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Thanks, Duke. An excellent rendering! What is the Greek for 'good clean fun'--a phrase in these more sophisticated days which almost excites mockery, I think. :(:)

Thank you both for your help. I know slang.gr is suspect, thanks to Palαύρα's former advice. I see certain words, like γκούτου γκούτου (is it really in use as an exclamation of surprise?!), meaning the same as πω πω or «τσ-ξςςςς!...», «ατιμούτσικο...», «πονηρούλη!», «δεν μας τά 'χες πει αυτά»...

What exactly does this word mean? A fool or idiot. I have this example from slang.gr: παπαροκτόνο Οτιδήποτε σου μικραίνει το πουλί ή σ' το κρατάει χαμηλά, π.χ. κανέλα [cinnamon is supposed to be a remedy for impotence!], κρύο κτλ. ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΓΜΑ - Πωπωπωπωπω, πολύ κρύο... - Άσ' τα να παν...

This is a common phrase in English to describe how a major horror bears no comparison with a minor one. E.g.: The massacre of innocent civilians in Mosul made the 7/7 bombings look like a Sunday school picnic. Sunday school is a class organized by a church that some children go to on Sundays...

Thanks as ever, Neikos, for your help. For πατινάδα I came across an article at http://www.rembetiko.gr/forums/showthread.php?t=24841. #4 seemed to be the most interesting as to the etymology of the word but I don't know how accurate the content is. As to Γουρνάδες there is a scholarly paper...

Ο μέσα Βούργος μ’ εκκλησιές χώρα με πατινάδες και το λιβάδι με δροσιές και με τις πρασινάδες. Απ’ την Παληόπολ’ έρχομαι και βγαίνω στις Γουρνάδες Μητάτα και Βιαράδικα έχουν τις πρασινάδες.

After a long search I have found them. These are they:- Ο μέσα Βούργος μ’ εκκλησιές χώρα με πατινάδες και το λιβάδι με δροσιές και με τις πρασινάδες. Does this stanza mean 'inner Bourgos' [= the Venetian fort] with churches, a place with erotic couplets and the meadow with its dews &...

Thanks, Nickel.

I would hazard a guess and say that the name is a byform of the Italian name Lucretia (Λουκρητία) and thus should be written as η Λουκρετσία or η Λουγκαρετζία.

At the risk of boring those who patiently help me to translate these folksongs, in this version of the Τσιριγώτικος there seem to be more verses sung than in the text I have given above. Can someone listen to the above song & tell me what the extra verses are? :(

My initial confusion has been cleared up. I found that the idiom seemed to have two contrary meanings. It seems clear that there is only one correct one, viz. 'you caused me suffering'. In any case, it is a very peculiar expression. Could you translate the sentence from The Gleaner for me:-...

Thanks so much, SBE. Με πήρες στο λαιμό σου seems to have two different meanings. See above under Modern Greel language queries. Thanks for all the other titbits that have helped me to understand this lovely song. :)

Thanks, Nickel for this detailed answer. So there are two different interpretations:- 1) i was the cause of your suffering or 2) you were the cause of my suffering. In the folksong from Ky SBE translates it as '' you caused me suffering, which makes more sense than meaning 1. See Τσιριγώτικος in...

Thanks both. Concise useful phrases.:)

Does the above phrase mean 'was I the cause of your suffering'? I know the phrase has a history. One account has this interesting note about a similar phrase:- Πήρε το κρίμα στο λαιμό του Στο Βυζάντιο όταν κάποιος πλούσιος καταδικαζόταν να μείνει στη φυλακή, είχε δικαίωμα να αντικατασταθεί από...

Here are two additional verses with help needed:- Εκεί γεννήθηκες κι εσύ, αχ, που να μην εγεννιόσουν Όμορφη Τσιριγώτισσα, με πήρες στο λαιμό σου Στον ουρανό η Άρτεμη, στη γη η Περσεφόνη Στα κάλλη και στην ομορφιά στον κόσμο είσαι μόνη. Όμορφη Τσιριγώτισσα, 'κει μακριά στα ξένα...

Here is one version of the above song from Kythera (Τσιρίγο). The queries I have about the song are in bold:- Ας χαμηλώναν τα βουνά να ’βλεπα το Τσιρίγο πω ’χει κορίτσια έμορφα και κόκκινα σα μήλο Πιο κάτω απ’ το Κάβο Μαλιά, πιο πάνω από την Κρήτη εις το Τσιρίγο τ’ όμορφο γεννήθηκ' η...

In an article about the word λούζερ (as in μπέιμπι λούζερ) slang.gr has this written: λούζερ Από την αγγλική λέξη loser = χαμένος, ηττημένος. Αυτός που έχει κάνει την ήττα τρόπο ζωής. Ο καθ' έξιν χαμένος. Αυτός που είναι βέβαιο προκαταβολικά ότι θα τα παίξει την κρίσιμη στιγμή. Αυτός που όπως...

Thanks, 'Man, for all this information and your translations of the three example sentences. The Greek dictionary definitions are so useful, once you know what to look for. :)

This very common spoken phrase is used when you are explaining your reaction to something, for instance, when you are making a complaint, suggestion, or excuse, so that the person you are talking to will not get annoyed with you. E.g. -I'm sorry I struck you. I didn't mean to. It's just that I...