Set expressions of the Russian language. Phraseologisms in the Russian language and their meaning in speech
The Russian language is one of the most beautiful and rich languages in the world. Over the long history of its formation, it has undergone many transformations, changes and has been imbued with various vocabulary expressions that help make the conversation clearer and understandable, or figurative and tortuous, and sentences more elegant.
One of these vocabulary phrases in 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, and similar to literary language.
It is incredibly interesting to find the meanings of certain types of phraseological units. You can spend your whole life studying this direction in the Russian language. Let's try to answer the question of how and when it is appropriate to use phraseological units in a conversation.
What is a phraseological unit
A phraseological unit is a stable phrase, which in most cases has its own meaning in a sentence only in an established, generally accepted form, and nothing more. For example, “to run away with your heels sparkling” cannot be pronounced as “to run away with your heels sparkling”, or you can’t say “to take care of it like the pupil of your eye” instead of “to take care of it like the apple of your 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 words are rearranged. Thus, “to beat the thumbs” and “to beat the thumbs” or “to carry water in a sieve” and “to carry water in a sieve” are phraseological units that do not change due to the rearrangement of words in them.
The history of the birth of proverbs
Many words in the Russian language have long been outdated and have lost their true meaning, but they are still present in stable expressions.
Consider an example like "Hack on the nose"(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 in the centuries. Many centuries ago, illiterate people carried tablets with them, on which they made notches in order to remember upcoming events or necessary facts. That is, notching on the nose used to be literally a synonym for the word “write down.”
Or phraseological unit "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? It's simple. Haven't you noticed how huge camels obediently wander behind their owner without even trying to run away or somehow lean on them? The reason for this is far from animal obedience, but a ring threaded through the nose, to which a rope is attached, which is in the hands of the animal’s owner. Therefore, the expression “being led by the nose” acquired its meaning.
And also interesting story with phraseological units "hang your nose". Nowadays the full version of the proverb is rarely used, which sounds like “hang your nose on a fifth.” Strange as it may be, 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 the Russian language have something in common with each other. Therefore, if you look closely, you can notice a pattern in the use of, for example, this or that part human body in phraseological terms. 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 serves as the 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 nearby, located at a very short 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. Let's take, for example, the fairy tale about Kolobok. How did the cunning fox force her prey to come dangerously close? That's right, she asked Kolobok to come closer and sit on her nose.
Perhaps such meanings are due to the fact that on the human face the nose comes forward 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 stable expressions in which lips are used.
- Take water into your mouth and suddenly shut up;
- To pout your lips is to be offended;
- Lip is not a fool - a person knows how to choose the best or has inflated desires;
- There is porridge in the mouth - the person speaks indistinctly;
- Do not take it into your mouth - very tasteless, unpleasant food;
- There was no poppy dew in the mouth - the person was hungry;
- The mouth is full of trouble - there is a lot to do, the person is very busy;
- To open your mouth is to be 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 them foreign objects with a mirror surface, and, naturally, this meaning of the symbol could not be ignored.
Teeth in proverbs
Teeth are mostly used in set phrases as protection against something. And also in proverbs, teeth symbolize smile and laughter.
- Armed to the teeth - a dangerous opponent, who is very difficult to defeat due to his good preparation;
- To give a tooth - to laugh or mock someone;
- To bare your teeth means it is unpleasant to laugh, to mock;
- Give it a try - get to know it better, study it well;
- Show teeth - show readiness for hostility and hostility;
- To sharpen/to have a tooth - to dislike, to have hostility towards someone.
Thus, we can conclude that phraseological units are phrases that make a conversation more rich and varied. They decorate our speech and help to express and define the emotions that flow like a waterfall within us. So do we have the right, having such linguistic wealth, to use slang words that make our speech less pleasant and our souls more callous? One can only hope that everyone can find the answer to this question for themselves.
To get into the soul without soap is to gain someone's favor through flattery or cunning.
To fall in love without memory is very strong, passionate, to the point of self-forgetfulness.
Without memory of someone - in admiration, in complete delight.
To open a wound (soul, heart) - to excite painful memories, to excite.
There is no one to beat you - an expression of condemnation, censure.
To hit over the edge (about emotions, feelings).
To be sick at heart is to worry a lot, to worry about someone or something.
The sore spot is the one that causes the most anxiety and distress.
A big heart is about someone who is capable of strong and sincere feelings.
Touch the soul - deeply touch, excite.
Pull yourself together - calm down, take control of yourself.
A storm in a glass of water - strong excitement, excitement over trifles.
To drive a wedge is to make the relationship hostile.
Twist (wag, twist) your tail - flattery to achieve someone’s favor
Hanging your head (nose) means getting upset, becoming despondent, despairing, experiencing emotional unrest.
To speak excitedly - hastily, as if choking.
Hanging on the neck - pestering with caresses and tenderness.
To make one blush - to embarrass, to make one blush.
You can't spill it with water - they are very friendly, inseparable.
Your hair stands on end - it becomes unbearably scary.
To stir up the past is to remember forgotten, unpleasant, difficult things.
Perk up - get into a cheerful mood.
Turn up your nose - show disdain for someone or something.
That's cranberry! - an expression of surprise at an unpleasant surprise.
That's a pound! - expression of amazement, disappointment.
Here you go! - expression of amazement, disappointment.
So much for you! - expression of amazement, disappointment.
