Tavan yapmak -> Literally [ to make ceil], which means ;  hit record high.

Something that goes up to the highest point.  

Example ;   Otomobil fiyatları tavan yaptı.  The otomobile prices hit record high. 

Bu film reytinglerde tavan yaptı. ---> This film attracted the highest number of people viewers. 

                          ===========================

Kaşla göz arasında : literally "between the eye and eye brow  which means -in a very short time, in a split second. 

Because the distance between eye and eye brow is so little, we use this phrase to express the very short time , almost in a split second. 

Murat  kaşla göz arasında kayboldu ---> Murat disappeared  in a split second. 

may be in English, the closest phrase would be "in no time".

                              ===========================

suyu  ısınmak ---> literally " boiling of one´s water" which means " A bad thing will happen to someone soon. Such as getting fired soon at work, getting punishment soon etc.

Onun suyu ısındı ---> He will get his punishment soon. 

                                  =========================

kulağı  delik  ---> literal meaning [ having a hole in the ear] which refers to the person who hears about everything that is going on around. That person knows and able to get news of what is happening around . 

Ayşe´ye sor. Onun kulağı deliktir.  ----> Ask Ayşe. She must know as she hears about everything. 

                                      ============================

mart kedisi gibi ---> literally " just like march cat" , which refers a person who is chasing women, womaniser.  As we all know that in march the cats are very active. so, this phrase is inspired by those cats. 

I like this so much! I would appreciate if you do more like this. Can I ask this also.....when someone says they "have a clean heart", do they mean they are honest and good person? This is what I think it means, but I have never heard this expression in English. I have just heard it from Turkish people I know. I like it. I just want to be sure I am understanding their meaning correctly. Can you please tell me if I understand them correctly? lütfen ve teşekkürler

Yes, mom4mad, You are right. We use that phrase " kalbim temiz " [my heart is clean] and by saying that people mean to say " they are honest and good person. Yes, you understood it correctly.

The closest phrase in English would be  ; " She/he has a heart of gold"  and you also use " good-hearted" phrase. 

we use those expressions as well.  " Altın gibi kalbi var " [ She/He has a heart like gold]

                                                " İyi  yürekli" [good-hearted]

Büyümüş de küçülmüş --->  A type of kid who is acting and talking like a grown-up person. This is mostly used when you praise a child who is talking and acting like a grown-up person.

Büyümüş de küçülmüş maşallah. !

suyu  ısınmak ---> literally " boiling of one´s water"

if used as an idiom, "the hot water" here refers to the water used to bathe a dead Moslem, in accordance with Islamic burial rituals......hence the idiom implies that person´s death is close

After I die, I am okay with cold water too.

Gözü yükseklerde olmak = literally One´s eye being on heights , which is used for a person who desires [aims] to be [reach] in much higher position than his current position. 

Gözü hiç birşeyi görmemek --> literally " One´s eyes see nothing" ,which is used for a person who focuses on something or someone so much that he can´t see other things [person] around him. He ignores other things and focusses on one thing or one person.

Onun gözü Ayşe´den başkasını görmüyor ---> He sees nobody but Ayşe. [ He thinks and care about Ayşe only and he ignores all other girls.]

Thank you so much tunci! In my heart I believed this was the meaning, but I just wanted to be sure. The expressions and phrases I hear from Turkish friends are different from how we would phrase things in English, but I like this and I like to learn. Yes, you are right, we say "good-hearted" and "heart of gold". These are the type of people I like to meet, but I like better the way you say it. Sounds very pure and honest......"my heart is clean". I like it. thank you again 

Arada sırada ---> Literally "in between and line " which means " sometimes, now and then , occasionally."

Arada sırada bana mektup bazar ---> Occasionally she writes me letter.

Arada sırada futbol oynarım --->  I play football sometimes.

Bal dök yala --> Although it is slang, we use this phrase when we describe especially very clean and shiny surfaces or places. It means ; It is so clean that you can pour honey on it and lick. 

Mutfak o kadar  temiz ki  bal dök yala -->  The kitchen is so clean and shiny that you can pour honey [on surfaces of kitchen]  and lick it. 

i hope you can hear my clapping i like these expressions. in english we say "the floor is so clean you can eat off of it" when we are cleaning in our house. meaning your house is very clean, we say it like that.  my turkish friend has english phrase book, so he learns english phrases. i will surprise him that i know trukish phrases. this will make him laugh. i appreciate you are sharing these. learning anything from other cultures and other people makes me happy

I am glad you like Turkish phrases, and in general your interest in Turkish Language. Good for you ! I always say, learning Turkish is a big investment as Turkish is getting more popular in the world day by day, I see people have big desire in Learning Turkish which makes us happy. 

The smilarity of phrases between languages are cool, that is may be because we as human beings react things in life in smilar ways and express them in different language. Thats because we all are the sons and daughters of  "Adam and Eve" 

Balik kavağa çıkınca ---> When a fish climbs up to a poplar tree. 

We use this phrase for something that we believe , it will never come true [it will never happen]. As we know, poplar trees are tall trees, and the chance that a fish will climb up to a tree [especially to a poplar tree] is zero. In other words  it is "impossible".

example ;

- Bu adam kahveye gitmeyi ne zaman bırakacak ? 

- Balık kavağa çıkınca ! 

- When this man will stop going to kahve [men´s caffe] ?

- When a fish climbs up a poplar tree ! [ NEVER !]

 I think , in English there is smilar phrases such as ; "when pigs fly"

we are saying at the easter of horses 

we ´´When willow bears grapes´´.
I don´t know if I translated it well into English.

