# Meaning of the line: “τσιμπούμε τις παντόφλες” (from a rebetika song)



## ikeshut

I am seeking help to interpret the meaning of a line in the rebetika song, “Κάτω στα λεμονάδικα (Οι λαχανάδες)” [“Down at Lemonadika (The pickpockets)”] written by Vangelis Papazoglou (first recorded in 1933).  The line is: “τσιμπούμε τις παντόφλες”. 
The song is about a couple of pickpockets operating at a busy fruit and vegetable market area of Piraeus harbour known as Lemonadika.  The pickpockets are caught and the verse where the line occurs is where they explain the nature of their work and how or why it often lands them in prison.  There is some wordplay going on, with wallets being referred to as ‘cabbages’ (λάχανα); so the pickpockets (λαχανάδες) ‘eat the cabbages’.  The verse (and my interpretation) is as follows (with the line highlighted):

Εμείς τρώμε, βρε εμείς τρώμε,                  We eat, hey we eat,
εμείς τρώμε τα λάχανα                            we eat ‘cabbages’;
εμείς τρώμε τα λάχανα,                           we eat ‘cabbages’,         
*τσιμπούμε τις παντόφλες*                      ???
για να μας βλέπουν τακτικά                      so we regularly see
της φυλακής οι πόρτες                            the prison doors                                               

τσιμπούμε seems to mean tweak, squeeze, prick or pinch, and may possibly have a parallel with the English term “pinch” meaning “steal”, but beyond that I can’t see how the other words fit with some sort of comprehensible meaning.  I would appreciate help from members of the forum.


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## Acestor

Hi. It is explained in the Greek version of Wiktionary. It's a slang word for a wallet or a purse.

5. (αργκό) πορτοφόλι (γενικά) < από το επί το πλείστον δερμάτινο πορτοφόλι για ψιλά, λόγω του σχήματός του όταν είναι ανοιχτό.
Εμείς τρώμε τα λάχανα, τσιμπούμε τις παντόφλες, / για να μας βλέπουν τακτικά της φυλακής οι πόρτες (από το τραγούδι του Βαγγέλη Παπάζογλου "Κάτω στα λεμονάδικα")

παντόφλα - Βικιλεξικό


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## Perseas

Hi,
"παντόφλες" means "wallets" in jargon.
"λάχανα" in jargon were the pre-war paper money whose colour resembled the colour of the cabbage leaves. Therefore it meant the content of the wallets and then maybe (?) the wallets themselves.

crossed with Acestor


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## ikeshut

Thank you Acestor and Perseas, that makes it a lot clearer for me.  It makes so much more sense that 'cabbage' is refers to the money.  So the line "τσιμπούμε τις παντόφλες" basically means "we pinch (steal) the wallets"?


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## Perseas

Yes.
*τσιμπώ 
3.* (οικ.) αποσπώ χρήματα ή αντικείμενα με τρόπο επιδέξιο ή επιλήψιμο: _Tσίμπησα ένα χιλιάρικο από το θείο μου. Tου τσίμπησαν το πορτοφόλι στο λεωφορείο._


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## ikeshut

That's great, thank you.  So "extract wallets" might be closer to the meaning.


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## Perseas

I am not sure about "extract" -maybe yes- but "τσιμπώ" is slang. "Pinch" maybe?


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## ikeshut

that's really helpful - thank you


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