το λένε του παππού μου τα τεφτέρια

In this peculiar song the above puzzling sentence occurs about 'ledgers' with one or two other minor points:

Ο Νικολάκης

Σ’ το ’πα Νικολάκη, στο ξανάπα
σ’ το ’πα Νικολάκη δε μ’ ακούς
οι γυναίκες θέλουν, θέλουνε και φάπα [a punch, blow]
για να μην μας λένε μαλακούς.

Γυναίκες και μπουζούκια μοιάζουνε
το λένε του παππού μου τα τεφτέρια,
και τόνο και σκοπό αλλάζουνε
αν πέσουν στα κατάλληλα τα χέρια.

Σ’το ’πα Νικολάκη η γυναίκα [this is a hanging nominative, presumably referred to in της and the subject of στρώσει κτλ.]
σ’το ’πα Νικολάκη σοβαρά
καν’ της το σκληρό και το γκιουλέκα [the bully]
και θα στρώσει [she will break you in??] και θα σ’ αγαπά [and love you]

Γυναίκες και μπουζούκια μοιάζουνε
το λένε του παππού μου τα τεφτέρια,
και τόνο και σκοπό αλλάζουνε
αν πέσουν στα κατάλληλα τα χέρια.

How are women and bouzoukis similar in respect of the 'ledgers of my grandfather'?
And is wife beating approved of, however jocular this context?

A few years ago- must be at least 15, an older gentleman from a well-to-do Greek London family, a type like Ζάχος Χατζηφωτίου, was telling us about how his mother, by then quite elderly, went to Greece on holiday and turned the TV on and could not believe her eyes at the violence against women in comedy series. In almost every show there was some instance in which a woman would get a slap (φάπα) or more, with no consequences for the perpetrator. Clearly for Greek comedy writers of the time domestic violence was not a big deal, and it was still possible to get laughs out of it.
I though he was exaggerating, then I went to Greece on holiday and turned the TV on and saw the following conversation taking place in comedy series:
Young man holding a pizza box enters the room and shouts:
Μάνα, έφερα μια πίτσα να φάω. Πετάξου πάρε μου δυο μπύρες απ’ το περίπτερο.
The mother promptly enters and they start talking as if nothing had happened, not sure what because by then I had switched off. In bold are the words that would have probably landed me with a slap from my mother, had I talked to her like that. The scriptwriter obviously grew up in a different kind of family.

Sociologists might tell you that men feel emasculated by women's equality and tv scripts are perhaps the last place where it is still acceptable to misbehave because nobody takes them seriously and they are a good laugh after all etc. etc. etc. I am not convinced.
In any case, I will only say this about my fellow countrymen (and women) : affluence and stability made us more conservative in our social values. Instead of being of the 21st century, most people regress to the values of the 1950s.

So 'grandad's ""ledgers'"' mean in effect 'grandad's notes' on how to deal with a woman? There seems to be nothing remotely funny about any violence against anyone, let alone women. Thanks for your note, SBE.

His grandad's books say that women and bouzouki are alike, and they both change their tune in the right hands.

Thanks, SBE. Does στρώνω here mean what I suggested. It is an odd word to me in this conτext.

Στρώνω II. (μτφ., για πρόσ.) 1. ενεργώ έτσι ώστε κάποιος να συμμορφωθεί, να βελτιωθεί, να διορθωθεί: Είναι λίγο τεμπέλης / απρόσεκτος / επιπόλαιος αλλά θα τον στρώσω. ΦΡ ~ κπ. στη δουλειά, τον αναγκάζω, τον υποχρεώνω να δουλέψει. ~ κπ. στο ξύλο / στο βρισίδι, τον δέρνω / τον βρίζω πολύ. ~ κπ. στο κυνήγι, τον καταδιώκω επίμονα.

A good dictionary is what you need. And, as in all languages, don't stop at the first meaning, keep reading.

γκιουλέκας ο [gulékas] Ο4 πληθ. γκιουλέκηδες : (λαϊκότρ.) ο νταής, ο ψευτοπαλικαράς: Kάνει τον γκιουλέκα. [ίσως ανθρωπων. (όν. Aλβανού επαναστάτη)]

Theseus said:

Σ’το ’πα Νικολάκη η γυναίκα
σ’το ’πα Νικολάκη σοβαρά
καν’ της το σκληρό και το γκιουλέκα
και θα στρώσει και θα σ’ αγαπά

Click to expand...

