Greek Idioms
A curated set of 14 idioms in Greek — literal translations, real meanings, and where each one comes from.
- Σιγά τα λαχανικά — Big deal! (extreme sarcasm) Literally: Quiet, the vegetables!.
- Τρώω τα νύχια μου — I'm extremely anxious and impatient. Literally: I'm eating my nails.
- Να πας στα τρία ρέματα — Get lost or go away; an irreverent dismissal telling someone to leave you alone. Literally: Go to the three streams.
- Έχει φτερά το χρήμα — Money disappears quickly and easily without your realizing how you spent it. Literally: Money has wings.
- Φέρνω νερό στο μύλο κάποιου — Unwittingly help someone achieve their own goals while thinking you're working against them. Literally: Bring water to someone's mill.
- Τα έκανε θάλασσα — He made a complete mess of it. Literally: He turned it all into a sea.
- Μου άναψες τα λαμπάκια — You made me furious. Literally: You lit up my little lamps.
- Τρώω κουτόχορτο — To act like an idiot, as if drugged into stupidity. Literally: To eat fool's-grass.
- Μου έφυγε το καφάσι — I was utterly shocked. Literally: My crate flew off.
- Άλλα λόγια ν' αγαπιόμαστε — You're dodging the point or talking nonsense. Literally: Other words so we may love each other.
- Κάνω την πάπια — To feign ignorance; to play dumb. Literally: To play the duck.
- Τρώω πόρτα — To be refused entry or turned down flat. Literally: To eat door.
- Πιάστηκε στα πράσα — Caught red-handed. Literally: Caught in the leeks.
- Μασάω τα λόγια μου — To mumble and not speak plainly. Literally: To chew my words.
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