- English translation
If I didn't know your parents, I'd swear you were raised by the Turks.
- Literal wording
Were it not for your mother and your father, I would say the Ghuzz brought you up.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying praises someone of fine character by suggesting that the Turks, rather than their known parents, must have brought them up. The compliment relies on an ethnic stereotype that associates Turkish upbringing with refinement, rather than a fact about any people.
Another version says the Turks gave birth to the person. The saying is also applied to someone with a fair complexion and an attractive appearance. This association of fair skin and beauty reflects an exclusionary ideal rather than an objective standard.
- When it is used
The saying offers praise for someone considered unusually well-mannered or attractive. Its ethnic comparison and association between complexion and beauty rely on stereotypes that may be hurtful or exclusionary.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: If I didn't know your parents, I'd swear you were raised by the Turks.