" Söğüt ağacı üzüm verince "

Örümcek kafalı ---> "Spider minded " , this phrase refers to a person who is against new things, a person who is intolerant to changes  and obstinate, dogmatic and narrow minded.

parmak  ısırtmak  ---> Literally ; " to make [cause] someone to bite his finger" , which means " to leave (someone) open-mouthed with astonishment;  to cause (someone) to marvel " 

Piyanistin  parmak ısırtan performansı uzun zaman hatırlanacak. 

The astonishing performance of the pianist will be remembered for long time. 

şifayı  kapmak ----> literally "to  get a cure", which means in fact " to get sick " , it looks like it is a contradictive phrase, however, at present day  we use it in opposite meaning which is " to get sick"

Şifayı  kaptım [kapmışım] ---> I am ill. 

I am laughing! yes, we say this "when pigs fly"; I am thinking this exact phrase as I read your post. Seems to be a funny phrase but "when a fish climbs up to a poplar tree" seems even funnier. I am saving all of these to impress my Turkish friends here in Canada

and yes, I am of this belief....we are all sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. I feel so blessed that my life has been made that much better by the Turkish that I meet. Somehow your world has made my world better

Şeytan görsün yüzünü  !---> Literally " May Satan see his face", we use this phrase when we refer someone that we are angry with and we never want to see him around. by saying this phrase we kind of cursing that person with hatret.  Personally I don´t like this phrase.

Şeytan görsün yüzünü ! --> I don´t want to see him again ! [May only Satan see him. ]

Pamuk eller cebe  literaly means "cotton hands to the pocket".

Someone can say this to you when you have to give money for something.

Note1: I dont know why we say cotton hands. Maybe there is a connection between having soft hands and being stingy . 

Note2: By the way my hands are really soft but I am not stingy. Or am I? 

Tahtaya   vur --->  Literally "Hit the wood."  we say this phrase when we want our luck or a good situation to continue. There is almost the same phrase in English which is " Touch wood" or  "Knock on wood".

I think we got this phrase from shamanism [  the ancient religion of the Turks and Mongols ]. Since the Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits which affect the lives of the living. Giving the spirit to the wood.

bizde de var..

i think there is a logical connection in this expression. pamuk eller means hands as soft as cotton. people who dont have too much money tend to work on hard works and their hands are not soft enough compared to people who have more money. so you request money from cotton handed people! i see an ironic joke here.

That is a very logical explanation. Thanks.

Anca beraber kanca beraber

together at good and bad, all for one and one for all..

"Yarım  elma  gönül [hatır] alma. "---> Literally " Half an apple taking the heart" which really means, " you can win people´s heart with small things [gestures, gifts ]. 

For example; Say, you visit your friend , If you just buy  him/her even a small present, you can win his/her heart. When you buy your friend a present, it doesn´t have to be an expensive thing. A small present or something that you made at home [cake] will make you win your friends heart. Because he /she will think that he/she is remembered and cared by you. Even if you can´t afford to buy something, then you can make a homemade cake to take that person. Your thinking will be appreciated by that person. 

fol yok yumurta yok = there is no aparent reason whatever

Dili damağına yapışmak

Literally ´ One´s tongue stick on upto his palate´ which means " Feeling [being] very thirsty  ".

Dilim damağıma yapıştı. ----> I am so thirsty that my mouth dried up.

I´m from Bulgaria and in Bulgarian language there are many words from Turkish language. So I find it very interesting to learn Turkish. But the structure of sentences is quite different. I notice that near the border areas much Turks understand Bulgarian, but Bulgarians do not understand Turkish. This is strange.

This is a very good idea to explain idioms. Greetings!

seni bir yerlerden gözüm ısıryor = you look familiar to me

Allah aşkına = for goodness sake

Allah bağışlasın = may God protect your child from harm

çoluk çocuk = wife and child, family

we have something like this for "feeling very hungry" - one`s tummy stuck to his back

sayım suyum yok = (used by children) I`m not playing! (said angrily)

                                                    Let`s start the game over!

çıtı pıtı = delicate and lovely

tıklım tıklım dolu = very crowded

bana ne - I dont care!

sana ne-  you dont care!

kime ne- who`s care!

tövbe tövbe - never again!

çil yavrusu gibi dağılmak - to run away in every direction (for a group)

havadan sudan - random, randomly

Can  kulağıyla  dinlemek ---- >  To hang on someone´s every word. To listen very carefully to what someone says. 

Şimdi beni can kulağıyla dinle ! ----> Listen to me carefully now ! 

Çocuk öğretmeninin söylediklerini  can kulağıyla dinledi ---> The child listened very carefully  to what his teacher said.

su gibi akmak = (for time) to flow very quick

                   = to spend a lot of money

ağızını yerim = I like your talking style

canımın içi = my sweetheart

güle güle kullan = said to someone who have bought new clothes

beş para etmez = worthless

yüzünüz yabancı gelmedi - you look familiar to me

umurumda değil - I dont care!

üstü kalsın - keep the rest (of an amount of money, said to waiter)

zararı yok - nevermind

takma kafana - dont worry about it

pek sayılmaz - not quite

hem de nasıl - you can say it again

şöyle böyle - so-so

başına gelmek - said for something unpleasant to happen

başın sağ olsun - condolences

-e faydası dokunmak ´be of help to´

-e dert yanmak ´cry to someone´s shoulder´

-e vız gelmek ´not to be of the slightest importance to´

"vız" is supposed to be the sound of a mosquito or any fly making sound. emphasising that it is as important or easy as a mosquito´s sound, in other words not important, very easy, not a big deal, even doesnt worth to think about it...

-e vız gelmek also carries the meaning of underrating the subject, carrying a negatve meaning. especially if used against a person

"istediği kadar kızsın, o bana viz gelir, vız gider!"