We all have a friend or two, or have encountered people in our travels, that tend to keep their nose in the air and generally think of themselves above their present company. You might describe these types of people as being “stuck up,” “pretentious,” or “snooty;” but here in Hawai‘i, we tend to refer to them as being high makamaka. Because the phrase tends to be used to define someone in a negative fashion, you want to avoid being seen as someone who is high makamaka. The phrase can also be used to rib your friend or significant other of being high maintenance.

While the word makamaka means “an intimate friend who gives and receives freely,” the word “maka” can be defined as “eye,” and can be inferred to mean that those who are high makamaka keep their eyes and their heads up higher than the rest of their company. Feel free to use it to bring your friends (or yourself) back to reality when you notice that their behavior is creeping a little too beyond the realms of sociable acceptance.