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... Jew, Armenian, Turk, Greek ...


Nané

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This passage was brought to my attention and I could not resist posting it for you Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the book it was found in.

 

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It is often difficult to distinguish a Jew, an Armenian, a Turk or a Greek, one from the other. To do so you must be very observent. You want to know the man first. The genteel haughtiness of the Turk will soon enable you to tell that the man whom you are addressing has not the cunning subtleness of the Greek. His manner distinguishes him from the Armenian, Jew and Arab.

The Armenians are the sharpest people in the world. They are the Yankees of the Orient, with much additional acuteness. They are divided also; some as will appear lean to the Catholic faith, and some to their own church and both away from Greek Orthodox.

It is a mooted question as to which race is paramount for sharpness, or, as well call it, smartness. I will not attempt to debate that question. Certainly, the Turkish is not the one, although it is the ruling power. The Frank or the Laventine is not the one, nor the Greek, nor the Jew. It is a common saying and likely has some basis in fact - that it takes the wit of four Turks to overreach one Frank; two Franks to cheat one Greek; two Greeks to cheat one Jew; and six Jews to cheat one Armenian.

 

Diplomatic (1887)

 

Samuel S. Cox

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quote:
Originally posted by Sulamita:
This passage was brought to my attention and I could not resist posting it for you Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the book it was found in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Armenians are the sharpest people in the world. They are the Yankees of the Orient, with much additional acuteness. .... and some to their own church and both away from Greek Orthodox.... that it takes the wit of four Turks to overreach one Frank; two Franks to cheat one Greek; two Greeks to cheat one Jew; and six Jews to cheat one Armenian.

Diplomatic (1887)

Samuel S. Cox


Very cute. But it is the greeks that are the most sharp, not the armenians! This has been proved many times. Armenians are more to be academic (and eccentric!).
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