Dear Ernest,
'Worry beads' are not a joke, they are widely played with and used as a pass time to relieve worry and stress in the Arab world and also in Greece. They probably derived from prayer ropes.
They come in many different sizes, colors, stones, and even metals like sterling silver and gold!
I remember a time when one would pass a 'kafeneion' (or a 'cafe' which was reserved for only men, in which they would pass hours discussing politics, people watching, drinking coffee, etc.) in Greece, and how you could hear the clicking of their worry beads in their hands.
Do a google search on 'worry beads', and you will come to many sites that sell them and explain them. They are called 'komboloi' in Greek, whereas a prayer rope is called a 'komboskini'.
Alice
Anyway, I am still wondering if there might be a tradition of prayer beads among syrian orthodox. I have been trying to get some info on this for a while but the internet hasn't been terribly helpful. I was hoping some insiders could tell me something. Thanks. 