With all my soul - sincerely, ardently, heartily love.
To clasp your hands is to be extremely surprised and amazed.
Standing up on the left (wrong) foot means being in a bad mood in the morning.
To make one angry is to make one angry, to deprive one of one’s mental balance.
To squeeze out a tear is to try to evoke sympathy, pity, or compassion in someone.
To tear it out of the heart is to try to forget a loved one.
Sucking blood means tormenting, causing mental suffering.
To lose oneself - to get into a state of anger, annoyance, to lose oneself
Eyes popping out of your head - an expression of extreme surprise, confusion, strong
He didn’t blink an eye - he didn’t show the slightest fear.
Gog and Magog - a person who inspires horror and fear.
I’m ready to fall through the ground - to disappear from a feeling of embarrassment, awkwardness, shame.
To make your eyes wide is to be extremely surprised at something, to be perplexed.
Keeping a stone in your bosom means harboring a grudge against someone.
To keep a mark is to maintain the honor of someone or something with dignity.
To be amazed is to be in extreme surprise.
Reaching the point of white heat means extreme irritation and anger.
To the point of white heat - to bring, to anger.
To the depths of the soul (to excite, touch, shock, touch) - to excite very strongly, deeply.
Teasing geese causes anger.
The soul (heart) hurts - someone is very worried, worried, worried about someone.
Soul to soul - very friendly.
The soul (heart) is out of place - anxiety, extreme agitation.
My soul sank into my heels - I was seized by strong fear.
The soul rejoices - it embraces joyful excitement about something.
Dote on your soul - love very much.
A bilious person - showing hostility towards everyone, sarcastic.
For your dear soul - with great pleasure.
You won't be able to pull your ears off - something very tasty and giving great pleasure.
Looking into the soul is trying to understand someone’s feelings.
To touch a nerve is to affect one’s self-esteem, to greatly excite one by touching on something important and dear.
To bite the bit means to break loose, to lose control of oneself.
To become pale - to turn pale.
To blush - to blush with embarrassment or a feeling of shame.
To have a grudge against someone is to secretly hate, feel dissatisfied.
The fiend of hell is about someone who inspires disgust and horror with his appearance and actions.
The Kazan orphan is the one who pretends to be offended and unhappy.
It’s like being underwater - upset about something, extremely depressed.
It’s like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders - to feel relief, to get rid of painful experiences.
Like a bolt from the blue - an unexpected nuisance.
It’s like living like a cat and a dog - being in constant quarrel, being at enmity.
You sulk like a mouse at a rump - to be very angry with someone.
It's like sitting on pins and needles - in extreme excitement, restless.
Trembling like an aspen leaf - trembling with fear.
It was as if he had broken free from a chain - having lost self-control, he went to the extreme in his actions.
Like crazy - in a state of extreme excitement.
Like hell you are afraid of incense - very much so.
Pricking someone's eyes means causing irritation and anger.
Lump in throat - spasms with excitement.
Cats are scratching at my soul - I have become anxious and restless.
To be disingenuous is to act against conscience, insincerely.
Blood grievance is grave, deeply affecting.
The blood boiled in my veins - anger arose.
You crocodile tears - hypocritical compassion, insincere regret.
To turn (turn) someone's head is to evoke in someone a feeling of love, sympathy.
Biting your elbows means bitterly regretting, being annoyed about something missed or irreparable.
The ice is broken (broken) - relations have improved.
To climb into a bottle means to become very irritated, angry, indignant - usually over trifles.
Climb (climb) into someone else's soul - find out someone's feelings, mood.
Climbing a wall means getting into a state of extreme excitement, annoyance, irritation, rage.
Shedding tears means crying bitterly.
There is no face on someone - to turn very pale from excitement, fear.
To throw thunder and lightning is to speak angrily, with indignation, to threaten.
To stir the mud - to humiliate in every possible way, to publicly insult.
Frost on the skin - an unpleasant feeling of fear arises.
The torment of Tantalus is suffering from the consciousness of the proximity of the desired goal and the impossibility of achieving it.
Goosebumps ran down my back - a feeling of chills from intense fear and excitement.
To be on short terms with someone is to be in a close, friendly relationship.
To be at knifepoint with someone is to be in a sharply hostile relationship.
To be in seventh heaven is to feel immensely happy.
To pout your lips means to be offended, angry.
Stepping on a pet peeve is touching something that is extremely worrying, painfully bothering someone.
Not at ease - in a bad, depressed mood; feel uncomfortable, constrained.
Not finding a place for yourself means being extremely worried, anxious.
Uneasy - awkward, unpleasant from embarrassment.
Not remembering yourself means being in an extremely excited state, not controlling yourself.
The sky seems like a sheepskin - it has become heavy, uneasy with fear and horror.
Neither alive nor dead - very frightened, frozen with fear, horror.
Neither cold nor hot - completely indifferent, does not care at all.
A knife in the heart is extremely annoying and bitter.
A sharp knife means something is extremely unpleasant, painful.
With fire and sword - extremely harshly, inhumanly, mercilessly exterminating.
To become numb with indignation, surprise - to be speechless.
To give up is to fall into despair.
To turn the whole soul upside down - to greatly excite, to deeply touch someone.
Petlazar - pretend to be unhappy in order to pity someone.
To drink a bitter cup means to suffer again, to endure.
