# Μου τη δίνει



## alfie1888

I've seen this phrase once or twice over the past few days and I'm unsure whether it's vulgar or not. I say "vulgar" because in my mind I understand this phrase to mean "it pisses me off" (as opposed to something not vulgar like "it annoys me"). What does it really mean? What does τη refer to?


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## Tassos

It is not vulgar in any case.
It is colloquial, yes, but not vulgar.
The English equivalent can be more something like "it bugs me", "I can't stand it", maybe somewhat stronger than "it annoys me" but not too much. 
Widespread use of this phrase began in the 80's. It was part of the "youth slang" of the period and we can say that it conveyed a measure of irreverence or "μαγκιά". But quickly it spread and is in regular use ever since (contrary to other phrases of the era that all but disappeared)
The "τη" does not refer to anything in particular. Since you know Italian it is more or less like the la in the phrase "ce l'ha fatta". It is a "generic pronoun" that appears in many phrases of the same ilk like "μου την έδωσε", "μου την έπεσε/πέσανε", "μου την έκανε" etc.


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## Perseas

I absolutely agree with Tassos. I think that there was also another version of "μου τη δίνει", less common than the first, meaning "I have a crush on someone". Exactly, in the 80s!


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## alfie1888

Tassos said:


> It is a "generic pronoun" that appears in many phrases of the same ilk like "μου την έδωσε", "μου την έπεσε/πέσανε", "μου την έκανε" etc.



Out of those three examples I only understand "μου την έπεσε / πέσανε". But the others... I've never come across. What do they mean?


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## alfie1888

Perseas said:


> I absolutely agree with Tassos. I think that there was also another version of "μου τη δίνει", less common than the first, meaning "I have a crush on someone". Exactly, in the 80s!



Might I be a bit _vulgar _here and ask whether in that case the "τη" might refer to... "στήση"? Haha!


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## Tassos

alfie1888 said:


> Out of those three examples I only understand "μου την έπεσε / πέσανε". But the others... I've never come across. What do they mean?



*μου την έπεσε* (singular only) - he or she hit on me, he or she made a pass on me, *μου έκανε καμάκι* (another "classic" 80's term, not used as much nowadays)
*μου την πέσανε / μας την πέσανε* - I was/we were attacked by a bunch of thugs/by the cops etc
*μου την έδωσε* - synonyms in Greek: τρελάθηκα, τσαντίστηκα, τα πήρα στο κρανίο, δεν άντεξα (I think you get the picture)
*μου την έκανε* or more frequently *την έκανε* - he/she left unexpectedly, he/she left when things started to get serious/difficult (even more colloquial - *την έκανε τσίου, την έκανε μ' ελαφρά πηδηματάκια*)



alfie1888 said:


> Might I be a bit _vulgar _here and ask whether in that case the "τη" might refer to... "στ*ύ*ση"? Haha!



No, I don't think so . What Perseas refers to is a meaning of "μου τη δίνει" encountered mostly in the movies by Γιάννης Δαλιανίδης or Όμηρος Ευστρατιάδης from the beginning to mid-80's. They tried to continue in the tradition of good-old Greek cinema but they also tried to be hip and modern by introducing a bunch of new faces and many, many of these expressions. It was the first time most of us heard them and we were very eager to adopt them in our everyday speech. I can easily picture Σταμάτης Γαρδέλης saying to Σοφία Αλιμπέρτη "Μου τη δίνεις ρε παιδάκι μου!" (I can't remember if he actually said something like that ) but even so it has no vulgar connotations whatsoever, it's more or less a fairly good translation of "I'm crazy for you babe!". And as it is implied from the previous posts, this meaning didn't last too long...


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## Perseas

alfie1888 said:


> Might I be a bit _vulgar _here and ask whether in that case the "τη" might refer to... "στήση"? Haha!


"Στύση" you mean? No, in principle it does not refer to that, of course I cannot rule out at all that by this expression some may allude to that. I understand this more as --let me say -- a person shows his/her attraction to another person in this slang way but the physical thing is not "visible" in the phrase.

*crossed with Tassos' answer and I see that we agree.


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## ireney

Alfie think of "It rains", "it's snowing" etc. What does "it" really refers to? Theoretically it could be the weather but in reality "it" doesn't refer to anything specific at all.


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## atento

It is the same in English: IT gets on my nerves.


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