A word I didn’t know in either language until the day before yesterday (9th September). A popular Greek singer, 54-year-old George Mazonakis, entered a private clinic in Kolonaki at around 1:30pm. At some point the emergency services were called, Mazonakis was ambulanced to the ‘Ελπις (Hope!) Hospital where he either died or was pronounced dead.... Continue Reading →
26/010 Greek Word μπαταχτσής or μπαταξής – a welcher
Someone who is slow or reluctant to pay what he owes, a κακοπληρωτής in more formal Greek. Στα τέλη Αυγούστου 2026, η πρόεδρος της Πλεύσης Ελευθερίας χρησιμοποίησε τον όρο αυτό για να εξαπολύσει σφοδρή πολιτική επίθεση κατά του Πρωθυπουργού. Η Ζωή Κωνσταντοπούλου χαρακτήρισε τον Κυριάκο Μητσοτάκη ως «νοικοκύρη πρωθυπουργό και ταυτόχρονα μπαταχτσή πρόεδρο κόμματος» It... Continue Reading →
26/009 Greek Word γκασμάς – a pickaxe
While browsing www.voria.gr I came across a sad story where a man in his 30s had barricaded himself and some family members in their home. He was armed with a γκασμάς. Fortunately, the police persuaded the man to hand himself in. As in many of these cases, the man had stopped taking his medication. From... Continue Reading →
26/008 Greek Word πληροί – fulfils/complies with
It is not often that a Greek word leaves me stymied. It occurred in the following sentence. “Αρχικά, κατά την πώληση ενός μεταχειρισμένου οχήματος, οι έμποροι θα είναι υποχρεωμένοι να προσκομίζουν είτε μία έκθεση αξιολόγησης που να αποδεικνύει ότι το όχημα πληροί ορισμένες προϋποθέσεις για την ασφαλή κυκλοφορία του, είτε ένα έγκυρο πιστοποιητικό τεχνικού ελέγχου και καταλληλότητας κυκλοφορίας.”... Continue Reading →
26/007 Greek Word Ξερόλος/ξερόλα – a knowall
An easy one. From ξέρω + όλα. I was watching Inspector Inspector George Gently the other day. As I’m interested in Greek, I pay a lot of attention to subtitles. Gently’s sidekick, Bacchus, referred to a very able policewoman as an “arrogant knowall”. I didn’t catch if αλαζονική was used for arrogant, but ξερόλα was... Continue Reading →
26/006 Greek Word Παρεμπόριο – illicit trading
In the article below there are details of various fines being imposed on street traders. Παρεμπόριο is a broader term than λαθρεμπόριο (smuggling) in that it covers selling goods without a licence to do so, selling bootleg products, selling products that have not been VAT rated, and selling without a trader's licence. It always amazes... Continue Reading →
26/005 Greek Word σκατοσβουρήχτρα – a shit-stirrer
My reliable informant used σκατοσβουρήχτρα to describe a female acquaintance. It didn’t require a profound knowledge of Modern Greek to realise it wasn’t a compliment. It was quite a hard word to find, but AI came up with the following: Κυριολεκτική βάση: Προέρχεται από τις λέξεις «σκατό» και «σβουρίζω» (γυρίζω σαν σβούρα, ανακατεύω). Αναφέρεται μεταφορικά... Continue Reading →
26/004 Greek Word νταγλαράς – a big, strong, burly guy
We have an immovable wardrobe in our bedroom. Sooner or later we are going to have to shift it to access the wall behind it and assess how much it is suffering from mould or dampness. My wife said she was going to ask the painter to come along with two νταγλραράδες to pull the... Continue Reading →
26/003 Greek Word σκαλώνω – catch, hit a snag
My daughter was stopped at a junction in Athens when a migrant asked if she wanted her windscreen cleaned. She could not understand why the cars in front had all switched on their windscreen wipers since it wasn’t raining. Then she found out why. The fucker stole her wipers. She got a new pair at... Continue Reading →
26/002 Greek Word καβουρμάς – corned beef
My little grocer’s across the road does a good job of stocking the basics, the kind of place you’ll pop into late in the evening if you’ve run out of milk, bread or beer. However, Alexandros, the grocer, also has an interesting range of processed meats. For example, a while ago he had μπαρούτι Αδάνων... Continue Reading →
26/001 Greek Word τεκνατζού – a cougar
No, not the America mountain lion, but an older woman who prefers to have sex with younger men. The word is interesting for two reasons. The -τζής/τζού suffix (masc/fem respectively) denotes jobs, usually trades e.g. μπογιατζής (painter) and τζαμτζής (glazier). The first point of interest is that there does not appear to be a male... Continue Reading →
25/022 Greek Word – κουτούκι – a small traditional taverna
According to Babiniotis it is a μικρή, συνήθως, υπόγεια ταβέρνα όπου προσφέρεται κυρίως βαρελίσιο κρασί συχνά με φαγητό σε χαμηλές τιμές. From the Turkish kütük meaning a log or tree stump, and the expression kütük gıbı (= blind drunk). I think Babiniotis is wrong in using “υπόγεια” as they are not underground; “ημιυπόγεια” (semi-basement) might... Continue Reading →
25/021 Greek Word – πεσκέσι – a gift
One more Turkish loanword. If used correctly, it means specifically a gift of food or drink. According to Babiniotis, its second meaning is τυχαίο απόκτημα as in “μαζί με την προαγωγή του ’ρθε πεσκέσι και ο πρώτος λαχνός στο λαχείο.” As well as getting promoted, he also won first prize in the lottery. Here it... Continue Reading →
25/020 Greek Word – σκρατς
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 →
25/019 Greek Word – γαμίδι – a source of annoyance.
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 →
25/018 Greek Word – κιούσπα – an unattractive woman
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 →
25/017 Greek Word – μπαφιάζω – to have had enough of something.
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 →
25/016 Greek Word – νέρντουλας
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 →
25/015 Greek Word – τσαλαπετεινός
A new addition to the domestic insult list. As I emerged from the bedroom this morning, the woman of the house took one look at my hair and called me a τσαλαπετεινός, the Eurasian hoopoe. At least, the insults are getting more exotic. A combination of τσαλί (çalı in Turkish, a kind of dry grass used... Continue Reading →
25/014 Greek Word – παστρικιά – a whore or prostitute
An unusual one. How does one get from παστρικός (scrupulously clean) to παστρικιά? πάστρα = καθαριότητα. Παστρεύω = to clean, especially with a brush made of a tough reed or grass called σπάρτο (esparto grass?). OK, we’re still miles away from whore. Παστρικός, as we have said, means very clean. By the nature of their... Continue Reading →