Drinking blood means causing severe pain and suffering.
Cry in three streams - uncontrollably, bitterly, shedding tears profusely.
To spit in the soul is to insult what is most dear and intimate.
Fear God - have a conscience.
To fall under the hot hand - in a moment of anger or irritation of someone.
To give heat is to inspire.
The veins are shaking - experiencing strong fear, trembling with excitement.
Adding fuel to the fire means aggravating hostile relations between someone.
To bring a pill is to cause bitter offense to someone.
To kneel is to treat with the deepest respect, with reverence.
Bring to your senses - make you calm down.
To pillory is to brand someone with shame.
Come to your senses - calm down, stop worrying.
Swallow the pill - patiently, silently endure an insult, an insult.
Shed a tear - cry; try to pity; pretend to worry, worry, counting on the effect.
Break (break) the ice - eliminate tension in a relationship between someone.
To throw up your hands means to be extremely surprised and bewildered.
Opening your mouth means being extremely surprised, bewildered.
To start crying is to start crying.
To burst into indignation is to show your anger.
Melt the ice - eliminate alienation and mistrust.
Tearing and throwing - to become extremely angry, irritated, to the point of becoming bitter.
Pulling out your hair means falling into despair, being very annoyed with yourself.
With a sinking heart - experiencing great excitement, in anxious anticipation.
Foaming at the mouth - to prove in strong irritation, recklessly.
In the heat of the moment - in a fit of irritation.
With your mouth agape - look extremely surprised.
With open arms - to receive someone cordially, affably, with pleasure.
With arms and legs - do something with great pleasure.
To tear off with your hands - to willingly acquire, buy something.
With a heavy heart - with a depressed mood.
Go crazy - an expression of surprise, tenderness, admiration.
With a fallen heart - with horror; in a depressed mood.
Not himself - very excited, upset, lost self-control.
The light fades in the eyes - everything becomes disgusting, disgusting.
Drive crazy - greatly irritate, embitter, worry someone; evoke a feeling of delight, enchant.
The Holy of Holies is something most important, cherished, hidden.
The heart bleeds - someone experiences a feeling of deep compassion, pity, someone is very sad, melancholy.
The heart is overgrown with moss - someone has become soulless, unresponsive, callous.
The heart sank (shortness) - suddenly I was overcome by fright, fear, anxiety.
Sitting in the liver is extremely annoying.
Through clenched teeth - angrily, angrily, with anger.
Grinding your teeth means expressing strong indignation and anger.
Glory to God is an expression of joy, satisfaction about something.
The laugh got into his mouth - he couldn’t stop laughing.
To look askance is to express dissatisfaction, to harbor anger against someone.
To look down on someone is to treat someone arrogantly.
To look up - to treat someone with reverence.
You've probably heard more than once that some phrases are called phraseological units. And, we bet, we have used such phrases ourselves many times. Let's check what you know about them. We guarantee we know more. And we will be happy to share information.
What is a phraseological unit?
Phraseologism- a turnover that is freely reproduced in speech, has a holistic, stable and, often, figurative meaning. From the point of view of structure, it is constructed as a coordinating or subordinating phrase (it is non-predicative or predicative in nature).
In what case does a certain phrase turn into a phraseological unit? When each of his components loses independence as a semantic unit. And together they form a phrase with a new, allegorical meaning and imagery.
Signs of phraseological units:
- sustainability;
- reproducibility;
- integrity of meaning;
- dismemberment of the composition;
- belonging to the nominative dictionary of the language.
Some of these features characterize the internal content of the phraseological unit, and some – the form.
How do phraseological units differ from words?
First of all, with its pronounced stylistic coloring. Most commonly used words in the average person's vocabulary are neutral vocabulary. Phraseologisms are characterized by evaluative meaning, emotional and expressive coloring, without which the realization of the meaning of phraseological units is impossible.
From the point of view of language stylistics, phraseological units can be divided into:
- neutral ( from time to time, little by little etc.);
- high style ( cornerstone, rest in God etc.);
- colloquial and vernacular ( good riddance, catch crows etc.).
How do phraseological units differ from phraseological combinations, proverbs and sayings, and popular expressions?
Phraseologisms are capable (and actively do this) in composition to be combined with words of free use (that is, all other words of the language, “non-phraseologisms”).
How phraseological units are divided by origin:
- originally Russian– some free phrases were rethought in speech as metaphors and turned into phraseological units ( reel in fishing rods, fish in troubled waters, knead mud, spread wings, grate kalach etc.);
- borrowings from Old Church Slavonic (hesitating nothing, like the apple of his eye, not of this world, a proverb, in its time, the holy of holies etc.);
- stable phrases-terms that have turned into metaphors (bring to a common denominator= call, specific gravity= value, exaggerate= to greatly exaggerate, squaring the circle etc.);
- accepted in everyday life stable names, which do not belong to any terminological system ( Indian summer, goat leg etc.);
- catch words and expressions who came to us from Greek and Roman mythology (Achilles' heel, sword of Damocles, tantalum torment, wash your hands etc.);
- popular words and expressions from the Bible and other religious texts ( manna from heaven, abomination of desolation etc.);
- catchphrases originating from literature, which have lost connection with the original source and entered speech as phraseological units ( magician and wizard– comedy by A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin “Krechinsky’s Wedding” (1855), between a rock and a hard place– F. Spielhagen’s novel “Between a Hammer and a Hard Place” (1868), between Scylla and Charybdis– Homer, “Odyssey” (8th century BC);
- tracing phraseological units, that is, a literal translation of set expressions from other languages ( smash on your head– German aufs Haupt Schlagen, out of place– fr. ne pas etre dans son assiette, time of the dog and the wolf– fr. l'heure entre chien et loup, literally: the time after sunset when it is difficult to distinguish a dog from a wolf).