SBE said:

Στρώνω II. (μτφ., για πρόσ.) 1. ενεργώ έτσι ώστε κάποιος να συμμορφωθεί, να βελτιωθεί, να διορθωθεί: Είναι λίγο τεμπέλης / απρόσεκτος / επιπόλαιος αλλά θα τον στρώσω. ΦΡ ~ κπ. στη δουλειά, τον αναγκάζω, τον υποχρεώνω να δουλέψει. ~ κπ. στο ξύλο / στο βρισίδι, τον δέρνω / τον βρίζω πολύ. ~ κπ. στο κυνήγι, τον καταδιώκω επίμονα.

Click to expand...

SBE said:

And, as in all languages, don't stop at the first meaning, keep reading.

Click to expand...

Ας βάλουμε και τη συνέχεια εδώ να είναι μαζί με το υπόλοιπο:

2. αποβάλλω, εγκαταλείπω τις κακές συνήθειες ή συμπεριφορές (που είχα στο παρελθόν): Παντρεύτηκε / μεγάλωσε και έστρωσε. Mου υποσχέθηκε ότι θα στρώσει.

I have many good dictionaries and I went through the meanings, until I found what I thought was the appropriate one. Στρώνω had many such possible meanings: see http://www.wordreference.com/gren/στρώνω and, of course, Pórtal, the Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek, as quoted from above.
'Man once remarked that it is difficult often even for a native speaker to find their way through a bewildering catalogue of alternatives. I also looked up γκιουλέκας and found the meaning as equal to νταής. This, I find, was difficult to render into English--'bully, rough, scrapper, taunter and toughie' were the translations given.
Thanks, Duke, and, of course, SBE.:) So here, in context, it means 'if you knock her about, she will improve and love you'. Ugh......:!!!! Revolting.:down::down:

Not just improve, but be the way you want her to be.

There was some news about equality in Greece the other day... Here is an article.

And of course the only reason you may not notice sexism in Greece, Theseus, is because it is mainly what researchers call benevolent sexism. The "poor you, you are so weak, we'll help you" kind.
I must admit that coming from that to the UK, I was not prepared for the "B£@$&, I'll destroy you because no woman is better than me" of my sector in the UK, but at least in the UK it is an attitude confined to certain areas and the media is trying to be politically correct and not propagate prejudice, whereas in Greece you get sexism from everywhere and especially the media. Everything appears normal, yet there are times where I suspect that my interlocutor thinks: why am I talking to this old and ugly woman?
Here’s a recent experience, relatively mild compare to past ones. At a Greek-related conference. It was during the break and we were queueing for coffee. The guy next to me (a Greek Londoner, middle aged and an academic) had asked a very pertinent question in the previous session. So I thought that would be a good opening (also was an area that I had researched a bit) and I said: "I found your question earlier very interesting, why do you think blah blah blah?"
His reply was along the lines of: Ώχου κυρά μου, τί κάθεσαι και μου τσαμπουνάς τώρα. Δε φτάνει που η ατυχία μου με έφερε να είμαι δίπλα σου στην ουρά, θα πρέπει να σου μιλήσω κιόλας;
The words were different but there was a clear message there that I was not worthy of small talk. And this was a total stranger. At a social event. To the casual observer it might not have been obvious, but I sensed that if I were 25 there would have been a different reaction.

My sister who is now an emeritus professor of Constitutional Law, was annoyed by a male colleague who opened his lecture with the words "Gentlemen and girls". The young women were supposed to shrug this off but my sister received several hundred complaints when she opened her lectures with the words "Ladies and boys", on the grounds that she had been patronising! There were no complaints by the women.
The man next to you gave an inexcusable comment, not only for his rudeness but for daring to say "you were droning on/blabbing". My mother, an Anglican priest's wife and lovably formidable would have poured your cup of coffee all over him.....you acted with great restraint and commendable dignity.:):)

I have to clarify, he did not use those words but the whole body language, facial expression, a dismissive hand movement and the tone of voice conveyed the same meaning as if he had said those words.

A mannerless and uncivilised man. We are not all like him! Thanks, SBE :)