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[repulsewarrior]

...here is one that is very subtle, i don't know if it is used anymore, but in Famagusta, when i was a boy i remember my cousin's husband greeting passer-bys, yiasas, he would say sitting in the front of his shop to the people who said yiasou but did not stop to talk. i asked, why do you say yiasas (the plural) to them, he said, them and their donkey. i have heard this reply from others, and i use it too, i would guess only a Cypriot would get the humour in it, maybe someone from Crete.

[tsukoui]

...here is one that is very subtle, i don't know if it is used anymore, but in Famagusta, when i was a boy i remember my cousin's husband greeting passer-bys, yiasas, he would say sitting in the front of his shop to the people who said yiasou but did not stop to talk. i asked, why do you say yiasas (the plural) to them, he said, them and their donkey. i have heard this reply from others, and i use it too, i would guess only a Cypriot would get the humour in it, maybe someone from Crete.

Spanish Cubans (or Canary Islanders) really have a tough time sexually being ignored by the tourists, yet they have a wealth of experience and fire which I think any Cypriot lady would appreciate. Not sure about intelligence agents like Stefanny (sic) they probably just want to use our girls, but the average Cuban on the street is certainly worth entertaining.

[Stephanie77]

F. Harry Stowe. I did it as a joke to see who would get it! You won! I use tricks like that to help me learn Greek.

[Paphitis]

Kalamaras doesn't mean squid. "Kalamari" in the old times meant "pen". Hence Kalamaras actually means a person doing mental work.
The mainland Greeks started been called Kalamaras because the main interaction of Cypriots with them was through educated mainland Greeks coming to Cyprus-usually as teachers.

That's spot on. Ironically, it sill manages to highlight the uneducated who think it means 'squid'.

Oh dear! I didn't come up with it.

It was someone else, and I cracked up laughing. I heard a case where someone was forced to change their surname because they were nick named squid!

And that my dear, is the Australian sense of humor which I'm afraid is a little above your level because Aussies (and Cypriots living in Australia) can be a little wonky, blunt to the point of being very offensive to those with a very stiff upper lip like some Brits such as yourself.

[Paphitis]

Well both of you are almost right... The kalamaras term came about because the teachers used the ink from the squid for their writings.

Morning all

Does no one read my posts

Sorry my darling. Good effort. But, it's ancient.

For example, Plato's Phaedrus - uses ' o kalamos' to mean 'the pen'.

And, 'the ink' was/ is 'to melan' (as in melanin).

Anything else?

And Kalamara could also mean the ink inside of a squid, hence the nick name Squid!

And you want to know something equally freaky! Australians can be very cultured but come across as anything but and they do it deliberately because they just want to be very down to earth. The humor is something other European cultures sometimes need to get use to. It's different!

But it was in fact a dinky Australian that came up with the Squid adaptation and I just thought it was incredible hilarious.

Now how do you think they came up with that?

Obviously, the Aussie chap is a very bright spark!

[tsukoui]

Are you talking about the last Brazilian president, Lula? His nick name was squid and he is still extremely popular

[miltiades]

"Kori" is an ancient word and it means "daughter" and it is also used to mean "girl". "Koristsi" is a newer word (medieval) and it is derived from "Kori".

Sotos, having given the matter.....my utmost attention I beg to differ as to the meaning of Kori and your assertion that is related to Koritsi. The reason is this.

You would introduce your daughter as " I KORI MOU " but never as " TO KORITSI MOU"
such description given to your ...girlfriend etc.

[Paphitis]

Oh and yes, Aussies love their Kalamari Rings too, so Kalamara = Squid! And they are familiar with kalamara btw to denote a Greek because Cypriot Australians ALWAYS refer to Greeks as Kalamareas and the Aussies have picked it up and obviously run with it!

They also like their Halloumi and call it squeaky cheese great for a barbecue and making Saganaki which they are also familiar with.

When I was in Greece recently, the place was infested with Australians. They outnumbered the Brits, Americans, and Europeans literally. It was like still being in Australia. And it was always good to bump into them because they are the most down to earth, easy going, fun loving and happiest travelers.

Don't worry dear, you would be the one to run a mile when hearing their accent, but they will run a mile after calling you a Squid!

But the Aussie stereotype is to be the arch racist. Well here is the enigma of it all. During WW2, there were 300,000 American Troops in Australia. In the pubs and bars, Aussie Soldiers would drink, and be merry with the African Americans, but fight with the whites. The Americans being true racists just thought the Aussies were flipping mad. The same thing happened in Vietnam. Whenever white Australians and white Americans were mixing, brawls would break out. But never with the African Americans. Books have been written about it.

[repulsewarrior]

...skinny asses; stin iyia sas, to your health (plural)

[Paphitis]

...skinny asses; stin iyia sas, to your health (plural)

And to you.