First of all, I would like to apologize for the title but I have a reason to write this. The Greek people around me sometimes in traffic jam or when something unexpected happen, say this word. First time I had heard about it I was thinking they are making a joke and trying to show me they know a Turkish ‘bad word’. But after a while I understood it is not like that.
The truth is like this. They do not know what exactly this word mean which is left them from Ottoman period. I mean, the way they use it is like ‘What a pitty’. Of course every time I explained what it means, people start to smile. I had advice them not to use it when they visit Turkey especially while they are looking at somebody’s face. I hope they listen to me.

In reality the word is a very heavy. It comes from the saying ‘siktir git’ which means ‘let them fuck you and go’. The word ‘sik’ is ‘dick’ as an object. Sik-(mek) is (To)-fuck as verb. Sik-tir is ‘passive order’ form for ‘fırst person, present tense’.

Turks also use it when they surprised with something or to objects freely. But if you say it to a person, it will be very insulting that you will definitely have some problems. The versions are as below:

- Siktir Git = Let them fuck you and go
- Ha(di) siktir = Come on, let them fuck you
- Siktir Be = Let them fuck you (like I do not believe you)

Siktir Git Coffee
Last funny point is from our common neighbor Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, the last Turkish coffee that has been offered to the guest, just before they leave is called ‘Siktir Git Coffee’. I hope nobody offers me something like that.

Yeni Raki Markası Brand Name New Rakı	Anasonlu Çipuro Cıpuro with Anason (τσίπουρο με γλυκάνισο)

Read more…

Turkish Delight

Here is another story where the name of the objects fools us. In Greece LOKUMI is not the most desired sweet, but in Turkey LOKUM is very important and widely consumed. So, I had the mission to run after the truth if they are the same.

One of my Greek colleagues in the office brought me a box of LOKUMI and she said that she is not very fund of it so I can have it if I want to. I certainly said say and opened and started to eat even when we are talking.

Surprise surprise, again this “standard” version of Greek LOKUMI is a simple type where you can find in city of Isparta in Turkey where they do it with aroma of “roses”. I asked if how many type of LOKUMI’s exists in Greece; she said, a lot, around 20 but mostly in the north of Greece.

Here is the fact about the LOKUM in Turkey. There are more than 100 version where you can find mostly with nuts aroma like hazelnut, walnut or pistachio. The Turkish one is much software in term of “first bite” and “FOR ME” tastes better.

Update 2010:
Several times after that incident I went to Greece and tasted different LOKUMI; now I can clearly say that, LOKUM & LOKUMI are not brother, they are at most cousins. You can find LOKUMI in Turkey because it is one of the kinds, but you cannot find LOKUM in Greece except Norther cities.

Another interesting point is that. I searched for why the western world calls it “Turkish Delight”. That is because in Germanic and Nordic languages “LOKUM” means toilet outside of the house !!!

Greek Caciki

Turkish Cacik

The miss communication between the people of two countries brings up very strange points. My first example (which will contınue with other examples later) is CACIK and CACIKI. When I first time met some Greek friends and talked about CACIK and CACIKI, both sides were quite believe in that it was an invention of both sides. Till we started to talk about the recipe itself this friendly discussion continued. Finally with the recipe we understood what is going on.

CACIKI; one of the main dishes of Greek cousin and Turkish CACIK has no similarities else than the ingredients and the ‘sounds-like’ names. CACIKI is made with heavy Greek Yogurt which includes very thin sliced cucumber and totally smashed garlic. It looks and taste like cream-cheese that you put on your bred. On the other hand CACIK is made of same kind of yogurt which is nearly mixed 50% cold water and includes cubical cucumbars with a very little garlic. While Greeks feels like CACIKI is a ‘meze’, Turks ‘drink’ it as some kind of soap.

In Turkish when you want to insult a person you call him/her CUCUMBAR. One of the most funny way of saying is to make a connection with CACIK. In one of the famous Turkish songs it appears like this

‘ I feel like a huge cucumbar, if they sliced me whole Black Sea can be cacık’