h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An Armenian Christian would hardly call himself Hadji, would he?

My father told me the story that Hadji Bey had come to Ireland and, wanting to adopt wholeheartedly the customs of his new nationality, joined the Church of Ireland. When he discovered his mistake, he stuck with it, rather than change again.

That story rings a little wishful . . . it would have been no disadvantage in 1901 to join the sect of the rich, rather than that of the majority.

He worked in a shop in Istanbul called Hadji's, so he used the name for his own business, as sounding more Turkish than his own name, although to the people of Cork it probably didn't make any difference. Bey has a Turkish title meaning the ruling class.

Well that sounds more convincing than my dad's story. Hadji Bey wasn't a name at all. What was his name, do you know? Entry (soon to be known as Article?) material perhaps.

Ah, should have googled first! http://www.hadjibey.ie/

I loved the song "Rahat Lokoum" in the musical "Kismet!"

It's sweet with the meat of the lychee nut
Combined with a cumquat rind
The kind of confection to drive a man out
Of his Mesopotamian mind!

The nut-flavoured lokoum is much nicer than the rose-petal one. Of course in Greece they insist that it is "Greek Delight".

>Of course in Greece they insist that it is "Greek Delight".

Love that!