Learn Online Turkish Language from Idiom Stories | To oust someone from their position

The Rest of the Story about...

Ayağının altına karpuz kabuğu 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.