally "to go down to the people" and close to the above "mingle with the commoners"), and also : "descendre de son piédestal".


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## maxl

talmid said:


> 071007      2110
> 
> HI!
> 
> You could say jokingly:
> 
> ...
> 
> or "So you've come down from your mountain top !" (I imagine this has a biblical origin)
> 
> Hope this may be of some use



Indeed, it helps. The expression no doubt originates with Moses coming down from Mount Sinai after seeing God face to face, to rejoin his people, only to find out that in the meantime they have made a golden calf and  were worshipping it.


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