Non Jewish Southerner, I’ve only heard it in movies and such.
Humorist and cartoonist Milt Gross often had one of his characters (Morris Feitlebaum) use “in de bast from helt”, kind of as an interjection.
I always heard t as a Jewish thing among my immigrant parents and their greena friends. I assumed it was a yiddishism. Didnt realize how common it was! (Non-NYC person here. Definitely not limited to NYC)
Non Jewish New Englander and it’s familiar in a shows-and-movies-set-in-NY way. Certainly nothing I’ve heard anyone say in real life, but given only 1% of the population is Jewish here it’s not surprising if the saying is from Yiddish.
It’s a pretty direct translation of what my mother always said (and I do too): “Trug gesunderhayt”. “Gay gesund un kum gesund” (“Go in health and come [return] in health”) is a totally different phrase. My mother used that too.
And I grew up 90 miles from NYC.
Yeah, but you’re a Gentile.
Native Southern Californian here. I don’t recall ever hearing it IRL, but I also consider it ‘well known’ from TV.
I always thought that it was used dismissively. Like: ‘Oh, it’s so nice you bought/were given an expensive new coat/piece of jewelry/whatever. I hope you enjoy rubbing your good fortune in our faces!’ Is it usually used sincerely, like ‘Mazel tov!’?
Absolutely sincerely! It means “enjoy it and I hope it brings you pleasure”. I’ve never heard it ever used in a negative/sarcastic way.
I play poker with Old Jewish Guys (and, yes, I always lose). Everything they say is negative/sarcastic.
So when I’ve heard it (in reference to a new coat), there was a sense of “Well, I can’t say it was a wise purchase, or particularily stylish, but, hey, you’ve got your health… for now, anyhow, but anything could happen, and you in that coat that might not look like much but it’s servicable, even though my brother-in-law could’ve gotten you a nicer coat with some better workmanship, but hey, Mazel Tov anyhow, it could be worse …”
Yeah, they talk a lot.