Greek is full of colorful, dramatic, and downright hilarious expressions. Some sound totally bizarre when translated word for word into English – but that’s what makes them so charming!
Here are some of the funniest Greek expressions, what they literally mean, and how Greeks actually use them.
1. Μου έφαγε τα αυτιά
🗣️ "He ate my ears."
Meaning: He’s been nagging me non-stop / He kept talking about it
When to use it: When someone won’t shut up about something!
➡️ Ο Γιάννης μου έφαγε τα αυτιά να πάμε εκδρομή.
(Yiannis kept nagging me about going on a trip.)
2. Έχει καβούρια στις τσέπες του
🦀 "He has crabs in his pockets."
Meaning: He’s stingy / doesn’t like to spend money
➡️ Δεν κερνάει ποτέ, έχει καβούρια στις τσέπες του!
(He never treats anyone—he’s super stingy!)
3. Τρώει τα νύχια του για καβγά
👊 "He’s eating his nails for a fight."
Meaning: He’s itching for a fight / looking for trouble
➡️ Μην του μιλάς έτσι, τρώει τα νύχια του για καβγά.
(Don’t talk to him like that, he’s looking for a fight.)
4. Έμεινα με το στόμα ανοιχτό
😮 "I was left with my mouth open."
Meaning: I was shocked / amazed
➡️ Όταν μου είπε τα νέα, έμεινα με το στόμα ανοιχτό!
(When she told me the news, I was speechless!)
5. Τον έπιασε κόψιμο
🚽 "He got a cutting."
Meaning: He had sudden diarrhea
➡️ Μόλις έφαγε το σουβλάκι, τον έπιασε κόψιμο!
(As soon as he ate the souvlaki, he had to run to the bathroom.)
6. Κάνει την πάπια
🦆 "He’s acting like a duck."
Meaning: He’s pretending not to know / avoiding responsibility
➡️ Έσπασε το βάζο και τώρα κάνει την πάπια.
(He broke the vase and now he’s acting innocent.)
7. Έφαγα πόρτα
🚪 "I ate a door."
Meaning: I got rejected (from a club, a person, etc.)
➡️ Πήγα στο μπαρ αλλά έφαγα πόρτα, είχε private party.
(I went to the bar but got turned away—it was a private party.)
8. Πέρα βρέχει
🌧️ "It’s raining over there."
Meaning: Totally irrelevant / He has no clue what’s going on
➡️ Μιλάμε για το πρόβλημα και αυτός πέρα βρέχει.
(We’re discussing the issue and he’s completely out of it.)
9. Μου ανέβηκε το αίμα στο κεφάλι
🔥 "My blood rose to my head."
Meaning: I got really angry
➡️ Όταν είδα τον λογαριασμό, μου ανέβηκε το αίμα στο κεφάλι!
(When I saw the bill, I got furious!)
10. Τρέχει και δεν φτάνει
🏃♂️ "He’s running and not reaching."
Meaning: He’s overwhelmed / can’t keep up
➡️ Έχει τόση δουλειά που τρέχει και δεν φτάνει.
(He has so much work, he’s drowning in it.)
🤓 Why Learn These?
Greek expressions are not just funny—they teach you how Greeks think, feel, and live. They’re full of exaggeration, humor, and drama… just like Greek life itself!
Which Greek expression is your favorite?
