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The Plain English Meanings of Turkish Idioms 'U' Related Pages: The Turkish Idioms A-Z, Index Turkish Acronyms/Abbreviations The Idiomatic M-Doublets Idioms Origin Stories, Index Idioms Illustrated by Cartoons #1 We know you've seen reference books written for English speakers about English and American Idioms. And you may have seen books for Turkish speakers on the same subject. You may even have seen books for Turkish speakers about Turkish Idioms -- all in Turkish. But have you ever seen a reference for English speakers about Turkish Idioms? Well, when we couldn't find one after looking for seven years, we decided to do-it-ourselves. Observe our sampling just for Turkish idioms that begin with the letter U. Site visitors may navigate to other Turkish Idioms pages using the House-Favorite Idioms Page Index. Turkish Idioms beginning with the letter U The Turkish The Literal English Meaning The 'Plain' English Meaning Comments and Examples Uc   ucuz atlatmak/kurtulmak to jump/escape cheap to escape (from a tight or dangerous situation) with little or no harm, to get off lightly Bu trafik kazasını ucuz atlattık, çünkü o kalabalıkta pek çok insan da çiğneyebilirdik. We got off lightly from the traffic accident, because we could have run over a lot of people in that crowd. Şimdi sen palavrayı bırak. Bu patırtıdan ucuz kurtulmak istersen, burada durma, pabuçları giy, uzaklaş! Cut the bullsh*t right now. If you want to escape this brawl with no harm done, don't stick around, put your shoes on, and beat it! Uç   uçan kuşa borcu (borçlu) olmak (var) to be in debt to a flying bird to be in debt to (almost) everybody John beyin bilgisayarlık bürosunu açmadan önce uçan kuşa borcu vardı. Damadının arkadaşından bile borç almıştı. Before Mr. John opened his computer office, he owed money to almost everybody. He even borrowed money from his son-in-law's friend. uçan kuştan medet/imdad/imdat ummak to hope for aid from a flying bird to be willing to accept help from absolutely anyone who offers it İki yıl işsiz. İş bulmak için uçan kuştan medet umuyor artık; on yıldır görüşmediği ortaokul arkadaşlarını bile arıyor. He's been unemployed for two years. He'll now accept help from absolutely anyone in order to find a job; he's even calling friends from junior high school that he hasn't seen in ten years. Um   uma uma döndük muma hoping, hoping we turned into wax after waiting patiently for something (good) to happen, to finally get tired of (fed up with, depressed from) waiting, and to give up hope that it will happen to hope in vain İstemem artık, uma uma döndük muma zaten. I don't want it anymore; anyway, I waited a long time for it and I've given up hope. Aylardır yardımını bekliyoruz, uma uma döndük muma. We've been waiting for months for help; it's been such a long time that we've lost hope. Yeter beklediğimiz, uma uma döndük muma! We've waited long enough, the thing we wanted will never happen. Beş yıldan beri, Ankara'ya tayinimi bekliyorum, uma uma döndük muma. I've been expecting my appointment to (the) Ankara (Headquarters) for five years; it's been too long a wait; I give up. -dan/-den umudu(nu) kesmek to cut the hope from to give up hope, abandon hope to cease to hope that (sb will do sth or that sth will happen) Bakanlar vatandaşı ciddiye almıyor. Vatandaş Meclis'ten de umudu kesti. The [Government] Ministers are not taking the citizens seriously. And, the citizens have abandoned hope in the Turkish Parliament. umurumda değil (it's) not in my affair (I) don't care it's of no importance to (me) Biz onun gibi olamayız. Onun dünyası umurumuzda değil. We aren't like him. We don't care about his 'world'. Yarın matematik sınavı var, Richard'ın umurunda değil. Tomorrow there's a math exam, Richard is unconcerned. Un   ununu elemiş, eleğini asmış he/she sifted flour, he/she hung up the sifter He/she has done about all the useful work that he/she will ever do. He's finished his duties, from now on he won't do anything more. Artık ben unumu eleyip eleğimi astım, kendimi emekliye ayırdım. Şirketi kızım yönetiyor. I've done all the useful work that I can do, so I've retired. My daughter is running the company now. Henry Dayı çok yaşlandı, ununu eleyip eleğini astı. Uncle Henry has gotten very old, he done about all the useful work that he can do. Unut, gitsin! Forget, let go! Never mind, just forget it! (This is usually an irritated response to someone else's failure to do something.) Benzin almadın mı?! Unut, gitsin! You forgot to get gas [petrol]?! Nevermind. Forget about it! Us   uslu durmak (oturmak) to stop (sit) well-behaved to sit still, be quiet See example sentence at külahları değişmek. Uy   uyku gözünden akmak (for) sleep to flow from the eyes to be very sleepy, to be unable to keep one's eyes open Çocuğa baktım, gözlerinden uyku akıyor, "Haydi yatağa!" dedim. I looked at the child, he could barely keep his eyes open he was so sleepy, "Come on, off to bed with you!" I said. uykusu/uykuları kaçmak for sleep to escape to be worried, lose sleep (because of worry) to be unable to get to sleep See example sentence at: foyası meydana çıkmak. Related Pages: The Turkish Idioms A-Z, Index Turkish Acronyms/Abbreviations The Idiomatic M-Doublets Idioms Origin Stories, Index 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 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 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 Off-Color Turkish Gossipy Turkish Who's Who Turkish Conventional and 'Erotik' Movies, Index We wish to extend thanks to Emin Özdemir, Osman Çizmeciler, Ömer Asım Aksoy, H. Fethi Gözler, Ferit Devellioğlu, Nermin and Muammer Yüzbaşıoğlu, Halil Uysal, Ali Püsküllüoğlu, and Ali Uslu for their Turkish Idioms source material -- on which some of this page is based.

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