Do not apply to phraseological units:
- phraseological combinations like to scorn, to pay attention, to win, to make a decision; voracious appetite, girlish memory, bosom friend, sworn enemy, dog cold and the like. The words that make up these phrases retain the ability to be meaningfully and grammatically connected to another word. Phraseological combinations are classified as specific phrases. But phraseological units themselves are not phrases in the common understanding of this definition (*in fact, this is a rather controversial point of classification and in the future we will look at some of these expressions);
- stable phrases-terms ( exclamation point, brain, rib cage, spinal column, progressive paralysis) and compound names (such as red corner, wall newspaper);
- designs such as: in the form of, for the sake of appearance, under power, if they cannot be compared with a literal prepositional-case combination of words (compare: on the nose= very soon and on the nose mole);
- catchphrases, proverbs and sayings ( Happy hours are not observed; All ages are submissive to love; Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword; Do not renounce money and prison etc.) - they differ from phraseological units in that in speech they are combined not with words, but with whole sentences (parts of sentences).
Lexico-grammatical classification
Phraseologisms can also be classified from a lexico-grammatical point of view:
- verbal- used in speech in the form of imperfect and perfect form: take/take the bull by the horns, hang/hang the nose, stroke/pat against the grain etc. A significant number of verbal phraseological units have nevertheless become entrenched in the language in the form of only one type: perfect ( wave your hand, tuck it into your belt, kill two birds with one stone) or imperfect ( lead by the nose, smoke the sky, stand like a mountain(for someone)).
- personalized– are realized in noun phrases ( Indian summer, dark forest, Filkina's letter). In a sentence they can play the role of a nominal predicate - they are used in I.p. or sometimes in the like.
- adverbial– are realized in adverbial combinations ( in all the shoulder blades, in all the eyes, in one word, in a black body, so-so).
- adjectival – are characterized by the fact that their interpretation requires attributive (adjective) phrases ( skin and bones= very thin wet behind the ears= too young).
- verbal-nominal predicative - built on the model of a sentence and implemented in verbal-nominal phrases (in fact, sentences where the role of the subject (grammatical or logical) is an indefinite pronoun): my eyes are rolling out of my head who has and a flag in your hands to whom.
Phraseologisms and idioms - is there a difference?
Is it necessary to distinguish between phraseological units and idioms? Idioms- these are figures of speech that cannot be divided into component parts without losing the original meaning and general meaning which cannot be deduced from the meanings of the individual words included in their composition. We can say that phraseological units and idioms are related as genus and species. That is, a phraseological unit is a broader concept, a special case of which is an idiom.
Idioms are curious because when translated literally into another language, their meaning is lost. An idiom gives a description of phenomena that is logical for speakers of a language, but is based on definitions and metaphors that cannot be understood outside of this language without additional interpretation. For example, in Russian we talk about heavy rain it's pouring like crazy. In the same case, the British say It’s raining cats and dogs). And, for example, Estonians will say about heavy rain that it’s pouring like from a beanstalk.
We'll talk about something incomprehensible Chinese letter, but for the Danes it’s “ sounds like the name of a Russian city". The German will say: “I only understood “station”, Pole – “Thank you, everyone is healthy at home.”, the Englishman will use “It’s all Greek to me”.
Or let’s take the famous Russian phraseological unit kick your ass(= to idle, to do nonsense) – it cannot be translated into another language word for word. Because the origin of the expression is associated with phenomena of the past that have no analogues in modern times. “Beating the bucks” means splitting logs into logs for turning spoons and wooden utensils.
Phraseologisms, speech stamps and cliches
Do not confuse phraseological units with speech cliches and cliches. Phraseologisms are a product of metaphorization of language. They enrich speech, make it more expressive and varied, and give figurativeness to the statement. On the contrary, clichés and cliches impoverish speech and reduce it to some hackneyed formulas. Although phraseological units have a stable structure and are reproduced, as a rule, in their entirety, without changes or additions, they liberate thinking and give free rein to the imagination. But clichés and cliches make thinking and speech stereotyped, deprive them of individuality and indicate the poverty of the speaker’s imagination.
For example, expressions black gold(= oil), people in white coats(= doctors), light of the soul- have long been no longer metaphors, but real cliches.
Common mistakes in using phraseological units
Incorrect use of phraseological units leads to speech errors, sometimes simply annoying, and sometimes even comical.
- Using phraseological units with the wrong meaning. For example, with a literal understanding or distortion of the meaning of a phraseological unit - In the forest, I always use repellents, so a mosquito won't hurt your nose. The meaning of this phraseological unit is “you can’t find fault with anything”; in this case, the phrase was taken too literally and therefore used incorrectly.
- Distortion of the form of phraseological units.
- Grammatical Distortion - It Works later ive sleeves(Right later I sleeves). His stories for me imposed on teeth(Right imposed V teeth). It is also incorrect to replace short forms of adjectives with full forms in phraseological units.
