As the 14th annual Palm Desert Greek Festival approaches, event organizers have a special message for everyone: Na spasoume piata!

If it sounds like Greek to you, it is.
Pronounced “nah spa-su-may pee-ata,” the literal translation is: “Let's go break some plates.”
The meaning behind expression? It's time to party Greek style. The public is invited to do that Saturday and Sunday at St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

Festival goers will again enjoy Greek appetizers, entrees and desserts, Greek music and dance.

Vendors will feature paintings of Greece and Greek grocery items and coffees.

Front and center, of course, will be the Greek language.

Food menus are peppered with Greek words.

Before you let intimidation set in, here are a few words and phrases, compliments of St George parishioners , you might have fun with. Some of the spellings are phonetic, church members said.

‘Yassou,” (ya-sue), “Literally it means health to you,” said the Rev. Theodore Pantels. But you use it to say hello, he said.

As “food coma” sets in, Pantels suggested remembering “Kimateh meh ta rhouha tou” (kim-a-te may ta ru-ha to), which translates literally to: “He's asleep with his clothes on,” Pantels said.

“It means that person is out of it,” Pantels said.

For the parents in attendance, church members offered, “tha fas xilo” (fas silo).

Often a warning to children, the literal translation: “You're going to eat wood.”

This one might be self-explanatory.

“My parents used to say that to me,” Pantels said. “I never knew what it meant until I learned Greek.”

As for the menus, no need to worry, said kitchen organizers.“We see people come up, and if they are trying to pronounce something, we'll help them say it,” said Tina Veroulis kitchen volunteer coordinator.Just know that if it has “pita” at the end of it such as spanakopita and tyropita, it's a type of pie, she said.The filo dessert thiples means to fold, and saganaki, as in the flaming cheese sold during the festival, means “in a pan.”“It's really not that hard to figure out,” Veroulis said. “If they get stuck, just ask.”