mahoff

mahoff
 n.— «The man known as “the big mahoff” of Philadelphia gambling told the Kefauver senate crime committee today that he…denied cash payoffs to Richardson for protection.…Rosen and Weisberg, both Russian born, came to the hearing together.…Weisberg explained that “the big mahoff” means “the big shot,” but deined he had ever heard Rosen called that.» —“‘Big Shot’ Tells of Gifts to Cop in Philadelphia” by Willam Moore in Washington, D.C. Chicago Daily Tribune Feb. 20, 1951. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Centaur, the Horace Mann Mascot

The mascot for Horace Mann Elementary School in Washington, D.C. is a centaur, that mythological creature that’s half-man, half-equine. Say the name of the school several times quickly, and you’ll see why. This is part of a complete...

When Pigs Fly (episode #1571)

Don’t move my cheese! It’s a phrase middle managers use to talk about adapting to change in the workplace. Plus, the origin story of the name William, and why it’s Guillermo in Spanish. And a five-year-old poses a question that...