They were standing near the clock tower of the Anchiskhati Basilica. Enzo had just dropped a whole bowl of churchkhela (Georgian candy) into a puddle. He threw his hands up and cried:
An old Georgian woman nearby laughed and said, “Swartad, bichobo!” — “Exactly, young man!”
— Deda chemoo!
— Deda ginat!
Tiko grinned. “Yes. But in Georgian, mama means , not mother! And mia means ‘there it is’ or ‘here you go.’ So he literally shouted: ‘Father, there it is!’ — like ‘Oh my gosh!’” mama mia qartulad
“Exactly,” Tiko said. “But there’s one more. The most famous one.”
“You got it,” Tiko said. | Expression | Language | Literal meaning | When to use | |------------|----------|----------------|--------------| | Mama mia | Italian | My mother | Surprise, frustration, awe | | დედა ჩემო (Deda chemoo) | Georgian | My mother | Same as above — very common | | ვაი, დედა (Vai, deda) | Georgian | Oh, mother | Shock, pain | | მამა, მია (Mama, mia) | Georgian | Father, there it is | Sudden surprise (jokey, emphatic) | They were standing near the clock tower of
— Vai, deda! (Oh, mother!)”
She walked him to a cliff overlooking the Mtkvari River. “If you see something truly amazing — like a rainbow over the entire city — an older Georgian might say: — Deda ginat
Enzo’s eyes lit up. “Really? What?”
