Each person, usually without knowing it, uses several phraseological units in his speech every day. Some of them exist in the Russian language for several centuries.

What are phraseological units, what are their features and why are they needed? We will try to answer all these questions.

Phraseological units are called stable phrases that are used to make speech expressive, dynamic, better convey emotions, etc. Phraseologisms can be found in oral speech, V fiction, they are widely used in journalism and politics. Perhaps, to a lesser extent, they are found only in official documents and specialized literature.

Phraseological units are widespread in Russian. They are necessary so that the speaker can express his attitude to what he is saying, show his temperament and mental alertness. From the point of view of vocabulary, the main meaning of the phrase, which is a phraseological unit, can be conveyed in one word, but without emotional overtones.

Phraseologisms surprise with their stability: it is impossible to make changes in them without destroying their meaning. Even a simple word form destroys a phraseological unit. At the same time, the process of formation of new phraseological units is constantly taking place in the language, and obsolete ones are gradually being phased out.

The main task of these phrases is to influence the imagination of the interlocutor or reader in order to make what was said more prominent, to make him empathize, to feel certain emotions.

Phraseologisms become known to native speakers from early childhood. Often we perceive them under other names - sayings, catchphrases, idiomatic expressions, . For the first time they were described by M.V. Lomonosov when drawing up a plan for a dictionary of the Russian language. However, a serious study of Russian phraseological units began only in the middle of the twentieth century.

Most phraseological units used today have distinct historical roots. So, the expression "give the go-ahead" goes back to the signals navy Russia. In the pre-revolutionary alphabet, the letter D was called "good". The “good” signal, transmitted using the naval signal system, meant consent, permission. Hence the meaning of the expression "give good" - to allow, to agree.

A considerable part of phraseological units is based on the transfer of the properties of one object to another. The expression "pot cooks", denoting a smart person, is based on a comparison of the head with a bowler hat: cooks - it means he thinks.

Often the basis of a phraseological unit becomes a part famous proverb or a stable professional term.


Philologists subdivide phraseological units into their own, which originated in the Russian language, and borrowed ones, which came through translations of foreign literature.

In Russian, phraseological units are found literally at every step. Examples of popular phraseological units:

- like two drops of water - about a striking resemblance;

- at hand - very close;

- one leg here, the other there - to quickly run away on some business;

- slipshod - do the job somehow;

- to reach the handle - to lose human appearance, to sink.

Each of us can remember many similar expressions and phrases in a few minutes - these are phraseological units.

Many phraseological units have been preserved in the Russian language since ancient times. It often happens that the reason for the formation of a phrase has long been forgotten, but it itself lives in folk speech.

Examples:

- Bosom friend - the expression was formed from the old phraseological unit "pour over the Adam's apple", i.e. drink alcohol, get drunk and denotes a person with whom you can "fill in the Adam's apple" without fear of trouble.

- To hack on the nose - in the old days, a wooden die was called a “nose”, on which a worker was given notches for each day worked. Hack on the nose - firmly remember.

- To beat the buckets - to mess around. Baklush called wooden chocks, which were prepared for cutting spoons, chipping off from a birch log. This occupation was considered an easy task, almost idleness.

- Chasing a long ruble - striving for easy money. In the ancient Russian state, the main monetary unit was the hryvnia - an ingot of silver, which was chopped into pieces - rubles. The largest of these pieces was called a long ruble, and to get it means to earn more without making any effort.

- Not two, not one and a half - about something indefinite, without a clear description.

- A double-edged sword is a business or event that can have good or bad consequences.

- Seven Fridays a week - about a capricious, eccentric, fickle person.


- The seventh water on jelly is a very distant relationship.

- Twenty-five again - about something boring, invariably repeating.

Russian is one of the most beautiful and richest languages ​​in the world. Over the long history of its formation, it has undergone many transformations, changes and has been saturated with various vocabulary that help to make the conversation more clear and understandable, or figurative and tortuous, and sentences elegant.

One of these vocabulary phrases in the sentences of the Russian language is rightfully considered to be considered in the article. These are proverbs and sayings carefully collected over the centuries by our ancestors. They make the dialogue between people more rich, beautiful, similar to literary language.

It is insanely interesting to find the meanings of certain types of phraseological units. You can spend your whole life studying this direction in Russian. Let's try to answer such a question, how and when it is appropriate to use phraseological units in a conversation.

What is phraseology

Phraseologism is a stable phrase, which in most cases has its own meaning in a sentence only in the established, generally accepted form, and nothing more. For example, “run away, sparkling with your heels”, you cannot pronounce it like, “run away with sparkling heels” or say “cherish like the pupil of the eye”, instead of “cherish like the apple of the eye”.

But there are exceptions, when changing the order of words in some types of phraseological units is often considered normal. That is, a number of phrases do not change their meaning when the words are rearranged. Thus, “beat the buckets” and “beat the buckets” or “carry water in a sieve” and “carry water in a sieve” are phraseological units that do not change due to rearrangement of words in them.

The history of the birth of proverbs

Many words of the Russian language are outdated and have lost their true meaning, but they are still present in stable expressions.

Consider an example like "Nick down"(remember something very well). If you think about the meaning of this phrase, it seems quite cruel, but in fact the history of this expression is hidden for centuries. Many centuries ago, illiterate people carried tablets with them, on which, in order to remember upcoming events or necessary facts, they made notches. That is, to chop on the nose used to be literally synonymous with the word “write down”.

Or phraseology "lead by the nose"(deception is very skillful, so that the victim does not notice it at all). Why did they start talking like that? Everything is simple. Did you not pay attention to how huge camels dutifully wander after their master without even trying to escape or somehow lean? The reason for this is far from animal humility, but a ring threaded through the nose, to which a rope is tied, which is in the hands of the owner of the beast. Therefore, the expression "lead by the nose" has acquired its meaning.

And interesting story with idiom "hang nose". Rarely used now full version a proverb that sounds like "hang your nose on a fifth." Strange as it may seem, but this phrase originates from musical professionalism, or rather, from violinists. When a person plays the violin, he clamps his head on the instrument so that his nose almost touches the top string, which is called the fifth.

General meaning of set phrases

Most groups of phraseological units in Russian have something in common. Therefore, if you look closely, you can notice a pattern in the use, for example, of one or another part of the human body in phraseological usage. Let's try to understand this issue in more detail and understand the meaning of some proverbs. So.

Nose in phraseological units

On the human face, the nose has the function of an organ of smell, that is, the perception of smells. In stable phrases called phraseological units, this part of the body is a symbol of something not far away, located at a very small distance from a person. Here are some variations use of nose meanings in proverbs:

Interesting fact . The nose is considered a symbol of something very close, not only in proverbs. Take, for example, at least a fairy tale about Kolobok. How a cunning little fox made her victim approach dangerously close quarters? That's right, she asked Kolobok to come closer and sit on her nose.

