# Eσπερίδα for Cocktail party?



## Cosmas1

Good morning everyone,

Is there a word,or phrase for a cocktail party.  From my previous thread inquiring about a gathering without food, there doesn't seem to be, but can one carry over a word like συγκεντρωση is probably too much of a "meeting". I found the following word but wonder if anyone uses it?

εσπερίδα

Thanks.


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## GreekNative

Hi Cosmas,

Actually, συγκέντρωση is not so much used to mean "meeting", and we definitely don't use it for a business meeting; among other things (προεκλογική συγκέντρωση = pre-election rally, συγκέντρωση διαμαρτυρίας = rally of protest, στρατόπεδο συγκέντρωσης =　concentration camp, etc), it can very much be a casual gathering of friends at someone's place. For a cocktail party you can simply say πάρτυ κοκτέηλ, but this is less casual, and is usually carried out at a hotel lounge or in the lush gardens of some seaside restaurant or hotel, sometimes with a pool, etc, where guests usually wander around, women would wear a cocktail dress and men would be dressed "smart casual". So you get the picture. 

Εσπερίδα is not used at all these days; you sometimes hear the word χοροεσπερίδα, which is usually a dance party that i.e. Greeks of the diaspora organize once in a while in their country of residence. 

Since I'm the one who answered your question in the previous thread though, I'll let others come up with more ideas, hopefully.


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## Nightelf

maybe a single word "Πάρτυ" will cover it.


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## Cosmas1

Hi everyone,
I hate to keep harping on this but the idea of their being no word for a cocktail party seems odd. Would inviting people for μεζἐδες solve this?

Θα χαρουμε να σας δεχτουμε στο σπιτι μας για μεζἐδες.  That way we are just using Greek words, and we are making it clear that it's not dinner but just snacks like a cocktail party.

Any thoughts.


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## GreekNative

Hi Cosmas, 

I think that μεζέδες is a bit tacky for this situation. Nowadays we tend to use this word in a different context, just to describe what food there was at a tavern we've been to. In my view, "Θα χαρουμε να σας δεχτουμε στο σπιτι μας για μεζἐδες" might sound funny; the first part of the phrase is a bit official and "written language", until you reach the word mezedes which turns the style upside down to spoken language. That's my view...

But it's true, can't think of any other word for what you want to say here...


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## Cosmas1

I agree that "μεζεδες" would not be appropriate for a formal invitatation, but for an informal one -- where we are just inviting friends for what in English we would call a cocktail party -- then do you think that saying:

          @font-face {   font-family: "Cambria"; }@font-face {   font-family: "Lucida Grande"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }     Ελάτε παιδιά για μεζέδες. Θα μαζευτούμε στο σπίτι για μεζέδες στης 5:00.


... sets the right tone and lets them know that it's not a dinner?


Thank you for hanging in there with me on this...


Also, should I say Ελἀτε για μεζἐδες or Ελἀτε για μεζε?


Thank you.


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## GreekNative

Again, personally I wouldn't use the word μεζέδες. Nothing wrong with the word, but I think that it relegates what you offer to something cheap. And the entire phrase has a smell of 70's. 

I think that these days one would just say "Παιδιά, λέω να μαζευτούμε σπίτι μου κατά τις πέντε, να πιούμε κάτι. (and you might want to add Θά'ρθετε; )". It's a natural and casual way to invite friends to your place for a drink. You make it clear there's not gonna be any real food around but, at the same time, in nowadays' Greece it almost goes without saying, and people would assume, that it won't just be drinks, but also something to munch on.

P.S. I can hang in there with you on this all you want. And I hope we can come out with a word for a "cocktail party without food", but I really don't think we will. So, don't hold your breath! ))


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## Cosmas1

Thanks, GreekNative.  It's fun to try. I'm glad you appreciate it.


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