# ΗΤΑΝ ΟΛΑ ΤΑ ΛΕΦΤΑ



## NYEast72

Kalimera - what on earth does this expression mean ??  I know it doesn't mean ""it was all the money".... 

The person was remarking about something I had said...or offered....but I do not know exactly the meaning of this expression.

Thank you .....for your help.


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## Andrious

If we say "αυτό που είπες ήταν όλα τα λεφτά", it means that what you said was the most important, correct or funny (in good or bad sense) thing, depending on the context.


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## NYEast72

Efxaristo polli Andrious - kali mera naxis


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## alfie1888

After seeing this yesterday, I was reminded of this phrase being something that plagued me for a while as it was something I heard often and actually even used once or twice having an understanding of the meaning but no feeling of certainty with regards to an English equivalent in existence to my knowledge (even as a native speaker). 

Anyway, what I have just come up with as a possible translation (which, in British English, covers all the situations and contexts Andrious mentioned) is: 
_
"what you said [there] was *spot on*!"_

Thoughts? Alternatives from across the pond? I assume that you are from New York going by that user name!


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## NYEast72

Yes Alfie, I'm a New Yorker (Greek) .... .... thanks for the British aspect of what might constitute an English equivalent to this phrase .... hahahaha....however, "spot on" is just not by any stretch of the imagination close..... hahahaha

I really don't think it is quite the one !!!  I cannot ask the person who wrote it what the heck they meant  .... but, perhaps I should just ask my cousins in Athens...........and see what she says ....  all this "slang" I am not familiar with ... alla tha to matho giati eimai polli periergi kai eimai polli "stubborn" .....

Sas efxaristo polli gia tin voithia sas kai otan matho ap tin ksadelfi mou,, tha sas po ti mou ipe....kali sas mera ......


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## ireney

Examples of usage may help?

Say you're seeing a comedy that's really funny but there's that one line/scene that just leaves you really, truly rolling on the floor laughing. Well that one is "όλα τα λεφτά".

Say you're discussing what caused the gas shortage in NY and someone mentions either what you too believe is the most important factor or something that comes as a revelation to you. That is "όλα τα λεφτά".

Say you are extremely generous. That's "όλα τα λεφτά".

Say I'm being a smartdonkey and, I don't know, correct everyone's English or something and then I do one of my hideous typos or I use one of my frequent Greekicisms. Well, that will be "όλα τα λεφτά" too.


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## NYEast72

Thanks Ireney ... for your input into this rather strange expression.... never heard it before and am not up to date with the current slang in Greece.
For the life of me I just cannot grasp the real meaning of this phrase...even though I have been quite fluent in Greek all my life .... but what we speak here and what they speak there are not exactly the same.  However, I think that if I were to put this phrase in context with the remarks it was connected to ,,,
(with what I now know from all you nice people on here) it probably would be that they wanted to say "it was fantastic/it was great".....

Oh well, I know a bit more now than I did before, hahaha,,, and I kinda found this silly phrase,,, kinda funny ... Have a nice Thanksgiving !!


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## shawnee

Interesting. I've also never heard it before. I wonder if its provenance is not the English expression, 'right on the money' for a perfect answer.


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## NYEast72

Hi...I think this silly expression has hit a little nerve here ... and I cannot stop laughing.....
OK....in context with the email message I received, "right on the money" just really isn't there yet.....perhaps ... but not for me.  I guess you really have to be accustomed to hearing and speaking certain words and terminology in order to fully comprehend the meaning implied !!!

OK ... I will admit a little more which might help everyone ... this gentleman I know in Greece (Athens) made that remark in response....or in reference to a
somewhat romantic remark I had made the day before....he referenced it in his email and said ... "ta logia sou itan mia xara .... idieteros to "........" ,,,, 
EITAN OLLA TA LEFTA !!!!!!!!!!  Ante na katalavis tinafto.....xaxaxaxaxaxaxa.....now I'm a bit embarrassed guys .... I will post exactly what my two cousins tell me tomorrow from Athens - wish you all a good night and sweet dreams - and, Happy Thanksgiving to those os us in the U.S.


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## shawnee

I did not say, or imply that 'right on the money' was the English equivalent translation, but that it might have been the source, which has, in tranlation, been adapted to a particular Greek usage.


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## cougr

Just to recap then, as has been alluded to by Andrious and ireney, the expression "όλα τα λεφτά" can refer to someone or something that is really really good, funny or clever. It can also refer to that which is the consummate example of it's class. In this case an equivalent expression would be "the ants pants" (or is this just an Australian expression?).

Depending on the context it can also refer to (as has been pointed out in the above posts) to something that is correct or accurate, in which case expressions such as "right on the money", "spot on" and "hit the nail on the head" would be appropriate.


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## Eltheza

cougr - in the UK, the _ant's pants_ would be the _bee's knees_! What a great thread! In some contexts, perhaps _that (really) takes the biscuit/cake_ would fit:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/really-take-the-biscuit


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## cougr

Eltheza said:


> cougr - in the UK, the _ant's pants_ would be the _bee's knees_!   ...



I actually had the _bee's knees _at the tip of my tongue but for the life of me it wouldn't come out at the time. So I'm glad you posted it.

An appropriate example in this case would be: Αυτή η σειρά είναι_ όλα τα λεφτά -_This series is _the bee's knees_.



Eltheza said:


> ......In some contexts, perhaps _that (really) takes the biscuit/cake_ would fit......



I agree.

Incidentally, now that I remember, ήταν όλα τα λεφτά has been previously discussed here.


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## Eltheza

I _knew_ I'd seen it before here! Thanks for that!


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## Live2Learn

Could it, at least in some cases, be translated as 'to be worth its weight in gold'?


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