Monday, July 24, 2006

M for Malakas

Perhaps it is the most famous (or should I say popular) word Greek word around the world. It tends to be synonym of the word Greek. Its reputation has surpassed even "souvlaki", "tzatziki", "kalimera".
I spend around 10 days in Athens, which was filled with foreign tourists. Everytime I went out to the Mesogeion Avenue (a main Avenue in Athens) there was a fight held or a dangerous traffic violation or for no reason the word Malakas had been floating around the air and enter violently through our ears.
The official explanation of this word is that malakas is someone who masturbates a lot, or someone who does stupid things all the times. But its meaning is not stable. It basically changes its meaning through the phrases it is used. Even the Greek- Orthodox church uses the word, when a baby is baptised, the priest blesses it to protect it from "every sickness and malakia ( bad things to happen)"
I personally diasgree with the extended use of this word, since there more interensting words in order to offend someone like : Μαχλεπης, κολυγος, πομωνα, κλειδοκαργινιαρης, λινατσα etc.
There is some variety in the use of the word in phrases.Here is a list with the common phrases and some explanations:
-Τι λεει ρε μαλακα; (wassup)
-Σταματα να μαλακιζεσαι (Stop wasting your time)
-Τι εκανε ο μαλακας; (admiration or insult depending on the action of the offended)
-Γαμω την μαλακία μου (I Fuck my sperm (!))
-Τιγκα στην μαλακία ειναι (He does stupid things all the time)
To sum up if someone calls you malaka dont get offended immediatly, stop and thing what you did...
C U!

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