Merhaba! I am having trouble with these words: "yemek yemeden." Is this an idiom? I see references where "yemeden" seems to be part of a construction about being off your food. But the sentence I have is: Yemek yemeden gelin. And from the context, I think it is saying something like: Come hungry. Come with an appetite. ... I hope I am not being completely dense. ... Help please!

Yemek yemeden gelin : come without eating

So you are right, it actually means come hungry it means the one who told you that is prepared something for you to eat (at least i hope so hehe )

Now that you say "without eating," I have looked up "without" and see this in the dictionary: "-meden." Is that what is at work here? Yemeden = without eating. So, literally: Come without eating food. ... And I wish some Turkish cook was preparing a meal for me!

Yes, that´s right.

Hmm yes would be good if someone could cook for me too.

I will make do with some yogurt! ... Teşekkürler!

Time to ask for an advance menu.....because Turks say "Misafir umduğunu değil, bulduğunu yer"