[Learn Turkish Home Page] [Beginners] [Table of Contents] [Questions or Comments]

[Habibullah Speaks!] [Latest website updates]

[Search the whole website] [Online Turkish word dictionary]

Identify this Famous Turk... To Jim and Peri's Commercial-free CD for Turkish Learning -- now with triple ebook bonus! Also available in Downloadable Broadband Edition Essential Suffixes Printed Book

The Rest of the Turkish Idiom Stories Idiom origin stories to interest, amaze, and amuse you for the letter 'D' Related Pages: Other Idioms Origin Stories, Index The Turkish Idioms A-Z, Index Turkish Acronyms/Abbreviations The Idiomatic M-Doublets Idioms Illustrated by Cartoons #1 The Rest of the Story about... Dimyat'a pirince giderken evdeki bulgurdan olmak (Lit. to be without bulgur at home when you go to Dimyat (Damietta) for rice...) -- Idiomatic meaning: to lose what one already has in the pursuit of what one presumes to be better... The story...Once upon an Ottoman time, a rich Turkish rice-merchant set sail from Istanbul with a money-belt full of gold -- heading for Dimyat. There he planned to buy a large consignment of fine rice, which he could turn into great profit at home. In fact, he'd already begun spending the expected profit on credit -- which his moneylender had been pleased to advance. Sadly, his ship was hijacked in the Mediterranean by an Arab pirate -- who stripped and robbed the poor rice-merchant clean, taking all the gold in his overstuffed money belt. After he returned to Turkey, the rice-merchant was beset by 1,001 difficulties -- and had to declare bankruptcy. So he abandoned Istanbul and retreated to his hometown, Karaman, where at least he still had a few productive wheat fields. But, faced with growing financial problems, he had no choice but to surrender his entire crop to the local grain-merchant -- who set off with it for Istanbul where he reckoned that he could turn a greater profit. But on the way to Istanbul... And, that winter...the poor rice-merchant's family suffered greatly, unable even to afford plain bulgur (a wheat by-product) for their own pitiful dining table. He had lost the simple pleasure of that 'ordinary' mealtime staple at home -- because of his pursuit of the fine rice of Dimyat, abroad. And a Turkish idiom was borne... Related Pages: Other Idioms Origin Stories, Index The Turkish Idioms A-Z, Index Turkish Acronyms/Abbreviations The Idiomatic M-Doublets Idioms Illustrated by Cartoons #1 Unrelated fun: Frequently asked questions about Turkey and the Turkish language Frequently asked questions about Turkey and the Turkish language 'Erotik' Movies -- The Short Unhappy Life of Mine Mutlu Deep-inside Dilber Ay Figen Han -- Fire down below... Arzu Okay -- brainy 'erotik' bombshell The Feri Cansel Story -- an erotik 'Beauty and the Beast' Zerrin Egeliler - (most of) everything you always wanted to know The Seyyal Taner Center The Seher Şeniz Center Tarkan's Metamorphosis Album -- Christmas Day Release Turkish Music -- Tarkan Real-Life Weight Loss a la turc (with booklet) Habibullah and the Great Cannon Caper A simple Turkish 'thing'... Turkish Music -- Kayahan Turkish Belly Dancers Turkish Food and Beverage Turkish Terms Of Endearment Turkish Personal Names Politically Incorrect Turkish Humor Why Off-Color Turkish is important too Gossipy Turkish Who's Who Turkish Conventional and 'Erotik' Movies, Index We wish to extend special thanks to Osman Çizmeciler for the Turkish Idioms source material -- on which this page is based.

Please email us and tell us how we can improve the Learning Practical Turkish Web site.