It is getting better but mobile telephony in Greece is still quite expensive. There is still no real competition as neither Wind nor Vodafone is allowed to undercut the former state-owned COSMOTE. I’m with the bad boy COSMOTE and I am a light user. To tell the truth, one thing I do like about COSMOTE is that they allow you to carry over unused data, calls and SMS provided you do it within the specified date. Each company has different schemes, often with non-Greek names, and often confusing or inappropriate. One of my favourites for inappropriacy – unrelated to mobiles – was Olympic Airways’ frequent flyer card. It was called “Icarus”, which – if you know your mythology – did not inspire much confidence.
COSMOTE has a pricing scheme called “What’s Up”, confusing because in Modern Greek there is no equivalent sound to the “u” as in “cup”, which can sometimes be pronounced as “cap”. So, it can be difficult to establish whether someone is talking about What’s Up or WhatsApp. English is everywhere as in the following examples What’s Up DIY, Combo, Combo Max, Mini Combo, GIGA MONTH. Even Greek is partly or wholly written in the Latin alphabet: #pare_DWSE, #pare_MOIRASE and, my favourite, #pare_KAVATZA, which is my word of the week.
καβάτζα (kavadza), sometimes written as καβάντζα. It seems to have two basic meanings:
- a store, something put by for a rainy day
- an alternative solution, a plan B
For COSMOTE #pare_KAVATZA means you can claim 1 hour talk time or 5GB internet provided your last renewal occurred within the 60 preceding days. And you can do this twice in one month, so in this context fulfils the first definition. There is always humour in tragedy. I found this story online:
Μετά την έκρηξη της ατομικής βόμβας στη Χιροσίμα σε κάποια χαλάσματα εντόπισαν οι διασώστες κάποια γριούλα σε κακή κατάσταση (τρόπος του λέγειν δηλαδή). Σ’ ένα μισογκρεμισμένο ράφι είδαν ένα μπουκάλι με σάκε (το παραδοσιακό Ιαπωνικό ποτό).
-“Έλα γριούλα” της λένε “πάρε να πιείς λίγο ποτό, να συνέλθεις”
-“Όχι παιδιά”, τους λέει, “αυτό το έχω για ώρα… ανάγκης”!
Αυτός είναι ο ορισμός της έννοιας της “καβάτζας”.
After the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, rescuers found an old lady in a terrible state among the ruins. On a near-collapsing shelf they found a bottle of Japan’s national drink, sake. They said to the old lady, “Have a little drink so that you can pull yourself together” to which the old lady replied, “No, lads, that is for an emergency.”
The author concludes that the above story illustrates the true meaning of καβάτζα.
www.slang.gr gives the following:
Τέλειωσαν οι μπίρες ρε μαλάκα = We’re out of beer, you twat,
Έχω μια εξάδα (στην) καβάτζα, μη σε νοιάζει = Don’t worry, I’ve got a six-pack tucked away.
In a very interesting discussion https://www.news247.gr/sthles/skoufakia/kavatza-ena-meros-me-simasia.6646463.html the author adds that in addition to the synonym ρεζέρβα, καβάτζα also means κρυψώνα (the place where things are hidden – usually illegal) or a refuge or hideout (καταφύγιο) of sorts.
Finally, and more darkly, this article https://marymary.gr/εισαι-η-καβατζα-του-το-ανεχεσαι/ suggests that καβάτζα can mean a metaphorical ‘doormat’ when someone you love does not really love you but uses you as a sexual reserve or stand-by.
So there a number of meanings:
- a store, something put by for a rainy day
- an alternative solution, a plan B
- a stash (of something illegal)
- a hiding place (usually for something illegal – – the kids’ Christmas presents won’t be there)
- a hideout or refuge
- a doormat, and, last but not least from www.slang.gr
- η καβάτζα του Χότζα (Enver Hoxha’s stash), which supposedly means Albanian cannabis.
If you wish to go deeper into the word, there are additional meanings, but I have bored you enough this week.