# μπαλωθιές



## adber010

What does this word mean?

μπαλωθιές

Cheers!


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## Andrious

Hi,

We call "μπαλωθιές" the celebration gunshots that are fired by people in the island of Crete, while they celebrate weddings, baptisms, engagements etc.

http://a.media.newsbomb.gr/items/cache/f8615db2912265b477857466e5893a8e_XL.jpg


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## cougr

I'm quite sure it's spelt with an "ο" but in any case "μπαλοθιά" can also refer to a penalty kick or shot in football and basketball respectively.


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## Andrious

Well, google shows 36,000 results for "μπαλωθιά" while 26,000 for "μπαλοθιά". Maybe they 're both correct cause I got a feeling it's not a "regular" word. I can't find it in a trustworthy dictionary.
About sports now, it has a more general use but it's always related to cretan teams. It can describe a goal, a victory etc. For example, last month, when Platanias (cretan football team) won Panathinaikos (athenian team), the newspapers wrote «ΜΠΑΛΩΘΙΑ ΜΕΣΑ ΣΤΟ ΟΑΚΑ». If you google the term, you 'll find plenty of such examples in the first pages.


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## cougr

Now that you mention it Andrious, yes, it is usually mentioned in relation to Cretan teams. As for the spelling of the word I'm probably mistaken and have perhaps been misled because in the past I had only come across it spelt with "ο"  but the funny thing is, searching Google Australia for _μπαλοθιές_ returns  576,000 results whilst _μπαλωθ_ι_ές_ returns  93,400. Not that that's indicative of its correctness.


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## adber010

Interesting! Just to add, I heard it being said in the mini series Flatmates. It's a scene where one of the characters is talking to her mom about her recent breakup. But I don't really catch what she is saying apart from the μπαλωθιές. I figure it has to be some sort of idiomatic expression cause it sounds to me as she is saying: Να έρθεις στην Αθήνα να *τον πλακώσεις στις μπαλωθιές* μπας και θα ξαναγυρίσει. Does that make any sense to you??? Here is a link to the episode if you want to check for yourselves, from 0:40.


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## Perseas

This is a metaphor. (The photo in post #2 depicts the literal meaning). I discern also an irony in the daughter's words, since the mother, who probably lives in Crete, wouldn't use gunshots to settle her daughter's problems with her friend.


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## adber010

Yeah there is definitely irony in there. But I'm still a bit confused about the verb πλακώνω in this case. Να τον πλακώσεις στις μπουνιές I've heard before, but here in this case it means "to shoot"? "You should to Athens and shoot him with balothies and maybe he will come back"?? So is it "shoot to kill" or what does the metaphor indicate? Or is it like "hey, you should come to Athens to announce our wedding and then maybe he will come back"?? Because then she should have just said something like να μας ρίξεις μπαλωθιές, right? 


Btw sorry for my incoherent rambling but I hope you get my point


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## Perseas

I think that the use of the metaphor has more to do with  the exercise of pressure/threat on the part of the mother. The aim is  unknown to me, maybe it is the wedding or to put him before his responsibilities in order to clear up his intentions.

I guess it means "to threaten him", "to speak to him in an angry way"... So, yes, in my opinion this is the point:





adber010 said:


> ... but here in this case it  means "to shoot"? "You should to Athens and shoot him with balothies and  maybe he will come back" ??


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## adber010

Thanks Perseas! I understand now


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## cougr

In regard to the spelling of the word it appears that my initial instincts were correct. 

*μπαλοθιά κ. μπαλοτιά (η)* (διαλεκτ.)  πυροβολισμός που ρίχνεται εθιμοτυπικά κυρ. στην Κρήτη κατά την τιμητική  υποδοχή κάποιου, κατά τη διάρκεια γιορτής, γλεντιού σε γάμους, βαφτίσια  κ.λπ.: _αρχίζω τις μπαλοθιές | ρίχνω μπαλοθιές_.
 [ΕΤΥΜ. < μεσν. _μπαλοτιά_ < _μπαλότα_ < βεν. _balota_ / ιταλ. _ballotta_ «σφαιρίδιο, κλήρος», υποκ. τού _balla_ «μπάλα»]. (ΛΝΕΓ)

Thanks to _nickel_ from _Lexilogia_ who brought it to my attention via a timely post on the matter.


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