κασόμπρα του συρμού

[davidr]

Hi All,

This phrase is in the song Τουμπελέκι τουμπελέκι, and while they discuss the word κασομπρά over at the rempetiko forum, they don't say anything about the του συρμού part; I'm sure it's because it's obvious to native speakers, but it's not so obvious to us foreigners!

I think it might be used humorously in the song to mean "fashionable, of high fashion", but I'm really uncertain. The whole verse is:

βρε, ποια κυρία , ποια κουρέλω, βρε ποια κασόμπρα του συρμού,
βρε έναν κόμη σαν τοιούτο να τον περάσει γι' αλεπού

say, what lady, what tramp, say, what fashionable tramp (???),
could pass by an earl/count (?) like this like a fox

That's probably ridiculously wrong. Honestly, I don't particularly like this song, but I'm very curious about the phrase.

Thanks for any help!

 

[drsiebenmal]

Hi david,

You're correct with the fashionable suggestion.

του συρμού means "in", της μόδας, but mostly in an ironic way of speaking:

συρμός² ο : (παρωχ.) μόδα, συνήθ. στην έκφραση κτ. είναι του συρμού, είναι μοντέρνο, συχνά και με αρνητική φόρτιση: Είναι του συρμού τα κινητά. From ΛΚΝ, here.

(παρωχ.) from παρωχημένο, obsolete

 

[sarant]

Note also that του συρμού is on quite another (higher) register than κασόμπρα, κουρέλω etc. and this is done on purpose to create a comic effect.

 

[Palavra]

Could anyone shed some light on the etymology of κασόμπρα; I googled it but didn't come up with anything...

 

[drsiebenmal]

From the ρεμπέτικο φόρουμ: http://www.rembetiko.gr/forums/show...DD%EE%E5%E9%F2&p=166312&viewfull=1#post166312

κασόμπρα: η τιποτένια, η άσχημη, η χαμηλής νοημοσύνης, με κακούς τρόπους, η κακοντυμένη γυναίκα. [Άγνωστης - μέχρι στιγμής - ετυμολογίας η λέξη αυτή...]

 

[davidr]

Thank you so much to everyone! I had a feeling that it was meant ironically or comically and that the registers were different, as you explained Sarant. Y'all are such nice people to help out us learners---many thanks!

 

[jj21]

Hi All,

This phrase is in the song Τουμπελέκι τουμπελέκι, and while they discuss the word κασομπρά over at the rempetiko forum, they don't say anything about the του συρμού part; I'm sure it's because it's obvious to native speakers, but it's not so obvious to us foreigners!

I think it might be used humorously in the song to mean "fashionable, of high fashion", but I'm really uncertain. The whole verse is:

βρε, ποια κυρία , ποια κουρέλω, βρε ποια κασόμπρα του συρμού,
βρε έναν κόμη σαν τοιούτο να τον περάσει γι' αλεπού

say, what lady, what tramp, say, what fashionable tramp (???),
could pass by an earl/count (?) like this like a fox

That's probably ridiculously wrong. Honestly, I don't particularly like this song, but I'm very curious about the phrase.

Thanks for any help!

Του συρμου means train ... This expresion means you are like the last wagon of a train .. you re "last" (basse classe , banal , kits) or draged (go where the wind blows) or trite (banal, hackneyed, clichéd, platitudinous, vapid, commonplace, stock, conventional, stereotyped, overused, overdone, overworked, stale, worn out, timeworn, tired, hoary, hack, unimaginative, unoriginal, uninteresting, dull, uninvolving, old hat, corny, cornball, cheesy, boilerplate
commonplace, stock, threadbare, old-hat, hackneyed, banal, timeworn, shopworn, tired, well-worn) like all the wagons of a train are look the same and goes where ever they go without will power