# sit tight



## dukaine

After checking three different sources, I found three different interpretations of this phrase: להימנע מפעולה, אל תזוז, and לשבת טוב.  An Israeli friend told me that none of these sounded quite right to him.  

The phrase is used to get a person who is anxious to do something to be patient or to calm down.

"Daddy, I'm really hungry."
"Just sit tight, honey, we'll be at the restaurant in a few minutes."

"It's been 5 minutes since I called 911.  I think I'm just going to take him to the hospital myself."
"No, sit tight and wait for the ambulance."


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## Drink

"Sit tight" is also used to just mean "Wait/Don't go anywhere". For example: "Sit tight, I'll be back in 5 minutes." And I think that is the case in which "אל תזוז" works best.


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## arbelyoni

dukaine said:


> After checking three different sources, I found three different interpretations of this phrase: להימנע מפעולה, אל תזוז, and לשבת טוב.  An Israeli friend told me that none of these sounded quite right to him.
> 
> The phrase is used to get a person who is anxious to do something to be patient or to calm down.
> 
> "Daddy, I'm really hungry."
> "Just sit tight, honey, we'll be at the restaurant in a few minutes."
> 
> "It's been 5 minutes since I called 911.  I think I'm just going to take him to the hospital myself."
> "No, sit tight and wait for the ambulance."


In the given context I think להתאזר בסבלנות (also להזדיין בסבלנות) works the best.


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## arielipi

arbelyoni said:


> (also להזדיין בסבלנות)


Do you *want* to get her in trouble? this root is strictly used today for fuck related words and armed (guns)


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## ystab

arbelyoni said:


> In the given context I think להתאזר בסבלנות (also להזדיין בסבלנות) works the best.



Why not שב בסבלנות?


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## arielipi

ystab said:


> Why not שב בסבלנות?


Its impatient, and not really the same as sit tight from her examples.


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## dukaine

Could you clarify why שב בסבלנות doesn't work?


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## arielipi

Because its impatient and sit tight isnt,


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## arbelyoni

ystab said:


> Why not שב בסבלנות?


להתאזר/ להזדיין בסבלנות is a set phrase: to be patient.
שב בסבלנות is possible, but I would understand it very literally - asking someone to sit down quietly.


arielipi said:


> Do you *want* to get her in trouble?...


חלילה


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## dukaine

arielipi said:


> Because its impatient and sit tight isnt,



You mean that if I say שב בסבלנות, I'm the one who is impatient, not the person I'm talking to.


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## arielipi

dukaine said:


> You mean that if I say שב בסבלנות, I'm the one who is impatient, not the person I'm talking to.


Yes, and avoid the word lehizdayen; even though its a set phrase.


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## dukaine

Well, the phrase could go either way.  The speaker or the spoken to could be impatient, or both parties could be perfectly calm.


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## arbelyoni

arielipi said:


> Yes, and avoid the word lehizdayen; even though its a set phrase.


I wouldn't "avoid" it. It should be noted and clear that להזדיין is normally used in a sexual context, but well, this is the expression and every educated person who's not a teenager should be familiar with it and hold their giggles .
The literal meaning, by the way, is "to arm oneself" (להזדיין) or "to belt oneself" (להתאזר) with patience.


dukaine said:


> Well, the phrase could go either way.  The speaker or the spoken to could be impatient, or both parties could be perfectly calm.


Then perhaps לחכות בסבלנות would be better.
להתאזר/ להזדיין בסבלנות implies that the addressee (or is it spoken?) is impatient.


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