κατσικώνομαι = overstay one’s welcome
Despite the size and weight of Babiniotis’ dictionary, there are some omissions that seem to suggest there might be problems with the corpus or database. However, in fairness to the renowned lexicographer, I must point out that Word highlights κατσικώνομαι as being incorrect. In times of need, where do you go? Not Ghostbusters but www.slang.gr and Βικιλιξικό.
Nobody seems to know the etymology of κατσικώνομαι. It is suggested that it might come from κατσίκι (= goat) or κάθομαι (= sit or stay), the past and the imperative of κάθομαι being έκατσα and κάτσε respectively. I would opt for the κάθομαι etymology as it ties in with the meaning of planting yourself in someone’s home and not moving.
Βικιλιξικό gives two meanings: 1) κάθομαι σε ένα σημείο, ενοχλώντας κάποιον, και δεν μετακινούμαι and 2) πεισμώνω, έχω ιδιότροπη συμπεριφορά. The first leans towards overstaying one’s welcome, while the second means not budging in the sense of stubbornness. Βικιλιξικό gives a number of synonyms, my favourites being στρογγυλοκάθομαι and μπατσακώνομαι.
www.slang.gr does not define κατσικώνομαι. Instead it gives στρογγυλοκάθομαι as a synonym accompanied by this uncompromising example: “Στρογγυλοκάθομαι, δε λέω να φύγω και τους γράφω όλους στ’ αρχίδια μου.” Loosely translated: “I’m staying put. I’ve got no intentions of leaving and they can all fuck off.” It is suggested that στρογγυλοκάθομαι might have its roots in the Ottoman custom of a group sitting at a low round table to eat. I like to think it also means curling oneself in an armchair and staying there, much to the annoyance of one’s host!
The example www.slang.gr gives for κατσικώνομαι is “Μου κατσικώθηκε, που λες, η καριόλα και δεν ξεκόλλαγε για ένα μήνα. Τελικά την κυνήγησα άγρια.” = “I mean the bitch really overstayed her welcome and I was stuck with her for a month. In the end I chucked her out.”
Finally, the standard Greek expression for overstaying one’s welcome is “to pay [someone] an Armenian visit” = κάνω αρμενική βίζιτα. What have the Armenians done to deserve this? I must look into it.