Perhaps these values ​​are due to the fact that on the human face the nose protrudes most of all, but at the same time it is still close to the rest of the face.

Mouth and lips

Mostly mouth in proverbs has the same functions as on the human face - talking and eating. Lips, in turn, often express emotions and desires, which is quite natural, because, from the point of view of psychology, it is this part of the human face that is most involved in human facial expressions. By the way, there are not so many groups of set expressions in which lips are used.

• Dial water in your mouth - sharply shut up;
• Pout lips - take offense;
• The lip is not a fool - a person knows how to choose the best or has inflated desires;
• Porridge in the mouth - a person speaks indistinctly;
• Do not take it in your mouth - very tasteless, unpleasant food;
• There was no poppy dew in the mouth - the person is hungry;
• The mouth is full of trouble - a lot of work, a person is very busy;
• Open your mouth - very surprised.

Ears

Ears appear in proverbs as organs of hearing, but also they have one feature- they are quite difficult to see without using foreign objects with a mirror surface, and, of course, this meaning of the symbol could not be ignored.

Teeth in proverbs

Teeth in set phrases are used mostly as a defense against something. And also in proverbs, teeth symbolize a smile and laughter.

• Armed to the teeth - a dangerous opponent, which is very difficult to defeat because of his good training;
• To give a tooth - to laugh or make fun of someone;
• Bare teeth - it is unpleasant to laugh, mock;
• Try it on the tooth - get to know better, study well;
• Show teeth - show readiness for enmity and hostility;
• Sharpen / have a tooth - dislike, have a dislike for someone.

Thus, we can conclude that phraseological units are phrases that make a conversation richer and more varied. They decorate our speech and help to express and define the emotions that seethe in us like a waterfall. So, having such a wealth of language, do we have the right to use slang words that make our speech less pleasant, and our soul more callous? One can only hope that everyone can find the answer to this question for themselves.

Phraseology is a branch of the science of language that studies stable combinations of words. Phraseologism is a stable combination of words, or a stable expression. Used to name objects, signs, actions. It is an expression that arose once, became popular and entrenched in the speech of people. The expression is endowed with figurativeness, it can have a figurative meaning. Over time, the expression may take on a daily basis broad sense, partially including the original value or completely excluding it.

Lexical meaning has a phraseological unit in general. The words included in the phraseological unit separately do not convey the meaning of the entire expression. Phraseologisms can be synonymous (at the end of the world, where the raven did not bring bones) and antonymous (lift up to heaven - trample into the dirt). Phraseologism in a sentence is one member of the sentence. Phraseologisms reflect a person and his activities: work (golden hands, fool around), social relations (bosom friend, put sticks in wheels), personal qualities (turn up your nose, sour mine), etc. Phraseologisms make the statement expressive, create imagery. Set expressions are used in works of art, in journalism, in everyday speech. Set expressions are otherwise called idioms. Many idioms in other languages ​​- English, Japanese, Chinese, French.

To clearly see the use of phraseological units, refer to their list on the page below or.

Ecology of life: Often, to achieve some speech effect simple words is not enough. Irony, bitterness, love, mockery...

Speech is a way of communication between people. In order to achieve complete mutual understanding, to express one's thoughts more clearly and figuratively, many lexical techniques are used, in particular, phraseological units (phraseological unit, idiom) - stable turns of speech that have an independent meaning and are characteristic of a particular language.

Often, to achieve some kind of speech effect, simple words are not enough. Irony, bitterness, love, mockery, one's own attitude to what is happening - all this can be expressed much more capaciously, more precisely, more emotionally.

We often use phraseological units in everyday speech, sometimes without even noticing - after all, some of them are simple, familiar, and familiar from childhood. Many of the phraseological units came to us from other languages, eras, fairy tales, legends.

"The game is not worth the candle" and other popular expressions

Augean stables

Rake first these Augean stables, and then you will go for a walk.

Meaning. A cluttered, polluted place where everything is in complete disarray.

Origin. He lived in ancient Elis, according to an ancient Greek legend, King Augius, a passionate lover of horses: he kept three thousand horses in his stables. However, the stalls in which the horses were kept had not been cleaned for thirty years, and they were overgrown with manure up to the roof.

Hercules was sent to the service of Avgius, to whom the king instructed to clean the stables, which no one else could do.

Hercules was as cunning as he was powerful. He directed the waters of the river through the gates of the stables, and a stormy stream washed out all the dirt from there in a day.

The Greeks sang this feat along with the other eleven, and the expression "Augean stables" began to apply to everything neglected, polluted to the last limit, and in general to denote a great mess.

Arshin swallow

It stands as if the arshin swallowed.

Meaning. Stay unnaturally straight.

Origin. The Turkish word "arshin", meaning a measure of length of one cubit, has long become Russian. Until the revolution, Russian merchants and artisans constantly used arshins - wooden and metal rulers seventy-one centimeters long. Imagine how a person who swallowed such a ruler should look like, and you will understand why this expression is used in relation to stiff and arrogant people.

henbane overeat

In Pushkin's "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish" an old man, indignant

with the shameless greed of his old woman, angrily says to her:

“What are you, woman, overeating with henbane?”

Meaning. Act absurdly, viciously, like crazy.

Origin. In the countryside, in the backyards and dumps, you can find tall bushes with dirty yellowish, purple-veined flowers and an unpleasant smell. This is henbane - a very poisonous plant. Its seeds resemble poppies, but the one who eats them becomes like a madman: he raves, rages, and often dies.

Buridan's donkey

He rushes about, cannot decide on anything, like Buridan's donkey.

Meaning. An extremely indecisive person, hesitating in the choice between equivalent decisions.

Origin. The philosophers of the late Middle Ages put forward a theory according to which the actions of living beings do not depend on their own will, "but solely on external causes. The scientist Buridan (more precisely, Buridan), who lived in France in the 14th century, confirmed this idea with such an example. Let's take a hungry donkey and put on either side of his muzzle, at equal distances, are two identical bundles of hay. The donkey will have no reason to prefer one of them over the other: they are exactly alike. He will not be able to reach out either to the right or to the left, and in the end he will die. with hunger.

Back to our sheep

However, enough about this, let's get back to our sheep.

Meaning. A call to the speaker not to digress from the main topic; a statement that his digression from the topic of conversation is over.

Origin. Let's return to our rams - tracing paper from the French revenons a nos moutons from the farce "Lawyer Pierre Patlin" (c. 1470). With these words, the judge interrupts the rich clothier's speech. Having initiated a case against the shepherd who stole the sheep from him, the clothier, forgetting about his lawsuit, showers reproaches on the shepherd's defender, Patlen's lawyer, who did not pay him for six cubits of cloth.

Versta Kolomna

At such a verst of Kolomna as you, everyone will immediately pay attention.

Meaning. So they call a person of very tall stature, a tall man.

