αλλάζω τα φώτα σε κάποιον

08:24 Apr 11, 2013
Greek to English translations [PRO]
Slang / έκφραση
Greek term or phrase: αλλάζω τα φώτα σε κάποιον
"Με το που κατέβηκε στις εγκαταστάσεις τους...άλλαξε τα φώτα!"
Chris_ta
Greece
Local time: 03:38


Summary of answers provided
4kick ass
tania mourtzila
4make someone's life miserable
Nick Lingris
4Had put a spanner in the works
transphy
4Beating the daylights out of someone
johnflorakis


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
kick ass


Explanation:
.......

tania mourtzila
United States
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
make someone's life miserable


Explanation:
Πολλές επιλογές έχεις. Δείγμα:

he made their lives miserable
he irritated them no end
he kept testing their patience


Nick Lingris
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:38
Native speaker of: Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  tania mourtzila: εξήγησε ο asker ότι δεν τους έκανε τη ζωή δύσκολη,αλλά ότι έφερε ανατροπές
21 mins
  -> Εμένα μου κάνουν τη ζωή δύσκολη άμα μου φέρνουν ανατροπές. :) (Έδωσα γενικότερες ιδέες για τον ιδιωματισμό.)

agree  gkarapapa: Μόνο που ίσως αναφέρεται στις εγκαταστάσεις, δηλ. redid them from scratch ή κάτι τέτοιο. Καλό βράδυ.
1 hr
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Had put a spanner in the works


Explanation:
Alternatives abound:-
Had created havoc for...
Had become disruptive to....
Had played the smart Henry to (them)
(had been/is/become) a smart ass

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Note added at 22 hrs (2013-04-12 06:51:18 GMT)
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OR ** had thrown a spanner in the works**

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Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2013-04-12 16:08:49 GMT)
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Common language, on a factory floor and between workers, could not be more English that, if somebody behaved like that, his co-workers would silence him by a very common phrase(officially not written down, however). They will just call out at him, 'stop being an arsehole'. Sorry for the language!!!

transphy
Local time: 01:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in category: 2
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Beating the daylights out of someone


Explanation:
Ακόμη το γνωστό-(beating) the living daylights

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Note added at 3 days22 hrs (2013-04-15 06:28:43 GMT)
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I n view of this extra info, how about "he started giving everyone a hard time", or "pestering everyone"?

johnflorakis
Local time: 03:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GreekGreek

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  transphy: Surely not!! Διότι η φράση σου αυτή σημαίνει ΄ξυλοδαρμό'!!
1 day 3 hrs
  -> How so? when the only info at the time was "αλλάζω τα φώτα σε κάποιον", i chose this explanation.
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