The Rest of the Story about...

Abbas yolcu (lit. an Abbas traveler) -- idiomatic meaning is 'You can't detain someone who has to go' or 'She's at death's door.'

The story…Abbas Hoca (also known as Abbas Molla) was a famous 12th century folk poet, though none of his works survive him. This Süle tribesman loved to travel and it's said that he composed his works as he wandered from place to place -- through Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, Iran, India, Arabia, and Egypt. He was, apparently, a witty and pleasant conversationalist who was quick to make friends everywhere he went. But although many tried to persuade him to settle in their lands, he always refused, saying, "Impossible, I can't stay. Abbas is a traveler, he doesn't stay in one place." That easily explains the first meaning of the idiom -- and it's just a short logical jump to see how it also became associated with 'imminent death'.

Acemi çaylak (lit. beginner hawk) -- idiomatic meaning is 'raw, inexperienced.'

The story… The 'çaylak' (a hawk-like bird), about 60 centimeters in length as an adult, is indigenous to Turkey. Because it's a bird with a heavy body, its young take a long time learning how to fly -- and do a lot of falling and crashing. It is this awkwardness of the çaylak young that is the source of the idiom.

The Rest of the Story about...

Agaca çIksa pabucu yerde kalmaz (lit. 'If he goes up in a tree, his shoes don't remain on the ground') -- the idiomatic meaning is 'He's crafty, not easily fooled.'

The story… One day, Nasreddin Hoca went out walking in his pair of brand new shoes. A gang of youthful pranksters saw him and set out to trick him and steal the new shoes. As they approached him on the footpath, they pretended to enter into a deep discussion among themselves -- about the Hoca's ability in the 'art' of tree climbing…But the Hoca was suspicious of their behavior and sensed that they meant to trick him. So when the leader of the gang asked the Hoca slyly whether or not the old fellow was still capable of climbing a nearby tree, the Hoca replied, "Of course, I am." And, with that, he jumped up on it and began climbing -- but not before tucking his new shoes safely in his breast coat. The gang members all shouted out at once, "Wait Hoca, leave the shoes down here on the ground. What use will they be in the tree?" By now the Hoca understood the gang's intention very well, and with a glint in his eye, replied, "Oh, who knows…Perhaps from the tree, I'll have to journey to the next village by yonder road."
And so, the idiom has become associated with people who are intelligent and alert in the face of tricky dealings.

Akan sular durmak (lit. To stop flowing waters) -- This idiom is used to acknowledge the definiteness of a law, the truth of a conclusion/oath/word, the validity and strength of a command. It figuratively means 'to be indisputable, be beyond contradiction'.

The story… Turkey's idioms come from her culture, of course -- and that includes her religious culture. In Islam, it's believed that a doomsday cometh. On that day the stars will fall from the sky and burn up, the sun and the moon will break away, mountains will 'walk', the earth will tremble, and water will cease to flow. Thus, according to the idiom, the certainty of the 'Law of Gravity', for example, will endure -- right up to that final judgement day when all earthly things cease to matter, and when even water ceases to flow.

AltIndan çapanoglu çIkmak (lit. for Çapanoglu to pop up) -- the idiomatic meaning is for an 'activity' or 'job' to meet with an undesired or unexpected difficulty, problem, or danger.

The story… For a time, Çapanoglu Ahmet Pasha and his two sons, Mustafa and Süleyman, ruled like feudal lords over wide territories encompassing the city/towns of Amasya, Yozgat, Ankara, Nigde, and KaysarI (until 1808 when Sultan Mahmut II had all three executed).

But although the Çapanoglu's were tough rulers during their reign, they also listened carefully to the problems of their people, and, where possible, they tried to ease the lot of the underdog.

According to one account, at the time of Çapanoglu Süleyman Bey, in Yozgat, there lived a pretty widow woman…And, a married man with a large family kept after her for sexual favours. The woman, who grew tired of the aggravating man, applied to Çapanoglu Süleyman Bey for help. At the Bey's command, she went one night to the married man's house and confronted him.

When she declared, "I am a woman of honor, don't bother me anymore," the man attacked her, and Çapanoglu (who had witnessed the entire event from a nearby hiding place) had the man hanged the same night -- in the Yozgat town center!

But the episode that actually gave birth to the idiom has a rather humble old donkey to thank.

It seems that said old donkey was seen nibbling from hunger on the bell-rope in front of a grand mansion. When citizens reported to Çapanoglu that the donkey was weak and in poor condition, he initiated a search for the donkey's owner. And when the owner was found, justice was swift and harsh.

For failing to care for the donkey, Çapanoglu gave the owner 100 lashes of the long whip -- at a public flogging! On top of that, the man was ordered to feed the donkey five bushels of barley a day, to give it a daily washing and grooming, and to report in person once a week with the donkey for inspection by Çapanoglu.

The old donkey (because of all this special treatment) gained quite a bit of weight in very short order, apparently. And when citizens questioned the owner about the reason behind the old donkey's vigorous new appearance, the owner (remembering well the sting of the long whip) replied, "Semirir elbet; arkasInda Çapanoglu var." (Well, of course he's gained weight; Çapanoglu is behind it.)

And, over the years, the idiom has gradually evolved from 'arkasInda Çapanoglu var' to 'altIndan çapanoglu çIkmak' -- as a sort of warning to those who think no one is watching…

AyagInIn altIna karpuz kabugu koymak (Lit. To put a watermelon skin under his foot). Idiomatic Meaning: to oust someone from their position...

The Rest of the Idiom Story...It seems there was a woman-chasing müezzin at the mosque. And, ever time he ascended to the top of the minaret to make the call to prayer, he'd ogle the women in the neighboring houses below.

Finally, one of the women got fed up and told her husband about it. Her husband became furious and started off to give the muezzin a vicious whipping. But he was intercepted by his son who said, "Wait father, leave this matter to me. You're too angry to think straight. You'll just get in a fight, and that could land you in trouble. I've got a better idea." And his father agreed.

So, the young man went to the market and bought a watermelon, and sliced it up nicely for his friends and family. After the fruit had been eaten, he carefully cut up the skin in neat little squares. And he took them to the mosque and waited.

When the time for evening prayer approached, the muezzin began to make his way up the minaret stairway to issue the prayer call. The young man followed him secretly and strategically placed the watermelon-skin squares on every step of the minaret staircase -- from top to bottom. And then the young-man disappeared into the twilight.

When the muezzin completed the 'call to prayer' he took a few moments to ogle the woman below, and then began his descent. On the very first step he slipped -- and began a mighty head-over-heels fall that didn't end until he had reached the bottom of the stone stair-case, in a heap of broken bones and bloody bruises. And when he finally got out of the hospital, he took up work as a vegetable seller -- and he never ascended a minaret staircase anywhere again.

AynI tüfegin demirinden...(Lit. From the iron of the same gun…) -- Idiomatic Meaning: Two physical things that share the same characteristic, two situations or things of a negative nature that resemble each other.

The story... Our source for this idiom attributes it to some boastful hunters. One day at the coffee shop where the hunters usually met to exaggerate their activities, one of their number began boasting about the superiority of his gun.

"It's extremely sensitive,: he said, "It never shifts left or right when I fire. Its sight is true, and no matter what I aim at -- be it a partridge or a rabbit -- it always delivers the bullet perfectly to the target without killing it, only enough to disable."

A non-hunting regular of the coffee house overheard the boast and tossed off this remark to his friends (just loud enough for the whole room to hear), " I have a fire poker in my house that's probably made from the same iron as his gun (aynI tüfegin demirinden). Because every time I throw it at my wife, I hit her in the heel -- a precise disabling blow."