- Lexical distortion – Shut up mine someone's belt(it is impossible to freely introduce new units into a phraseological unit). Live wide(Right live large leg – you cannot throw out words from a phraseological unit).
Modern phraseological units
Like any lexical units, phraseological units are born, exist for some time, and some of them sooner or later go out of active use. If we talk about the relevance of phraseological units, they can be divided into:
- common;
- obsolete;
- outdated.
The system of phraseological units of the Russian language is not once and for all frozen and unchangeable. New phraseological units inevitably arise in response to the phenomena of modern life. Borrowed as cripples from other languages. And they enrich modern speech with new, relevant metaphors.
Here, for example, are several relatively “fresh” phraseological units that relatively recently (mainly in the twentieth century) took root in the Russian language:
On a live thread- to do something not too carefully, temporarily, with the expectation of redoing the work properly in the future, to do it without extra effort. The origin of the phraseology is quite clear: when seamstresses sew pieces of a product together, they first baste them with large stitches so that they just hold together. And then the parts are sewn together carefully and firmly.
Cloudless character– a characteristic for a calm and calm person with a friendly and balanced character, a person without any special flaws and not subject to mood swings. It can also be used not only to describe a person, but also to characterize abstract phenomena (relationships between people, for example).
How to send two bytes- a characteristic for any action that is completely easy to perform.
Speak different languages– not finding mutual understanding.
Make lemonade out of lemons– be able to use even the most unfavorable conditions and circumstances to your advantage and achieve success in this.
Why are synonymous phraseological units needed?
By the way, phraseological units can be both synonyms and antonyms. Having understood what connections exist between phraseological units that are different at first glance, you can better understand their meanings. And also diversify the use of these phrases in speech. Sometimes synonymous phraseological units describe different degrees of manifestation of a phenomenon or its different but similar aspects. Look at these examples of phraseological units:
- They also say about a person who means nothing to society and is nothing of himself. small fry, And the last spoke in the chariot, And low flying bird, And lump out of the blue.
- Antonyms for these phraseological units are the following phrases: important bird, high flying bird, big shot.
Interpretation of phraseological units
We bring to your attention the interpretation and even the history of the origin of some phraseological units. They are part of the active stock of the modern Russian language. And, despite the fact that some are not just tens, but even a couple of hundred years old, they remain popular and are widely used in everyday speech and literature.
Augean stables- this is how they burn about a very dirty place, a neglected and untidy room, things scattered in disarray. It also applies to affairs that have become disordered, unorganized and neglected.
Phraseologism comes from ancient Greek myths. One of the labors of Hercules was cleaning the stables of King Augeas of Elis, which had not been cleaned for 30 years.
Ariadne's thread- a wonderful way to find a way out of a difficult situation.
This phrase also came to us from ancient Greek myths. According to legend, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos, Ariadne, helped the Athenian hero Theseus get out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth, giving him a ball of thread so that he could use a thread fixed at the entrance to the labyrinth to return from the tangled corridors. By the way, if you one day become interested in ancient literature, you will find out that later Ariadne probably regretted that she undertook to help Theseus.
Achilles heel– the weakest and most vulnerable place, secret weakness.
According to ancient Greek mythology, the hero Achilles was miraculously hardened against any danger. And only one heel remained humanly vulnerable. Achilles subsequently died from a wound inflicted by an arrow in the heel.
lamb in a piece of paper- bribe.
It is believed that phraseological units originated in the 18th century. At that time, there was a magazine called “All sorts of things”, the editor of which was Empress Catherine II. The monarch sharply criticized bribery, widespread among officials. And she claimed that the officials, hinting at a bribe, demanded that they bring them “a lamb in a piece of paper.” The turn of phrase was popular with the Russian writer M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, who, as you know, often ridiculed the vices of his contemporary society.
without a hitch, without a hitch- flawlessly, without complications or problems, good and smooth.
A snag used to be called roughness, an unevenness on the surface of a smoothly planed board.
sound the alarm- to attract everyone's attention to something of great social or personal significance, to something dangerous and disturbing.
Alarm - in the Middle Ages and earlier periods of history, to notify people of trouble (fire, invasion of enemies, etc.), an alarm signal was given by ringing bells, less often by beating drums.
swear words(shout) – scream very loudly, at the top of your lungs.
Phraseologism has nothing to do with modern swear words, i.e. mat. From Old Russian, good can be translated as strong, and mat as voice. Those. The expression should be taken literally only if you know what each of its parts means separately.
big shot– an important, respected and significant person in society.
In the old days, heavy loads were floated on rivers using the draft power of people (barge haulers). In the strap, the most experienced, physically strong and hardy man walked in front of everyone, who in the jargon accepted in this environment was called a big shot.
shave forehead– send to military service, into soldiers.
Before the new regulations on conscription were adopted in 1874, recruits were recruited into the army (usually under duress) for a period of 25 years. While the recruitment process lasted, everyone fit for military service had the front half of their head shaved bald.
Babel- confusion and crowding, disorder.
Biblical legends describe the construction of a grandiose tower reaching to the sky (“pillar of creation”), which was started by the inhabitants of Ancient Babylon and in which many people from different lands took part. As a punishment for this insolence, God created many different languages, so that the builders ceased to understand each other and, in the end, were unable to complete the construction.
St. Bartholomew's Night– massacre, genocide and extermination.