Origin. In the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow, there was a summer residence of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The road there was busy, wide and was considered the main one in the state. And when they put up huge milestones, the likes of which have never happened in Russia, the glory of this road increased even more. The savvy people did not fail to take advantage of the novelty and dubbed the lanky man the Kolomna verst. That's what they still say.

lead by the nose

The smartest man, more than once or twice led the enemy by the nose.

Meaning. To deceive, mislead, promise and not fulfill the promise.

Origin. The expression was associated with fairground entertainment. Gypsies took bears to the show for a ring threaded through their noses. And they forced them, poor fellows, to do various tricks, deceiving them with the promise of handouts.

Hair on end

Horror seized him: his eyes popped out, his hair stood on end.

Meaning. So they say when a person is very scared.

Origin. “Stand on end” is to stand at attention, on your fingertips. That is, when a person is frightened, his hair stands on tiptoe on his head.

That's where the dog is buried!

Ah, that's it! Now it is clear where the dog is buried.

Meaning. That's the thing, that's the real reason.

Origin. There is a story: the Austrian warrior Sigismund Altensteig spent all campaigns and battles with his beloved dog. Once, while traveling in the Netherlands, the dog even saved his owner from death. The grateful warrior solemnly buried his four-legged friend and erected a monument on his grave, which stood for more than two centuries - until early XIX century.

Later, the dog monument could be found by tourists only with the help of local residents. At that time, the saying "That's where the dog is buried!" Was born, which now has the meaning: "I found what I was looking for", "got to the bottom of the matter."

But there is an older and no less likely source of the proverb that has come down to us. When the Greeks decided to give the Persian king Xerxes a battle at sea, they put old men, women and children on ships in advance and transported them to the island of Salamis.

They say that the dog that belonged to Xanthippus, the father of Pericles, did not want to part with his master, jumped into the sea and swam, following the ship, reached Salamis. Exhausted from fatigue, she immediately died.

According to the historian of antiquity Plutarch, this dog was placed on the seashore with a kinosema - a canine monument, which was shown to the curious for a very long time.

Some German linguists believe that this expression was created by treasure hunters, who, out of fear of the evil spirit that allegedly guarded every treasure, did not dare to directly mention the purpose of their search and conditionally began to talk about a black dog, meaning the trait and the treasure.

Thus, according to this version, the expression "this is where the dog is buried" meant: "this is where the treasure is buried."

Pour in the first number

For such deeds, of course, they should be poured on the first number!

Meaning. Severely punish, scold someone

Origin. Something, but this expression is familiar to you ... And where did it just fall on your unfortunate head! Believe it or not, but... from the old school, where students were flogged every week, regardless of whether they were right or wrong. And if the mentor overdoes it, then such a spanking was enough for a long time, until the first day of the next month.

rub glasses

Do not believe it, they rub glasses on you!

Meaning. To deceive someone by presenting the matter in a distorted, incorrect, but favorable light for the speaker.

Origin. We are not talking about glasses that are used to correct vision. There is another meaning of the word "points": red and black marks on playing cards. Ever since there were cards, there have been dishonest players, cheaters in the world. They, in order to deceive a partner, indulged in all sorts of tricks. By the way, they were able to quietly “rub glasses” - turn a seven into a six or a four into a five, on the go, during the game, gluing a “point” or covering it with a special white powder. It is clear that “rubbing glasses” began to mean “cheating”, hence the special words were born: “fraud”, “fraudster” - a trickster who knows how to embellish his work, pass off bad as very good.

Voice in the wilderness

Wasted labor, you won't convince them, your words are the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Meaning. Denotes vain persuasion, calls that no one heeds.

Origin. As biblical legends convey, one of the Hebrew prophets called out from the desert to the Israelites to prepare the way for God: to lay roads in the desert, to make the mountains go down, the valleys to be filled, and the curvature and unevenness to straighten. However, the calls of the prophet-hermit remained "a voice crying in the wilderness" - they were not heard. The people did not want to serve their fierce and cruel god.

Goal like a falcon

Who will say a kind word to me? After all, I'm an orphan. Goal like a falcon.

Meaning. Very poor, beggar.

Origin. Many people think that we are talking about a bird. But she is neither poor nor rich. In fact, the “falcon” is an old military wall-beating weapon. It was a completely smooth (“bare”) cast-iron ingot, mounted on chains. Nothing extra!

Naked truth

This is the state of affairs, the naked truth without embellishment.

Meaning. Truth as it is, no bluff.

Origin. This expression is Latin: Nuda Veritas [nuda veritas]. It is taken from the 24th ode of the Roman poet Horace (65 - 8 BC). Ancient sculptors allegorically depicted the truth (truth) in the form of a naked woman, which was supposed to symbolize the true state of affairs without silence or embellishment.

Woe onion

Do you know how to cook soup, onion woe.

Meaning. Idiot, unlucky person.

Origin. The caustic volatile substances contained in the onion in abundance irritate the eyes, and the hostess, while she crushes the onion for her cooking, sheds tears, although there is not the slightest grief. It is curious that tears caused by the action of irritating substances chemical composition different from sincere tears. There is more protein in fake tears (this is not surprising, because such tears are designed to neutralize caustic substances that have entered the eye), so fake tears are slightly cloudy. However, every person knows this fact intuitively: there is no faith in muddy tears. And onion grief is not called grief, but a transitory nuisance. Most often, half-jokingly, half-sorrowful, they turn to a child who has again done something wrong.

Two-faced Janus

She is deceitful, quirky and hypocritical, a real two-faced Janus.

Meaning. Two-faced, hypocritical person

Origin. In Roman mythology, the god of all beginnings. He was depicted with two faces - a young man and an old man - looking in opposite directions. One face is turned to the future, the other to the past.

In the bag

Well, everything, now you can sleep peacefully: it's in the bag.

Meaning. It's all right, everything ended well.

Origin. Sometimes the origin of this expression is explained by the fact that in the days of Ivan the Terrible, some court cases were decided by lot, and the lot was drawn from the judge's hat. However, the word "hat" came to us no earlier than in the days of Boris Godunov, and even then it was applied only to foreign headdresses. It is unlikely that this rare word could get into a folk saying at the same time.

There is another explanation: _, much later, clerks and clerks, sorting out court cases, used their hats to receive bribes.

If only you could help me, - the plaintiff says to the deacu in a caustic poem. A. K. Tolstoy, - I would have poured those, she-she, ten rubles into a hat. Joke? "Rash now," said the deacon, holding up his cap. - Come on!

It is very possible that the question: “Well, how am I doing?” - the clerks often answered with a sly wink: "It's in the bag." This is where the proverb could come from.

Money doesn't smell

He took this money and did not wince, the money does not smell.

Meaning. It is the availability of money that is important, not the source of its origin.

