Greek · The Terraces
πουλημένε!
pouliméne!
poo-lee-MEH-neh · /pu.liˈme.ne/
You've been bought! / You're on the take! — accusing the ref of corruption.
genuinely rude; friends only, never at work
Literally
"sold one! (vocative)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Greek football's defining accusation: the referee has been "sold" — bribed by the rival club. "Πουλήθηκες!" (you sold out), "στημένο!" (it's fixed/rigged), "το ματς είναι στημένο" (the match is rigged) all live here, feeding a national obsession with refereeing conspiracy. Watch-your-audience 3, since it's a real allegation shouted at a real person. Outside sport, "πουλημένος" brands any sellout — a bought journalist, a corrupt politician.
Heard in the wild
Πουλημένε! Όλα υπέρ τους τα σφυρίζεις!
You're on the take! You whistle everything their way!
Where it lands
Greece & Cyprus (universal)
Quick answers
- What does "πουλημένε!" mean?
- In Greek, "πουλημένε!" means "You've been bought! / You're on the take! — accusing the ref of corruption.". Literally it's "sold one! (vocative)". Greek football's defining accusation: the referee has been "sold" — bribed by the rival club. "Πουλήθηκες!" (you sold out), "στημένο!" (it's fixed/rigged), "το ματς είναι στημένο" (the match is rigged) all live here, feeding a national obsession with refereeing conspiracy. Watch-your-audience 3, since it's a real allegation shouted at a real person. Outside sport, "πουλημένος" brands any sellout — a bought journalist, a corrupt politician.
- Is "πουλημένε!" offensive?
- It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
- How do you pronounce "πουλημένε!"?
- Say it "poo-lee-MEH-neh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: pu.liˈme.ne.
Related in Greek
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