Comments on: Big Mahoff

By: Ross L

Ross L — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:38:17 +0000

James is or was a Phila area guy at some point. There is a hometown museum honoring him less than an hour away. Same thing with Pearl S Buck but she never used the term.

By: doranb

doranb — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:58:23 +0000

In James Michener’s 1982 novel “Space” one of the characters says his father is “a mahoof at NASA.” Note the spelling, two o’s and one f. From the context it’s clear he means something like “bigwig.”

By: Lou Forgione

Lou Forgione — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:50:24 +0000

Growing up in South Philly in the 40′s and 50′s we would call the sewer the coal bin, the side walk was called the “payment”, and when we went to the Jersey Shore we described it as going “downashore”, and last but not least we called famous people “Big Mahoffs”. Where that Mahoff word came from I’ll never know. The funniest thing was after playing outside all day we would come in the house to cool off by eating watermelon and drink iced tea and the “Big Mahoffs” had window fans and I’ll never forget when we finally had one in our house. It was like fresh air from heaven. Oh those were the days my friend. Who can forget the men selling bleach from their horse and wagons along with the iceman, the milk man, the dry cleaner man, the insurance man, the knife and sciccors sharepening man and almost forgot the umbrella man and egg man. The real treat in the 40′s and 50′s was the waffle man with his hot ice to keep the vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream ice cold along with his gas burner to make the waffles and serve waffles and ice cream sandwiches……mmmmmmmmmm good! Another goodie was going to the Acame (acme) which is still referred to that to this day.

By: Mike S.

Mike S. — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:03:13 +0000

Baloney is NEVER EVER put on a Zep made in Norristown!
Your dear old mom must not have had a real Zep.

A Norristown, PA Zep is cooked salami, provolone cheese, tomatoe, onion, salt, pepper and oregano, and maybe hot peppers, that’s it… NO lettuce, nothing else.

By: Jim Callahan

Jim Callahan — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:08:32 +0000

If ‘mahoff” has a Hindi origin involving elephants, it may have something to do with the Philadelphia A’s baseball team. The mascot of the A’s was an elephant, and the A’s were the more popular baseball team in Philly in the early decades of the 20th Century over the Phillies.

By: Michael J.

Michael J. — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:26:57 +0000

Baloney is put on Zeps in Norristown, a local and cheaper sandwhich most likely from the 1930′s. My “Dear Old Mom” talked about them.

By: Steven Capsuto

Steven Capsuto — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:39:50 +0000

Wow, it never occurred to me that this might be a localism. I’m a Philly native and have used this expression most of my life. In fact, was about to use it in a text for publication (which I guess I won’t do now that I know it’s not widely understood).

Oh well… I suppose I’ll have to put “the big cheese” (mmmmm…. cheese…. cheesesteaks…..).

And yes, “macher” (in this sense) comes from Yiddish!

By: Luba Franty

Luba Franty — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:07:47 +0000

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By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:44:01 +0000

I believe the title “big mahoff” is actually a corruption of the concept of the “big mahout” or sometimes corrupted as “big mahoof”. The “big mahout” is the name given to the driver of a war elephant. The “big mahout” sits atop the elephant and is assisted with a 2-3 soldier ground crew. The “big mahout” by virtue of his perch can see farther and wider than the soldiers on the ground and that gave the commanders better intel on how the battle space was shaping up. The “big mahout” was, as Vice President Joe Biden might say, “a big f–king deal”. It comes from the Hindi language.

By: Jay

Jay — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:35:59 +0000

I grew up in New Jersey. My mother, born in Brooklyn, used it all the time. Even if its origins are Philadelphian, it has definitely spread.

By: Mort T

Mort T — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:46:37 +0000

Michael Smerconish of The Big Talker 1210 AM uses it all the time. He maintains that it is a Philly-only term.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 18:48:30 +0000

Used that term this morning to a bunch of blank stares. I am surprised it is so localized. I surely thought it was more common. And, Hoagies were originally ITALIAN lunch meat.