Origin. To urgently replenish the treasury, the Roman emperor Vespasian introduced a tax on public urinals. However, Titus reproached his father for this. Vespasian held the money to his son's nose and asked if it smelled. He answered in the negative. Then the emperor said: “But they are from urine ...” On the basis of this episode, a catchphrase developed.

Keep in a black body

Don't let her sleep in bed

By the light of the morning star

Keep a lazy man in a black body

And don't take the reins off her!

Meaning. to be harsh, to be strict with someone, making you work hard; oppress someone.

Origin. The expression comes from the Turkic expressions associated with horse breeding, meaning - moderately nourish, undernourish (kara kesek - meat without fat). The literal translation of these phrases is "black meat" (kara - black, kesek - meat). From the literal meaning of the expression came "keep in a black body."

Bring to white heat

Vile type, brings me to white heat.

Meaning. To piss off to the limit, to bring to madness.

Origin. When the metal is heated during forging, it glows differently depending on the temperature: first red, then yellow, and finally dazzling white. At higher temperatures, the metal will melt and boil. An expression from the speech of blacksmiths.

smoke rocker

In the tavern, smoke stood like a yoke: songs, dances, screams, fights.

Meaning. Noise, noise, confusion, turmoil.

Origin. In old Rus', the huts were often heated in black: the smoke did not escape through the chimney, but through a special window or door. And the shape of the smoke predicted the weather. There is a column of smoke - it will be clear, dragged - to fog, rain, rocker - to the wind, bad weather, and even a storm.

Egyptian executions

What kind of punishment is this, just Egyptian executions!

Meaning. Calamities that bring torment, heavy punishment

Origin. It goes back to the biblical story about the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. For Pharaoh's refusal to release the Jews from captivity, the Lord subjected Egypt to terrible punishments - ten Egyptian plagues. Blood instead of water. All the water in the Nile, other reservoirs and containers turned into red, but remained transparent to the Jews. Execution by frogs. As Pharaoh was promised: “They will go out and enter into your house, and into your bedroom, and onto your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneaders. Frogs filled the whole land of Egypt.

Midge invasion. As a third punishment, hordes of midges fell upon Egypt, which attacked the Egyptians, stuck around them, climbed into their eyes, nose, ears.

Dog flies. The country was flooded with dog flies, from which all animals, including domestic ones, began to throw themselves at the Egyptians.

Sea of ​​cattle. All the Egyptians lost their livestock, the attack did not affect only the Jews. Ulcers and boils. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to take a handful of furnace black and throw it up in front of Pharaoh. And the bodies of the Egyptians and animals were covered with their terrible sores and boils. Thunder, lightning and fiery hail. A storm began, thunder roared, lightning flashed, and fiery hail fell on Egypt. Locust invasion. A strong wind blew, and behind the wind hordes of locusts flew into Egypt, devouring all the greenery down to the last blade of grass on the land of Egypt.

Unusual darkness. The darkness that fell on Egypt was thick and dense, you could even touch it; and candles and torches could not dispel the darkness. Only the Jews had light.

Execution of the firstborn. After all the first-born in Egypt (with the exception of the Jews) died in one night, the pharaoh surrendered and allowed the Jews to leave Egypt. Thus began the Exodus.

Iron curtain

We live like behind an iron curtain, no one comes to us, and we don't visit anyone.

Meaning. Barriers, obstacles, complete political isolation of the country.

Origin. At the end of the XVIII century. an iron curtain was lowered onto the theater stage to protect the audience in the event of a fire on it. At that time, open fire was used to illuminate the stage - candles and oil lamps.

This expression acquired political overtones during the First World War. On December 23, 1919, Georges Clemenceau declared in the French Chamber of Deputies: "We want to put an iron curtain around Bolshevism so as not to destroy civilized Europe in the future."

Yellow press

Where did you read all this? Do not trust the yellow press.

Meaning. Base, deceitful, greedy for cheap sensations press.

Origin. In 1895, the New York World newspaper began to publish a series of comic strips called "The Yellow Kid" on a regular basis. Its main character, a boy in a toe-length yellow shirt, made funny comments on various events. In early 1896, another newspaper, the New York Morning Journal, poached the creator of the comic book, artist Richard Outcolt. Both publications thrived on the publication of scandalous material. A dispute flared up between competitors over the copyright to the "Yellow Baby". In the spring of 1896, the editor of the New York Press, Erwin Wardman, commenting on this lawsuit, contemptuously called both newspapers "yellow press."

Alive Smoking Room

A. S. Pushkin wrote an epigram to the critic M. Kachenovsky, which began with the words:

"How! Is Kurilka a journalist still alive? It ended with wise advice:

“... How to put out a smelly splinter? How to kill my Smoking room? Give me advice.

- "Yes ... spit on him."

Meaning. An exclamation at the mention of the ongoing activity of someone, his existence, despite difficult conditions.

Origin. There was an old Russian game: a lit splinter was passed from hand to hand, singing: “The Smoking Room is alive, alive, alive, not dead! ..” The one whose splinter went out, began to smoke, smoke, lost.

Gradually, the words “Kurilka is alive” began to be applied to various figures and to various phenomena that, logically, should have disappeared long ago, but, despite everything, continued to exist.

Behind seven seals

Well, of course, because this is a secret for you with seven seals!

Meaning. Something beyond understanding.

Origin. It goes back to the biblical turnover “a book with seven seals” - a symbol of secret knowledge that is inaccessible to the uninitiated until seven seals are removed from it, III from the prophetic New Testament book “Revelations of St. John the Evangelist". “And I saw in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne a book written inside and out, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open this book and break its seals?” And no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, could open this book and look into it. The Lamb, who “was slain and redeemed us to God with his blood, opened the seals from the book. After the removal of six seals, the seal of God was placed on the inhabitants of Israel, according to which they were accepted as true followers of the Lord. After the opening of the seventh seal, the Lamb told John to eat the book: "... it will be bitter in your womb, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey" in order to tell about the future renewal of the whole world and dispel the fears of believers about the future of Christianity, on which Jews, Gentiles and false teachers are on all sides.

Nick down

And cut it on your nose: you will not be able to deceive me!

Meaning. Remember firmly, firmly, once and for all.

Origin. The word "nose" here does not mean the organ of smell. Oddly enough, it means "commemorative plaque", "record tag". In ancient times, illiterate people carried such sticks and tablets with them everywhere and made all kinds of notes and notches on them. These tags were called noses.

Truth in wine

And next to the neighboring tables Sleepy lackeys stick out,

And drunkards with rabbit eyes shout "In vino Veritas".

Meaning. If you want to know exactly what a person thinks, treat him to wine.

Origin. This is the famous Latin expression: In vino Veritas (in wine veritas). It is taken from the work "Natural History" by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). where it is used in the sense: what is on the sober mind, then the drunk on the tongue.

It is not worth it

You shouldn't do it. The game is clearly not worth the candle.

Meaning. The effort you put in is not worth it.