On the night of August 24, 1572 in Paris, on the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day, Catholics carried out a massacre of Protestant Huguenots. As a result, several thousand people were physically destroyed and injured (according to some estimates, up to 30 thousand).
Versta Kolomenskaya– a characteristic for a very tall person.
In the past, mileposts marked distances on roads. This particular expression was born from a comparison of tall people with milestones on the road between Moscow and the village of Kolomenskoye (the summer residence of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was located there).
hang dogs- to accuse someone, to condemn and blame, to slander and to blame someone else.
By “dog” we do not mean an animal, but an outdated name for thorns and thorns.
to the fullest extent- very quickly.
This phrase was born to denote the very fast running of a horse when it gallops “with all its front legs.”
free Cossack– definition for a free and independent person.
In the Moscow state of the 15th-17th centuries, this was the name given to free people from the central regions of the country who fled to the periphery to escape enslavement (i.e., becoming serfs).
newspaper duck– unverified, distorted or completely false information in the media.
There are several versions of the origin of this phraseological unit. This is a popular one among journalists: in the past, newspapers used to put the letters NT next to dubious and unverified reports ( non testatum= "not verified" in Latin). But the point is that german word"duck" ( ente) is consonant with this abbreviation. This is how this expression was born.
highlight of the program- the most important part of the performance, the best and most important number, something very important and significant.
The famous Eiffel Tower was built in Paris specifically for the World Exhibition (1889). To contemporaries of those events, the tower resembled a nail. By the way, it was assumed that 20 years after the exhibition the tower would be dismantled. And only the development of radio broadcasting saved it from destruction - the tower began to be used as a tower for placing radio transmitters. And the expression has since taken root to denote something unusual, noticeable and significant.
pillars of Hercules(pillars) – the highest, extreme degree of something.
It was originally used to describe something very distant, almost “on the edge of the world.” This is what in ancient times they called two rocks located on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. In those days, people believed that the pillar rocks were installed there by the ancient Greek hero Hercules.
goal like a falcon- a characteristic for a very poor person.
Falcon was the name of an ancient battering gun used during the siege. It looked like an absolutely smooth cast iron block attached to chains.
sword of Damocles– constant threat, danger.
In ancient Greek myths there was a story about the tyrant from Syracuse Dionysius the Elder. He taught one of his close associates, Damocles, a lesson for envy of his position. At the feast, Damocles was seated in a place above which a sharp sword was suspended from a horsehair. The sword symbolized the many dangers that constantly haunt a man of such high position as Dionysius.
the case burned out– i.e. something completed successfully, satisfactorily.
The origin of this phraseological unit is associated with the peculiarities of judicial records management in the past. No charges could be brought against a defendant if his court file was destroyed, for example, by fire. Wooden courts, along with all archives, often burned in the past. And there were also frequent cases when court cases were destroyed deliberately, for bribes to court officials.
reach the handle- to reach the extreme degree of humiliation, extreme need, to completely descend and lose self-respect.
When ancient Russian bakers baked kalachi, they gave them the shape of a padlock with a round shackle. This form had a purely utilitarian purpose. It was convenient to hold the roll by the handle while eating. Apparently, they already knew about the diseases of dirty hands even then, so they disdained eating the handle of the roll. But it could have been given to the poor or abandoned hungry dog. It was only possible to get to the point of eating a kalach handle as a last resort, in extreme need or simply not caring at all about their health and image in the eyes of others.
bosom friend– the closest and most reliable friend, soul mate.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Rus', it was believed that the human soul was in the throat, “behind the Adam’s apple.” After the adoption of Christianity, they began to believe that the soul is located in the chest. But the designation of the most trusted person, to whom you can even entrust your own life and for whom you will regret it, remained as a “sidekick”, i.e. "soul" friend.
for lentil soup- betray your ideals or supporters for selfish reasons.
According to biblical legend, Esau gave up his birthright to his brother Jacob for just a bowl of lentil stew.
golden mean– an intermediate position, behavior aimed at avoiding extremes and making risky decisions.
This is a tracing paper from the Latin saying of the ancient Roman poet Horace “ aurea mediocritas".
history with geography- a state when things took an unexpected turn that no one expected.
The phraseological unit was born from the outdated name of the school discipline - “history with geography.”
and it's a no brainer– something that should be understandable even to the most incomprehensible, self-evident.
There are two versions of the origin of this phraseological unit. It is also possible that they are both valid and one follows from the other. One by one, a turn of phrase went to the people after a poem by V. Mayakovsky, in which there were the following lines: “It’s clear even to a no brainer / This Petya was a bourgeois.” According to another, the expression took root in boarding schools for gifted children that existed during Soviet times. The letters E, Zh and I denoted classes with students of the same year of study. And the students themselves were called “hedgehogs.” In terms of their knowledge, they lagged behind students from classes A, B, C, D, D. Therefore, what was understandable to a “no brainer” should have been even more understandable to more “advanced” students.
don't wash, just ride– to achieve the desired result in more than one way.
This phraseological unit describes the ancient method of washing adopted in villages. The laundry was rinsed by hand, and then, due to the lack of such benefits of civilization as an iron at that time, they were “rolled out” with a special wooden rolling pin. After this, things became wrung out, especially clean and even practically ironed.
latest Chinese warning– empty threats that do not entail any decisive action.
