Tachlis
TACH-liss • Noun
תכלית
The brass tacks; the bottom line. Getting straight to the point after stripping away small talk.
It is the linguistic tool to cut through corporate jargon. Not rude, but a collaborative demand for immediate practical clarity.
The 'CH' here is a soft, scratchy sound made in the back of your throat—exactly like the end of the composer 'Bach'. Rhymes with 'dock-less' with extra friction.
Standard YIVO transliteration: takhles
Dialects: TAKH-liss (Central/Galician) vs. TAKH-les (Standard YIVO/Litvish).
Etymology: From Hebrew tachlit (תכלית) — purpose, end goal. The everyday English 'tachlis' preserves the Galician vowel.
"Enough pleasantries about the cousins—let's talk tachlis on the dowry."
"The brainstorming session was fun, but we need to meet tomorrow to talk tachlis on exact deliverables."