Origin. The phraseological expression is based on a card term, which means that the stakes in the game are so insignificant that even the winnings will be less than the funds spent on candles to illuminate the card table.

To the hat analysis

Well, brother, you came late, to the most hat analysis!

Meaning. Be late, show up when it's all over.

Origin. The saying arose in those days when in our frosty country people, coming to church in warm clothes and knowing that it was impossible to go inside in a hat, folded their three-pieces and caps at the very entrance. At the end of the church service, leaving, everyone took them apart. “To the hat analysis” came only those who were clearly in no hurry to go to church.

Like chickens in cabbage soup (get in)

And he got with this case, like chickens in cabbage soup.

Meaning. Bad luck, unexpected misfortune.

Origin. A very common saying that we repeat all the time, sometimes having no idea about its true meaning. Let's start with the word chicken. This word in old Russian means "rooster". And there was no “schey” in this proverb before, and it was pronounced correctly: “I got into a pluck like chickens,” that is, I was plucked, “bad luck.” The word "pluck" was forgotten, and then people willy-nilly changed the expression "pluck" into cabbage soup. When she was born is not entirely clear: some think that even under Dimitry the Pretender, when “to pluck”; hit the Polish conquerors; others - what's in Patriotic War 1812, when the Russian people forced Napoleon's hordes to flee.

King for a day

I would not trust their generous promises, which they distribute right and left: caliphs for an hour.

Meaning. About a man who happened to be endowed with power for a short time.

Origin. In the Arabic tale “A dream, or Caliph for an hour” (collection “A Thousand and One Nights”), it is told how the young Baghdadian Abu-Shssan, not knowing that Caliph Grun-al-Rashid is in front of him, shares with him his cherished dream - at least for a day to become caliph. Wanting to have some fun, Haroun al-Rashid puts sleeping pills in Abu-Ghassan's wine, orders the servants to take the young man to the palace and treat him like a caliph.

The joke succeeds. Waking up, Abu-1kssan believes that he is a caliph, enjoys luxury and begins to give orders. In the evening, he again drinks wine with sleeping pills and wakes up already at home.

Scapegoat

I fear you will forever be their scapegoat.

Meaning. The defendant for someone else's guilt, for the mistakes of others, because the true culprit cannot be found or wants to evade responsibility.

Origin. The turnover goes back to the text of the Bible, to the description of the Hebrew rite of laying the sins of the people (community) on a live goat. Such a rite was performed in case of desecration by the Jews of the sanctuary where the ark of revelation was located. In atonement for sins, a ram was burned and one goat was slaughtered "as a sin offering." All the sins and iniquities of the Jewish people were transferred to the second goat: the clergyman laid his hands on him as a sign that all the sins of the community were transferred to him, after which the goat was expelled into the wilderness. All those present at the ceremony were considered cleansed.

Lazarus sing

Stop singing Lazarus, stop being ashamed.

Meaning. Begging, whining, exaggeratedly complaining about fate, trying to arouse the sympathy of others.

Origin. IN tsarist Russia everywhere in crowded places crowds of beggars, cripples, blind men with guides gathered, begging, with all sorts of miserable lamentations, alms from passers-by. At the same time, the blind especially often sang the song “About the Rich and Lazarus”, composed according to one gospel story. Lazarus was poor, but his brother was rich. Lazarus ate the remnants of the rich man's food along with the dogs, but after death he went to heaven, while the rich man ended up in hell. This song was supposed to frighten and conscience those from whom the beggars begged for money. Since not all beggars were actually so unfortunate, their plaintive moans were often feigned.

Climb on the rampage

He promised to be careful, but he deliberately climbs on the rampage!

Meaning. Do something risky, run into trouble, do something dangerous, doomed to failure in advance.

Origin. Rozhon - a pointed stake that was used when hunting a bear. Hunting with a goad, the daredevils put this sharp stake in front of them. The enraged beast climbed on the rampage and died.

Disservice

The incessant praise from your lips is a real disservice.

Meaning. Unsolicited help, a service that does more harm than good.

Origin. The primary source is the fable of I. A. Krylov “The Hermit and the Bear”. It tells how the Bear, wanting to help his friend the Hermit to swat a fly that sat on his forehead, killed the Hermit himself along with it. But this expression is not in the fable: it took shape and entered folklore later.

Cast pearls before swine

In a letter to A. A. Bestuzhev (end of January 1825), A. S. Pushkin writes:

"The first sign smart person- know at a glance who you are dealing with,

and not throw pearls in front of the Repetilovs and the like.

Meaning. Wasting words talking to people who can't understand you.

Origin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ says: “Do not give anything holy to dogs and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample it under their feet and, turning, tear you to pieces” (Gospel of Matthew, 7: b). In the Church Slavonic translation, the word "pearl" sounds like "beads". It was in this version that this biblical expression entered the Russian language.

You can't ride a goat

He looks down on everyone, you can’t drive up to him even on a crooked goat.

Meaning. He is completely unapproachable, it is not clear how to address him.

Origin. Amusing their high patrons, using both the harp and bells for their fun, dressing up in goat and bear skins, in the plumage of a crane, these “spies” sometimes knew how to do good deeds.

It is possible that their repertoire included riding goats or pigs. Obviously, it was the buffoons who sometimes met with such a bad mood of a high-ranking person that "even a goat did not act on him."

unlucky person

Nothing went right with him, and in general he was a good-for-nothing person.

Meaning. Frivolous, careless, dissolute.

Origin. In the old days in Rus', not only the road was called the way, but also various positions at the prince's court. The falconer's path is in charge of princely hunting, the trapping path is dog hunting, the equestrian path is carriages and horses. The boyars, by hook or by crook, tried to get a way from the prince - a position. And to those who did not succeed, they spoke of those with disdain: an unlucky person.

Shelving

Now put it aside in a long box, and then completely forget.

Meaning. Give the case a long delay, delay its decision for a long time.

Origin. Perhaps this expression originated in Muscovite Rus', three hundred years ago. Tsar Alexei, father of Peter I, ordered in the village of Kolomenskoye in front of his palace to install a long box where anyone could put their complaint. Complaints fell, but it was very difficult to wait for a decision: months and years passed. The people renamed this "long" box to "long".

It is possible that the expression, if not born, was fixed in speech later, in “presences” - institutions of the 19th century. The then officials, accepting various petitions, complaints and petitions, undoubtedly sorted them, putting them in different boxes. "Long" could be called the one where the most unhurried things were put off. It is clear that the applicants were afraid of such a box.

Retired goat drummer

I am now out of office - a retired goat drummer.

Meaning. No one needs, no one respected person.

Origin. In the old days, trained bears were taken to fairs. They were accompanied by a dancer boy dressed up as a goat, and a drummer accompanying his dance. This was the "goat drummer". He was perceived as a worthless, frivolous person. And if the goat is also “retired”?

Bring under the monastery

What have you done, what am I to do now, led me to the monastery, and nothing more.