This phraseological unit was born relatively recently. In the 50s and 60s, US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft often violated Chinese airspace. The Chinese authorities responded to any such border violation (and there were several hundred of them) with an official warning to the US leadership. But no decisive action was taken to stop the reconnaissance flights of American pilots.
quietly- do something secretly and gradually, act on the sly.
Sapa (from it. zappa= “hoe”) - a ditch or tunnel, imperceptibly dug towards the enemy’s fortifications in order to take him by surprise. In the past, they often dug under the walls of enemy fortresses in this way, placing charges of gunpowder in the trenches. Exploding, the bombs destroyed the external walls and opened up the opportunity for the attackers to break through. By the way, the word “sapper” is of the same origin - this is the name given to people who left gunpowder charges in saps.
Conclusion
We hope that we were able to open up for you at least a little the diverse and interesting world of phraseological units. If you continue this journey on your own, many more interesting discoveries await you.
Phraseological units change over time, new phenomena in life lead to the emergence of new phraseological units. If you know any interesting new phraseological units, tell us about it in the comments. We will definitely supplement this article with them and will not forget to thank those who send us new phraseological units.
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Catchphrases help to express thoughts more accurately and give speech a more emotional coloring. They allow you to express more emotions in a few short but precise words and convey your personal attitude to what is happening.
1 Quietly
Originally, this expression implied secretly digging a tunnel or secret tunnel. The word "zappa" (translated from Italian) means "shovel for earthwork."
Borrowed from French, the word turned into the French “sap” and received the meaning of “earth, trench and submine work”, from this word the word “sapper” also arose.
In Russian, the word “sapa” and the expression “silent sapa” meant work that was carried out with extreme caution, without noise, in order to get close to the enemy unnoticed, in complete secrecy.
After widespread the expression acquired the meaning: carefully, in deep secrecy and slowly (for example, “So he quietly drags all the food from the kitchen!”).
2 Can't see anything
According to one version, the word “zga” comes from the name of a part of a horse’s harness - a ring in the upper part of the arch, into which the reins were inserted so as not to dangle. When the coachman needed to unharness the horse, and it was so dark that this ring (zgi) was not visible, they said that “there is no sign of it.”
According to another version, the word “zga” comes from the Old Russian “s’tga” - “road, path, path.” In this case, the meaning of the expression is interpreted as “so dark that you can’t even see the road or path.” Today the expression “nothing is visible”, “nothing is visible” means “nothing is visible”, “impenetrable darkness”.
The blind leads the blind, but both do not see. (last)
“Darkness hangs over the earth: you can’t see it...” (Anton Chekhov, “Mirror”)
3 Dance from the stove
The expression “dance from the stove” first appeared in the novel by the 19th century Russian writer Vasily Sleptsov “ Good man" The book was published in 1871. There is an episode in it when main character Seryozha Terebenev remembers how he was taught to dance, but he could not do the steps required from the dance teacher. There is a phrase in the book:
- Oh, what are you, brother! - the father says reproachfully. - Well, go back to the stove, start over.
Vasily Alekseevich Sleptsov. 1870
In Russian, this expression began to be used when speaking about people for whom the habit of acting according to a fixed script replaces knowledge. A person can perform certain actions only “from the stove”, from the very beginning, from the simplest and most familiar action:
“When he (the architect) was commissioned to plan, he usually drew the hall and the hotel first; just as in the old days college girls could only dance from the stove, so his artistic idea could only originate and develop from the hall to the living room.” (Anton Chekhov, “My Life”).
4 Shabby look
During the time of Tsar Peter I, there lived Ivan Zatrapeznikov, an entrepreneur who received the Yaroslavl textile manufactory from the emperor. The factory produced a material called “pestryad”, or “pestryadina”, popularly nicknamed “trashy”, “trashy” - coarse and low-quality cloth made from hemp (hemp fiber).
Clothes were made from shabby clothes mainly by poor people who could not buy themselves something better. And such poor people looked appropriate. Since then, if a person is dressed sloppily, they say about him that he looks shabby:
“The hay girls were poorly fed, dressed in shabby clothes and given little sleep, exhausting them with almost continuous work.” (Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, “Poshekhon Antiquity”)
5 Sharpen the laces
To sharpen your lasses means to talk idle talk, to engage in useless chatter. Lyasy (balusters) are turned, figured posts of railings at the porch.
At first, “sharpening balusters” meant conducting an elegant, fancy, ornate (like balusters) conversation. However, there were few people skilled at conducting such a conversation, and over time the expression began to mean idle chatter:
“They used to sit down in a circle, some on a bench, some simply on the ground, each with some kind of task, a spinning wheel, a comb or bobbins, and they would go and sharpen their yarns and tell tales about another, old time.” (Dmitry Grigorovich, “Village”).
6 Lies like a gray gelding
To lie like a gray gelding means to tell tales without being embarrassed at all. In the 19th century, an officer, a German named von Sievers-Mehring, served in one of the regiments of the Russian army. He loved to tell funny stories and tall tales to the officers. The expression “lies like Sivers-Mehring” was understandable only to his colleagues. However, they began to use it throughout Russia, completely forgetting about the origins. Sayings have appeared among the people: “lazy as a gray gelding”, “stupid as a gray gelding”, although the horse breed has nothing to do with this.
