מאַכעטיינעסטעmakheteyneste meaning in Yiddish

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co-mother-in-law, busybody · noun (f.)

Also spelled in English: machatenesta, machetaynista

A very specific family dynamic packed into one word. The tension between the two mothers of a married couple.

די מאַכעטיינעסטע האָט שוין ווידער עפּעס צו זאָגן.

“The co-mother-in-law has something to say again.”

Think of the passive-aggressive compliments passed between in-laws at a wedding.

Published 8 August 2026

Yaacov, native Jerusalemite

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