Meaning. Put in a difficult, unpleasant situation, bring under punishment.

Origin. There are several versions of the origin of the turnover. Perhaps the turnover arose because people who had big troubles in life usually left for the monastery. According to another version, the expression is connected with the fact that Russian guides brought enemies under the walls of monasteries, which during the war turned into fortresses (bring a blind man under a monastery). Some believe that the expression is associated with the hard life of women in Tsarist Russia. Only strong relatives could save a woman from her husband's beatings, having achieved protection from the patriarch and the authorities. In this case, the wife "brought her husband to the monastery" - he was exiled to the monastery "in humility" for six months or a year.

put a pig

Well, he has a vile character: he planted a pig and is satisfied!

Meaning. Secretly set up some filth, play a dirty trick.

Origin. In all likelihood, this expression is due to the fact that some peoples do not eat pork for religious reasons. And if such a person was imperceptibly put pork meat in his food, then his faith was defiled by this.

Get into a bind

The small one got into such a bind that even the guards shout.

Meaning. Get into a difficult, dangerous or unpleasant situation.

Origin. In dialects, BINDING is a fish trap woven from branches. And, as in any trap, being in it is an unpleasant business.

Professor of sour cabbage soup

He is always teaching everyone. Me too, professor of sour cabbage soup!

Meaning. Unlucky, bad master.

Origin. Sour cabbage soup is a simple peasant food: some water and sauerkraut. It wasn't hard to prepare them. And if someone was called a master of sour cabbage soup, it meant that he was not good for anything worthwhile.

Beluga roar

For three days in a row she roared like a beluga.

Meaning. Shout or cry loudly.

Origin. "Mute like a fish" - this has been known for a long time. And suddenly "roar beluga"? It turns out that we are not talking about a beluga here, but about a beluga whale, as the polar dolphin is called. He really roars very loudly.

Breed antimony

All conversation is over. I have no time to raise antimony here with you.

Meaning. Chatting, empty talk. Observe unnecessary ceremonies in a relationship.

Origin. From the Latin name of antimony (antimonium), which was used as a medicinal and cosmetic agent, after grinding it and then dissolving it. Antimony is poorly soluble, so the process was very long and laborious. And while it was dissolving, the pharmacists had endless conversations.

The side of the bake

Why would I go to them? Nobody called me. It's called came - on the side of the bake!

Meaning. Everything accidental, extraneous, adhering to something from the outside; superfluous, unnecessary

Origin. This expression is often distorted by pronouncing "side-baked". In fact, it could also be conveyed by the words: “side baking”. Baking, or baking, bakers have burnt pieces of dough that stick to the outside of bread products, that is, something unnecessary, superfluous.

Orphan Kazan

Why are you standing, rooted to the threshold, like an orphan from Kazan.

Meaning. So they say about a person who pretends to be unhappy, offended, helpless in order to pity someone.

Origin. This phraseological unit arose after the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. Mirzas (Tatar princes), being subjects of the Russian Tsar, tried to beg him for all sorts of indulgences, complaining about their orphanhood and bitter fate.

Grated roll

As a grated kalach, I can give you good advice.

Meaning. This is the name of an experienced person who is difficult to deceive.

Origin. There used to be such a kind of bread - “grated kalach”. The dough for it was kneaded, kneaded, “rubbed” for a very long time, which made the kalach unusually lush. And there was also a proverb - "do not grate, do not mint, there will be no kalach." That is, a person is taught by trials and tribulations. The expression came from a proverb, and not from the name of bread.

Pip on your tongue

What are you saying, pip on your tongue!

Meaning. An expression of dissatisfaction with what was said, an unkind wish to someone who says something that is not what should be said.

Origin. It is clear that this is a wish, and not a very friendly one at that. But what is its meaning? A pip is a small, horny bump on the tip of a bird's tongue that helps them peck at food. The growth of such a tubercle can be a sign of illness. Hard pimples on the tongue of a person are called pips by analogy with these bird tubercles. According to superstitious ideas, the pip usually appears in deceitful people. Hence the unkind wish, designed to punish liars and deceivers. From these observations and superstitions, the incantation formula was born: “Pip on your tongue!” Its main meaning was: "You are a liar: let a pip appear on your tongue!" Now the meaning of this spell has changed somewhat. "Pip on your tongue!" - an ironic wish to someone who expressed an unkind thought, predicted an unpleasant one.

Sharpen laces

Why are you sitting idle and whetting your hair?

Meaning. To idle talk, engage in useless chatter, gossip.

Origin. Lasy (balusters) are chiseled curly posts of railings at the porch; only a real master could make such beauty. Probably, at first, “sharpening balusters” meant having an elegant, bizarre, ornate (like balusters) conversation. And the craftsmen to conduct such a conversation by our time became less and less. So this expression began to denote empty chatter. Another version raises the expression to the meaning of the Russian word balyas - stories, Ukrainian balyas - noise, which go directly to the common Slavic "tell".

pull the gimp

Now they are gone, he will pull the rigmarole until we ourselves give up this idea.

Meaning. To procrastinate, to drag out any business, to speak monotonously and tediously.

Origin. Gimp - the thinnest gold, silver or copper thread, which was used to embroider galloons, aiguillettes and other decorations of officer uniforms, as well as chasubles of priests and simply rich costumes. It was made in a handicraft way, heating the metal and carefully pulling out a thin wire with tongs. This process was extremely long, slow and painstaking, so that over time the expression "pull the gimp" began to refer to any protracted and monotonous business or conversation.

Hit the face in the dirt

You don’t let me down, don’t lose face in front of the guests.

Meaning. Embarrass, shame.

Origin. To hit the face in the dirt originally meant "to fall on the dirty ground." Such a fall was considered by the people to be especially shameful in fisticuffs - competitions of wrestlers, when a weak opponent was knocked over prone to the ground.

In the middle of nowhere

What, go to him? Yes, this is in the middle of nowhere.

Meaning. Very far, somewhere in the wilderness.

Origin. Kulichiki is a distorted Finnish word "kuligi", "kulizhki", which has long been included in Russian speech. So in the north were called forest clearings, meadows, swamps. Here, in the wooded part of the country, the settlers of the distant past were always cutting down “kulizhki” in the forest - areas for plowing and mowing. In old letters, the following formula is constantly found: "And all that land, as long as the ax walked and the scythe walked." The farmer often had to go to his field in the wilderness, to the farthest "sandbags", developed worse than the neighbors, where, according to the then ideas, goblin, and devils, and all kinds of forest evil spirits were found in swamps and windbreaks. So ordinary words got their second, figurative meaning: very far, at the end of the world.

fig leaf

She is a terrible pretender and lazy, hiding behind her imaginary illness,

like a fig leaf.

Meaning. A plausible cover for unseemly deeds.

