Μην πουλάς φύκια για μεταξωτές κορδέλες

सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि

In traditional Greek 'laiki' (street markets), haggling is common. This phrase is a tool for the buyer to signal they are experienced and cannot be cheated. The phrase is so common in politics that it appears in newspaper headlines almost every week to describe government or opposition promises. Because Greece has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, many idioms involve the sea. Seaweed is seen as the ultimate 'worthless' sea product. To accuse someone of this is to challenge their 'filotimo'. It suggests they are acting without dignity by trying to scam their fellow citizens.