Irish music and life in northern Greece
Seen on TV last night in an ΟΠΑΠ advert. Again, an unnecessary borrowing as there are at least two words in common use, ξύνω and γρατζουνίζω. The call to war was originally ξύστο (scratch it) but it has recently changed to σκρατς (as in the picture). Greek dictionaries haven’t caught up with the word yet.... Continue Reading →
26th October. The feast of St. Demetrius and the 113th anniversary of the retaking of Thessaloniki from the Turks. It’s not a national holiday but it is a quasi-public holiday in our co-capital. As today is a Sunday, the schools are closed tomorrow, and again on Tuesday for Greece’s second National Day, Όχι Μέρα. In... Continue Reading →
29th September 2025. The search for a session home continues. If we don’t find anything suitable by the end of the year, I will admit defeat. Although we had a very enjoyable session last Sunday at my place, I don’t think a house session is a sustainable option in the 21st century. We need a... Continue Reading →
As reported in 25/019 Greek Word, my nephew has been offered a place in a School of Medicine here in Greece. Getting his transcripts from the UK was one problem; Getting everything translated, signed, sealed and delivered was another. At a time like this, who ya gonna call? Nepobusters or, maybe Mesobusters, the web of... Continue Reading →
As I have said previously, when you’re with young people you pick up new words, with νέρντουλας, κιούσπα and γαμίδι all being heard in one afternoon. My nephew finished his schooling in England. He has been offered a place in a School of Medicine in Greece. As usual with life here, everything was last-minute and... Continue Reading →
When you are in the company of young people you are often exposed to new expressions. Κιούσπα was one I heard last weekend. In the context, it meant an unattractive woman. www.slang.gr says it’s chiefly used in Northern Greece in two contexts: 1) the aforementioned, and 2) bad quality heroin or marijuana. Κιούσπα also means... Continue Reading →
When my mother-in-law was asked if she was ready to leave the village and return to Thessaloniki, she said yes and added “Μπάφιασα” – I’ve had enough. It’s a synonym of μπουχτίζω, and both are more often heard in the past tense. Μπαφιάζω can mean that your μπάφιασμα is due to anything from boredom to... Continue Reading →
One of the books I read when I was doing my teaching diploma was Jean Aitchison’s Language Change: Progress or Decay? While Linguistic conservatives tend to decry any borrowing, I tend to sympathise with them only when there already exists a word in the home language. However, some of the “native” words are often made-up... Continue Reading →
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