Origin. The expression goes back to the Old Testament myth about Adam and Eve, who, after the fall, knew shame and girded themselves with fig tree (fig tree) leaves: “And their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves belts » (Genesis, 3:7). From XVI to late XVIII centuries, European artists and sculptors had to cover the most explicit parts of the human body with a fig leaf in their works. This convention was a concession to the Christian church, which considered the depiction of naked flesh sinful and obscene.

Filkin's letter

What kind of filkin's letter is this, can't you really state your thoughts?

Meaning. Ignorant, illiterate document.

Origin. The author of the expression was Ivan the Terrible. To strengthen his power, which was impossible without weakening the princes, boyars and clergy, Ivan the Terrible introduced the oprichnina, which terrified everyone.

Metropolitan Philip could not come to terms with the revelry of the guardsmen. In his numerous letters to the tsar - letters - he sought to convince Grozny to abandon his policy of terror, to dissolve the oprichnina. The disobedient Metropolitan Tsyuzny contemptuously called Filka, and his letters - Filkin's letters.

For the bold denunciations of Grozny and his guardsmen, Metropolitan Philip was imprisoned in the Tver Monastery, where Malyuta Skuratov strangled him.

Grab the stars from the sky

He is a man not without abilities, but there are not enough stars from heaven.

Meaning. Do not differ in talents and outstanding abilities.

Origin. Phraseological expression, apparently associated by association with the award stars of the military and officials as insignia.

Enough kondrashka

He was a heroic health, and suddenly kondrashka was enough.

Meaning. Someone suddenly died, was suddenly paralyzed.

Origin. According to the assumption of the historian S. M. Solovyov, the expression is associated with the name of the leader of the Bulavinsky uprising on the Don in 1707, ataman Kondraty Afanasyevich Bulavin (Kondrashka), who exterminated the entire royal detachment led by the voivode Prince Dolgoruky with a sudden raid.

Apple of discord

This trip is a real bone of contention, can't you give in, let him go.

Meaning. That which gives rise to conflict, serious contradictions.

Origin. Peleus and Thetis, the hero's parents Trojan War Achilles, they forgot to invite the goddess of discord, Eris, to their wedding. Eris was very offended and secretly threw a golden apple on the table, at which the gods and mortals were feasting; on it was written: "To the most beautiful." A dispute arose between the three goddesses: the wife of Zeus Hera, Athena - the maiden, the goddess of wisdom, and the beautiful goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite.

The young man Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, was chosen as a judge between them. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite who bribed him; For this, Aphrodite forced the wife of King Menelaus, the beautiful Helen, to fall in love with the young man. Leaving her husband, Elena went to Troy, and in order to avenge such an insult, the Greeks began a long-term war with the Trojans. As you can see, the apple of Eris actually led to discord.

Pandora's Box

Well, now hold on, Pandora's box has opened.

Meaning. All that can serve as a source of disaster if not careful.

Origin. When the great titan Prometheus stole the fire of the gods from Olympus and gave people the fire of the gods, Zeus terribly punished the daredevil, but it was too late. Possessing the divine flame, people ceased to obey the celestials, learned various sciences, and got out of their miserable state. A little more - and they would have won complete happiness for themselves.

Then Zeus decided to send punishment on them. The blacksmith god Hephaestus fashioned the beautiful woman Pandora from earth and water. The rest of the gods gave her: who is cunning, who is courage, who is extraordinary beauty. Then, handing her a mysterious box, Zeus sent her to earth, forbidding her to open the box. Curious Pandora, barely having come into the world, slightly opened the lid. Immediately all human disasters flew out from there and scattered throughout the universe. Pandora, in fear, tried to close the lid again, but in the box of all misfortunes, only a deceptive hope remained. published . If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to specialists and readers of our project .

There are many stable phrases and phrases in the Russian language, the meaning of which cannot be understood purely from a linguistic point of view. Russian phraseological units or popular expressions stun foreigners, and a considerable part of modern youth. Meanwhile, they make speech more vivid, expressive, incredibly expand the possibilities of the Russian language and the range of emotions of human communication. No less interesting is the history of their origin, both firmly established in our everyday life, and the most unusual and rare, thanks to which the Russian language, for all its complexity and richness, would be much poorer and more boring.

The origins of the phraseologism lie in antiquity, when salt in Rus' was very expensive due to the difficulties of its delivery from the mining regions. In the absence of good roads and a fair weight of the product, it was difficult to expect cheap deliveries. When guests came to the house, the owner himself salted their food, paying more attention to dear guests who sat at the table closer to him. It happened that food was even salted as a sign of special respect. Those who, due to their low social status, sat at the other end of the table, sometimes got little salt and did not get it at all. This is where the expression “leave from somewhere without salty slurping” came from, i.e. deprived, not getting what they expected.

play spillikins

The modern game "Tower" or "Jenga" had an ancient Russian analogue - a game in which the role of bricks was played by various small objects, which in the old days were called spillikins. The purpose of the fun was to alternately pull out the spillikins one by one from the common pile, until the whole structure collapsed. On turn of XIX-XX centuries the game was very popular and gradually began to personify a useless, empty activity, nonsense, on which time is spent instead of useful things. The expression has this meaning even today.

"Lying like a gray gelding"

The meaning of this phraseological unit is clear without explanation, but its origin has not been unambiguously defined. There are at least two versions of why it was this pet, and it was the gray suit that was awarded the title of a harmless reputation as a liar. And it is not a fact that one of them is exact, since both are reduced to a certain speech error in the memory of the Russian people. According to the first one, voiced by the linguist V. Dahl, the word “lying” originally sounded like “rushing”. The fact that geldings are distinguished by special strength and endurance is a well-known fact. But it is unlikely that the gray suit somehow stands out with these qualities against the background of others.

According to the second version, the popular expression remained in memory of the Russian "Munchausen" - a great liar named Sievers-Mering of a noble rank, who served in tsarist army 150 years ago. All the soldiers and officers knew about his tendency to invent fables, so the expression was often used when convicting someone of a lie.

However, this version is also defeated, if we recall that the gray gelding (or mare) as stable expression we are also mentioned on other occasions (nonsense of a gray mare, lazy or stupid, op like a gray gelding, etc.). And the researchers still have no explanation for this interesting fact.

Roll a barrel (at someone)

In ancient times, fish was one of the main food products. Although they spoke in Rus' about “soup and porridge,” but meat soup was expensive, and you can’t really work on empty ones. Therefore, they were often boiled on fish, and in another form it often appeared on the village table.

Fish often had to be transported from the places of its especially rich fishing - from the lower reaches of the Volga and other large reservoirs. They carried it in large barrels, which, when unloaded, rolled down the ladder and, if handled carelessly, could easily cripple a person. Therefore, the first rule when unloading was not to roll the barrel when there was a person in its path. An interesting fact: this phraseologism was actually born on the social bottom of society, and to this day it is considered vulgar and unacceptable for use in cultural conversation, although its meaning does not carry vulgarity or vulgarity. “Roll a barrel” - attack a person, threaten him, accuse him of something with the implication that he actually did nothing wrong.

