Mamash Tov

Here's an expression you don't hear everyday unless, of course, you're from Israel.

Now that we've made friends with Victor and Julia, I'm learning street Hebrew while frosting cakes. (More on that later.)

Mamash tov is pronounced "muh mazh tovf" and means "very well" or (I think) "very
good." (I'll have to check the grammar on that.) Mamash can also stand alone to mean, "Really!" as in "Is that so? Amazing!" If I told you all my laundry was caught up, you'd be right in saying with suspended disbelief, "Mamash!"

When asked, "How are you?" you say, "Mamash tov." Of course I kept forgetting the "tov" so I was sounding like a dumb American. How are you? Very. Julia would laugh, shake her head and emphasize with her expressive hands, "Mamash tov! Mamash TOV!"

I got it right tonight. I went to a local church to hear Victor speak. (I was sad that a host church would only have 14 adults show up, and 3 kids who paid not a lick of attention to him, but that's off topic.) Afterward Julia spotted me and asked, "How are you, Zoanna?"

"Mamash tov!" I replied. She rewarded me with her hearty laugh and guttural "Mamash tov. You got it!"

Sometimes I forget that not everyone cares about English, let alone any other language. I'm sure I get on the nerves of unsuspecting strangers when I dole out spontaneous grammar lessons.

Yesterday, for instance, I took the two Joels, Daniel ,and Stephen to the toy store. I told them they could pick out anything they wanted up to five dollars each. Then I hung back and watched them make hard decisions.

A male employee who was playing with a remote control convertible approached and greeted me warmly.

"How are you?" he asked.

Poor guy. You don't know what can of lox you just opened.