# Πού ξουρί....



## rupertbrooke

Can anyone explain to me the full meaning of this dialogue? I know who Loxadra is & the political background of the objects the shoe shine is carrying but why does Loxadra criticise the lad & why does she say: who is your haird(resser)....

Η Λωξάντρα στην Αθήνα:
—Το κορδόνι μεσ’ τη θήκη κ’ η ελιά μεσ’ το καθίκι. Εσύ τι είσαι, γιαγιά; λέει το λουστράκι που φέρνει τα τρόφιμα απ’ την αγορά.
—Φτου! Ουτανμάς, τσαχπίνι, απαντάει η Λωξάντρα.
Και το λουστράκι της λέει:
—Πριτς!
Και τη ρωτάει:
—*Πού ξουρί...*
Η Λωξάντρα τα χρειάζεται και κλειδαμπαρώνει την πόρτα της κουζίνας. *Τρομοκρατία*!(*scary!?*)


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## Yiagos

Ι am very surprised, where you found the text? 
*Check this thread* it is written in Greek but I have to inform you, these words (καθίκι, λουστράκι, ξουρί) are old fashioned, we do not use them anymore!
In modern Greek καθίκι means skunk/bad person, and you should avoid saying λουστράκι especially with young Greeks, they may think you call them gays!
In the text λουστράκι means someone who carries/brings goods and things to his boss.
Ξουρί means shave, it is an abbreviation of ξυρίζομαι (or ξουρίζομαι by bumpkins at villages).
However, it metaphorically means where you spend your time (informal).
Hope to help you!!


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## Perseas

With regard to _«Πού ξουρί... (ζεσαι);»_ : 
In this context it's anyhow out of place, but normally it's something you would ask a man, not a woman, in my opinion.


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## rupertbrooke

So why does Loxadra get annoyed when the λουστράκι asks how she is? Why is the ελιά in a δοχείο νυκτός/καθοίκι; Does πριτς here mean 'no' or does the λουστράκι blow a raspberry, a sort of πορδίτσα. at the γιαγιά? Finally, does she take the τρόφιμα from the λουστράκι; 
I have also asked Yiagos what τρομοκρατία means in this context?


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## Yiagos

Yes, πριτς means something like that, it is an informal expression for no , use it with your friends, NOT with anyone!!!!
In my opinion the word τρομοκρατία (ΟΚ I should learn the whole book either the story - not much free time) means an action when you order/act to do something  such as a General to his soldiers.

Lets post a modern discussion (phone call) to help you more....

- Που βολοδέρνεις; (where are you now - informal)
- Εδώ παραπέρα.... (somewhere near to you)
- Aν δεν έλθεις τώρα σπίτι, θα κλειδώσω την πόρτα και δεν θα μπορείς να μπεις!
- Με τρομοκρατείς; (verb τρομοκρατώ).

In this case (like your dialogue) τρομοκράτης/τρομοκρατία (both are nouns) does not mean terrorist as I already explained.


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## Αγγελος

Kαθήκι is a chamberpot. The word is very much alive, though somewhat vulgar; it's just the thing that is obsolescent. It is also used as an insult, roughly equivalent to 'bastard'.
Lούστρος is a bootblack. Again, you don't see many of those around these days, but the word is not by any means old-fashioned in its literal sense. Used to or about one who is _not _a bootblack, it is definitely also an insult. (My grandmother used it a lot.)
Λουστράκι or λουστράκος is a shoeshine boy, but shoeshine boys would also carry parcels for a few lepta.  Again, there aren't many of those in this day and age. But Yiagos's fear that it may be confused with πουστράκι (=little faggot) is probably exaggerated.
I must admit I have never heard the expression "πού ξουρί;", not sursprisingly if it is slang from the time when ελιά and κορδόνι were the emblems of the two main political parties!


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## Yiagos

Aggelos, we both agree that all these words are obsolete. In my opinion most of νεολέρα (slang expression for teenage) do not know them in the way you explained. I am almost 45 years old, yeah I have been for a long time in countryside and chatted with many old people but I don't use these words anywhere.
We all know any language is changing and our friend should avoid reading old fashioned Greek books. I am guessing that our friend is always using a good one (but not fresh) Greek to English dictionary such as D. Stavropoulos.
I am giving an example:
Kαπότα for old people means shepherd's jacket (heavy one full of wool), but a Greek teenagers know it as rubber/condom.
You post better explanations  OK your English is higher than mine, however, he understood the meanings.


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## rupertbrooke

Thanks, both for your help. Ξουρί is an abbreviation here for ξουρίζεσαι, which is cut short by the old lady who completes the word mentally. Ξουρίζεσαι=ξυρίζεσαι. Old ladies often have facial hair. The boy is insulting her.


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## Αγγελος

Γιάγκο, do you really think today's young Greeks don't know the literal meaning of λούστρος and καθίκι; I'll have to ask to ask my 21-year-old daughter  Of course, she has never had her shoes shined in the street (I have never done it, either) or used a chamber pot (that I do remember using, maybe up to the age of 5). I wonder if she has ever seen the mid-sixties movie Ο Λουστράκος


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