Breaking bad (let go)

Temple belfries (bell towers) in the old days usually hung a lot of different bells from small ringing bells to colossal colossus, the weight of which reached tens of tons. To strike such a bell, remarkable strength was needed, since its “tongue” weighed a lot. In church statutes, they were called "heavy", i.e. modern "heavy".

They beat them not only on major holidays, but also in case of emergencies, such as fires and other disasters. "To hit all the hard" meant to beat all the heavy (loud) bells so that the sound would spread further and announce the importance of the event. In this case, the people had to give up everything, regardless of occupation, run to help or save themselves and act, regardless of anything and regardless of anything subjective. The expression is used to this day, retaining only part of the meaning - to perform actions that are not consistent with the usual rules. However, in this case, we are no longer talking about help and salvation, but revelry and debauchery.

Hot spot

Another phraseological phrase from the old church vocabulary that has lost its meaning, and this time it is exactly the opposite. When we mention the cereal, we imagine a place where people indulge in drunkenness and debauchery, however, the original meaning of this expression was not figurative and referred to the place where cereals grow, i.e. bread, well-fed, and therefore cheerful. The request to put to rest in “a green and peaceful (calm) place” is contained in prayers for the dead. The current value is due to the fact that in Rus', in the absence of grapes, intoxicating drinks were made mainly from cereals. Therefore, the "evil" place in oral folklore turned into a "drunk" one.

"Silent glanders"

The meaning of a phraseological unit is to do something inconspicuously, secretly, to achieve the desired inconspicuously for others, as a rule, something that they do not approve of and often comes to the detriment or detriment of others. For example, on the sly, you can get what you want from your superiors, regardless of corporate ethics. Or drag the most delicious food, while no one has sat down at the table. The modified word "sapa" comes from the Italian "zappa", meaning something like our sapper shovel, i.e. small shovel for earthworks. It was convenient for her to dig or dig a secret passage.

Before getting into the Russian language, "tsappa" passed into French in the form of a modified borrowing "sap" (earthworks in order to create a hidden tunnel, sap). By the way, the well-known word "sapper" came from him. In our language, this word itself and the corresponding phrase "quiet glanders" acquired the same meaning. To make the approach to the enemy imperceptible, secret, to approach on the sly.

Subsequently, the expression acquired a wide semantic application and turned into a phraseological unit.

"Sit in a puddle"

Another variant of a phraseological unit is to sit in a galosh (galosh). It means to be disgraced, to be in an absurd position, to be defeated in a dispute, putting forward easily refutable arguments. The origin of this unusual phraseologism is associated with ancient folk wall-to-wall fights, held as fun, games. The battles took place in the field, where mud and puddles often kneaded underfoot. If a person fell, then he not only lost, but also found himself in a very ridiculous position - lying in a puddle. And since in ancient times the puddle was called a little differently, kaluga, the name of the shoe for overcoming this obstacle came from this name - galosh (it has an equal spelling with the “galosh” variant, depending on the local dialect).

Therefore, in Russian folklore, another popular expression has also become fixed - “sit in a galosh”.

"The sand is falling"

The expression implies old age, a derisive indication of age, often inappropriate behavior. According to one version, its roots go back to medieval Europe, where such a detail of clothing as a codpiece came into fashion, i.e. a bag in which a man's dignity was invested. The detail was not just noticeable, it was decorated in every possible way and flaunted. And in order to make the economy look more solid, men often put fake sandbags into the codpiece. Elderly womanizers especially sinned with this in order to demonstrate that they were still “hoo”. But due to the prescription of use or due to careless movement, the bags sometimes torn, and then a path of sand stretched behind the owner of a luxurious codpiece, which caused laughter among the courtiers.

According to another version, Russian soldiers had to wear the same bags in the same place, but for a different purpose, under Peter, who ordered them to wear narrow, as in Europe, and terribly uncomfortable for them unusual pants (to reduce pressure on causal places ). The bags quickly wore out, torn and scattered sand.

There is also a third version, explaining why phraseological units are applied with the same success to women and why it has received such a late distribution. We are talking about stones and sand in the genitourinary system, which are most often formed with age and often come out spontaneously.

Put in a long box

The meaning of the expression is simple - to postpone something for a long or indefinite period, not to rush to resolve the issue. But it has an interesting origin. In the village of Kolomenskoye, during the reign of Alexei, who was the father of Peter the Great, a special box was installed for complaints to the sovereign, which anyone could put there. The people tried, wrote, waited, but the consideration of issues had to wait for months, or even years. For this, the petitioners aptly nicknamed the box long or long. Subsequently, the expression was fixed thanks to special boxes in the "presences", where complaints and petitions were laid out in different boxes by the officials themselves for sorting. Among them was one that was intended for folding unhurried affairs, and it was called "long".

"Disservice"

So they say about unsolicited help, from which more negative consequences are obtained than benefits. The origin is connected with the fable "The Hermit and the Bear" by the famous fabulist Krylov. In it, the Bear, out of good intentions, slapped a fly on the forehead of the Stranger, with whom he became friends. But he did not calculate the strength and killed him. There is no catch phrase in the text of the fable; it was formed later on its basis and firmly entered Russian folklore.

"Not by washing, so by skating"

Phraseologism, the meaning of which comes down to excessive perseverance, the desire of a person to achieve what he wants in any way and find other ways to achieve it if previous attempts have failed. The origin of the expression is the old way ironing linen by rolling using two wooden bars. Linen was wound on one of them, and the resulting bundle was rolled on a flat surface with the other. When washing clothes, women knew that the results of not quite high-quality washing could be visually improved if the item was carefully ironed.

"7 Fridays in a week"

Phraseologism, as relevant as ever at the present time. Friday was the trading day. If the money was not immediately paid for the goods on the market day, then the payment deadline came on the following Friday. People who failed to pay due dates, and especially those who reminded debtors of their debts too often, were said to have Friday every day. The expression stuck to those who change their minds too often. In addition, this day in Rus' was considered a day off, a market day. Subsequently, they began to talk like that about loafers, who have every day, like Friday, a day off.

"Japanese policeman!"

By uttering this phrase, many simply disguise an obscene expression that is ready to escape from their lips. In fact, we are talking about a small scandal that took place during the journey of Tsarevich Nicholas in Japan. The youth laughed loudly and had fun, which did not please the stiff guardian of order, who, without thinking twice and without wasting words, simply hit the future emperor on the head with a saber. Fortunately, she was in a sheath, and the incident had no physical consequences, however, it received a serious response in Russia. The outrage was caused by the fact that instead of restoring proper order, the Japanese policeman rushes at unarmed young people just because they laugh out loud. The expression has taken root perfectly as a euphemism - a shy replacement of an indecent word with a completely cultural expression.