Greek · Frustration & Fate
μας πήρε τα σώβρακα
mas píre ta sóvraka
mahss PEE-reh tah SOH-vrah-kah · /mas ˈpi.re ta ˈso.vra.ka/
It cost a fortune / it cleaned us out — outrageously expensive.
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"it took our underpants"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A vivid idiom for getting fleeced: the price "took our underwear" — i.e. left us with nothing. Used for a shocking bill, a rip-off, a brutal tax. Bar-safe 2 thanks to the underwear. Sibling expressions: "μας έγδαρε" (it skinned us), "τσουχτερός λογαριασμός" (a stinging bill), "αλμυρό" (salty = pricey). Deploy it when the taverna check for four bottles of water and a Greek salad arrives.
Heard in the wild
Το ρεύμα φέτος μας πήρε τα σώβρακα.
The electricity bill this year cleaned us right out.
Where it lands
Greece (mainland); understood in Cyprus
Quick answers
- What does "μας πήρε τα σώβρακα" mean?
- In Greek, "μας πήρε τα σώβρακα" means "It cost a fortune / it cleaned us out — outrageously expensive.". Literally it's "it took our underpants". A vivid idiom for getting fleeced: the price "took our underwear" — i.e. left us with nothing. Used for a shocking bill, a rip-off, a brutal tax. Bar-safe 2 thanks to the underwear. Sibling expressions: "μας έγδαρε" (it skinned us), "τσουχτερός λογαριασμός" (a stinging bill), "αλμυρό" (salty = pricey). Deploy it when the taverna check for four bottles of water and a Greek salad arrives.
- Is "μας πήρε τα σώβρακα" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "μας πήρε τα σώβρακα"?
- Say it "mahss PEE-reh tah SOH-vrah-kah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: mas ˈpi.re ta ˈso.vra.ka.
Related in Greek
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Outrageously expensive".
- German sauteuer Ludicrously expensive / a total rip-off price
- Japanese たっけえ Damn, that's expensive! / highway robbery
- Korean 개― Dog- as a prefix: 'insanely / totally' — and slang-positive as often as negative.
- Polish pojebany Insane / fucked in the head — for people, plans, and prices that have lost their minds.
- Portuguese Pra caralho As hell / a shitload / extremely
- Russian До хрена A shitload / a hell of a lot / way too much
- Spanish Lana (gesto) Money / cash / it'll cost you
- Polish zdzierstwo A rip-off / highway robbery.
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