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Thanks to all! I hope, Philip, you are getting better! I get confused over μόνος, μοναχός & μοναδικός-- perhaps there is a general principle governing their usage. Άλλωστε in the vocabulary had only the two meanings 'moreover/besides'. The translation help was, as always, much appreciated. A...

This paragraph describes a fish restaurant, packed full after ten in the evening:- Και καθώς ακόμη το βραδάκι κάνει σχετική δροσιά κι ο μπάτης φρεσκάρει, οι πελάτες που συνήθως δεν είναι στην πρώτη νεότητα προτιμούν να συνωστίζονται στην κλειστή αίθουσα, μοναδική άλλωστε, του κέντρου. Φίσκα...

Thanks, SBE. That explains the image:-

Thanks, 'Man, for the translation & all the information relating to σανός. In the lines Πως γίνεται στον κάθε παλαβιάρη, what floored me was the meaning of στον in στον in στον κάθε παλαβιάρη. I took it to mean 'Explain to me how it happens to a fool that thousands to fall off the turnip cart'...

At the end of a song that Daeman referred to δηλ. βαρέθηκα τη μίζερή μου φύση occur the words Πώς γίνεται στον κάθε παλαβιάρη κουτόχορτο χιλιάδες να βοσκάν. Can someone translate them for me? Κουτόχορτο seems to play a part in idioms like τρώω κουτόχορτο. Or references to it 'to be taken two...

Thanks, Nikel & the good Duke. We call the them in 'done them damage' or 'cut roses from them' the 'dative of disadvantage'.

Indeed you were the source but I had found an alternative expression while looking at Σκασίλα μου μεγάλη. For some reason my iPad kept capitalising every letter & I eventually gave up & left it as it was. It is behaving itself at last! Thanks to 'the coiner of this realm' for his long...

Thanks again, SBE! The του φθηνότερο is my error. It should be το as you spotted. But the error sparked off a very useful note about the Sterea Ellada/Roumeli! It is worth a tsamikos in your honour. I should mention that when I went to Delphi village with a school party one Palm Sunday shortly...

Many thanks, SBE, for this entire & very clear rewrite. Does the first τους in the sentence 'they both run downstairs beside themselves & look to see if they have done them any damage δηλ. to their property? :)

Thanks, Pal Αύρα. Do βαριέστη & εχέστη have any meanings or are they merely rhyming with the main phrase?

What does the above mean? I've also come across this equally obscure verse:- Χριστός Ανέστη ο παπάς εχέστη κι από την τρομάρα του ξύνει την κωλάρα του which is quoted in a footnote under slang.gr σκασίλα μου μεγάλη και δέκα παπαγάλοι, a slang entry which makes little sense. Suggestions, please.

This sentence occurs in the piece mentioned in my last thread under Modern Greek language queries:- Ξέρουν πού πουλιέται τό καλύτερο καί του φθηνότερο. What does it mean? Πού thus accented means in this little book means 'who; which; that; when'. When it means 'where' it is accented ποῦ. Does...

For starters, how would I translate the title thread into Greek? The difficulty I have been faced with in this latest story is that by & large I have no doubt about the sense. But there are so many instances of τους/τούς that I need them sorting out. The passage deals with two spinster sisters...

Thanks, Pontios. That's an extremely useful piece of advice. I have been coming across να so frequently & finding it difficult to translate. I'll use this formula in future & let you know how I get on!

A pretty good 'off the top' by all accounts! Thanks for the extra information, 'Man, as ever. The only trouble with this little book is that it sometimes has katharevousa elisions (like νάστε & νάρχονται) & a lot of factual material is outdated, such as saying that there are no civil marriages...

Thanks for all this information, Palavra. I didn't quite understand the 'exclamatory use of the να'. Now I do, as well as the tone of the passage.

You didn't embarrass yourself, Duke! You have answered the question perfectly. I only put in Πρωτομαγιά 2, because, as I said, the first Πρωτομαγιά seemed to have slipped under the radar. Thanks, Duke.

Thanks, Pontios. Can you give me a further comment on the 'exclamatory use of να'? I took the sentence to mean: ''for you to look after your roses all year & on May Day for people to come & cut them off for you without so much as by your leave!' Is that about right? I find this repeated να very...

Πρωτομαγιά 2 I have written this note in Πρωτομαγιά because it may have slipped under the λεξιράνταρ. Some of the customs on the Eve of Mayday have no doubt died out. In a description of one particular custom the children have vaulted over someone's hedge & cut the prime roses in his garden...

Thanks, Drx7! The book did also mention κύτος.