Signification
A situation took a wrong turn
Contexte culturel
In Greece, business is often personal. If a deal 'goes crooked,' it might be discussed over coffee rather than through formal emails. The phrase reflects a more relaxed, relational approach to professional setbacks. There is a common Greek belief in 'the unexpected' (το απρόοπτο). This phrase allows people to acknowledge failure without necessarily taking full personal blame, attributing it to the 'crookedness' of the situation. In modern Greece, you'll often see this in Viber or WhatsApp messages when plans change. It's a quick way to say 'it's not happening' without a long explanation. Sometimes, when things 'go crooked' for no apparent reason, Greeks might jokingly (or seriously) blame 'the eye' (το μάτι).
Use it to save face
If you forgot to do something, saying 'στράβωσε η δουλειά' sounds less like you forgot and more like 'circumstances' prevented it.
Not for 'Work'
Don't use it to mean you are literally doing your job in a crooked way. It's about the *outcome* of a situation.
Signification
A situation took a wrong turn
Use it to save face
If you forgot to do something, saying 'στράβωσε η δουλειά' sounds less like you forgot and more like 'circumstances' prevented it.
Not for 'Work'
Don't use it to mean you are literally doing your job in a crooked way. It's about the *outcome* of a situation.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing verb in the correct form (Aorist).
Είχαμε κανονίσει να πάμε για καφέ, αλλά ______ η δουλειά.
We use the 3rd person singular aorist to describe a plan that already failed.
Match the situation to the most likely response.
Your flight is canceled and you can't attend a wedding.
This is the natural way to explain a travel-related failure.
Which sentence is the most natural for a casual conversation?
Talking about a failed business deal with a friend:
This is the most idiomatic and natural choice for a casual setting.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
3 exercicesΕίχαμε κανονίσει να πάμε για καφέ, αλλά ______ η δουλειά.
We use the 3rd person singular aorist to describe a plan that already failed.
Your flight is canceled and you can't attend a wedding.
This is the natural way to explain a travel-related failure.
Talking about a failed business deal with a friend:
This is the most idiomatic and natural choice for a casual setting.
🎉 Score : /3
Questions fréquentes
3 questionsOnly if you have a casual relationship. In a formal meeting, say 'Προέκυψε ένα ζήτημα' (An issue arose).
Yes, it always implies a failure or a setback.
You could say 'Όλα πήγαν κατ' ευχήν' (Everything went according to wish) or 'Όλα πήγαν ρολόι' (Everything went like a clock/smoothly).
Expressions liées
έκατσε η στραβή
similarA bad thing happened/bad luck struck.
στραβομουτσουνιάζω
builds onTo make a face/pout.
όλα πρίμα
contrastEverything is going great (sailing with the wind).