7 Bullshit
According to one version, the expression “bullshit” comes from “lying like a gray gelding” (in fact, these two phrases are synonymous)
There is also a version that the expression “bullshit” comes from the name of one scientist - Brad Steve Cobile, who once wrote a very stupid article. His name, consonant with the words “bullshit,” was correlated with scientific nonsense.
According to another version, “bullshit” is an expression denoting a stupid statement or thought; appeared due to the beliefs of the Slavs that the gray horse (gray with an admixture of another color) was the most stupid animal. There was a sign according to which if you dream of a gray mare, then in reality the dreamer will be deceived.
8 Androns are traveling
“Androns are coming” means nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, complete nonsense.
In Russian, this phrase is used in response to someone who tells a lie, puts on inappropriate airs and brags about himself. In the 1840s, throughout almost all of Russia, andres (andron) meant a cart, various kinds of carts.
“And you don’t have to scold my house! - Am I scolding?.. Cross yourself, Petrovnushka, the androns are coming! (Pavel Zarubin, “The Dark and Bright Sides of Russian Life”)
9 Live like Biryuk
Mikhail Golubovich in the film "Biryuk". 1977
The expression “to live like a pearl” means to be a hermit and a closed person. In the southern regions of Russia, a wolf is called a biryuk. The wolf has long been considered a dangerous animal for the economy. The peasants perfectly studied his habits and habits and often remembered them when speaking about the person. “Oh, you’ve grown old, brother! - Dunyashka said regretfully. “It’s become kind of gray, like biryuk.” (Mikhail Sholokhov, “Quiet Don”)
10 Play spillikins
Spillikins - various small objects household items, which were used during the ancient game. Its meaning was to pull out one toy after another from a pile of toys with your fingers or a special hook, without touching or scattering the rest. The one who moves the adjacent spilliyule passes the move to the next player. The game continues until the whole pile is cleared. By the beginning of the twentieth century, spillikins became one of the most popular games in the country and were very common not only in children, but also in adults.
In a figurative sense, the expression “to play tricks” means to engage in trifles, nonsense, leaving aside the main and important things:
“After all, I came to the workshop to work, and not to sit idly by and play with spillikins.” (Mikhail Novorussky “Notes of a Shlisselburger”)
11 Pies with kittens
In Rus' they never ate cats, except in times of severe famine. During long-term sieges of cities, their inhabitants, having exhausted all food supplies, used domestic animals for food, cats were the last to go.
Thus, this expression means a catastrophic state of affairs. Usually the proverb is abbreviated and said: “These are the pies,” in other words, “this is how things are.”
12 Leave unsalted with a slurp
In Rus' in the old days, salt was an expensive product. It had to be transported from afar off-road; taxes on salt were very high. When visiting, the owner salted the food himself, with his own hand. Sometimes, expressing his respect to especially dear guests, he even added salt to the food, and sometimes those who sat at the far end of the table did not get any salt at all. Hence the expression “to leave unsalted”:
“And the more she spoke, and the more sincerely she smiled, the stronger the confidence became in me that I would leave her with a slurp.” (Anton Chekhov "Lights")
“The fox let go of his prey and went away, slurping unsalted.” (Alexey Tolstoy “The Fox and the Rooster”)
13 Shemyakin court
Illustration for the fairy tale “Shemyakin Court”. Copper engraving, first half of the 18th century. Reproduction.
The expression “Shemyakin court” is used when they want to emphasize the injustice of any opinion, judgment or assessment. Shemyaka is a real historical person, the Galician prince Dimitry Shemyaka, famous for his cruelty, treachery and unrighteous deeds. He became famous for his tireless, persistent struggle with Grand Duke Vasily the Dark, his cousin, for the Moscow throne. Today, when they want to point out the bias or injustice of some judgment, they say: “Is this criticism? Some kind of Shemyakin court.”
Based on materials from aif.ru
There are so many phrases and phrases in the Russian language that with a literal translation, we won’t go far - the new generation of the Russian people is no worse than the same foreigners. We are forgetting the powerful and rich Russian language, we are borrowing more and more Western words and terms...
Today we will look at examples of the most famous set expressions; Let's learn together to understand, “decipher” and understand the meaning and secret meaning of Russian phraseological units. So, what is a “phraseological unit”?
Phraseologism- this is a stable combination of words characteristic only of a given language, the meaning of which is not determined by the meaning of the words included in it, taken individually. Due to the fact that a phraseological unit (or idiom) cannot be translated literally (the meaning is lost), difficulties in translation and understanding often arise. On the other hand, such phraseological units give the language a bright emotional coloring...
We often say established phrases without delving into their meaning. Why, for example, do they say “goal like a falcon”? Why is it “they bring water to the offended”? Let's understand the real meaning of these expressions!
"Goal like a Falcon"
“As naked as a falcon,” we say about extreme poverty. But this saying has nothing to do with birds. Although ornithologists claim that falcons actually lose their feathers during molting and become almost naked!
“Falcon” in ancient times in Rus' was called a ram, a weapon made of iron or wood in the shape of a cylinder. He was hung on chains and swung, thus breaking through the walls and gates of enemy fortresses. The surface of this weapon was flat and smooth, simply put, bare.
In those days, the word “falcon” was used to describe cylindrical tools: an iron crowbar, a pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, etc. Falcons were actively used in Rus' before the advent of firearms at the end of the 15th century.
"Hot spot"
The expression “green place” is found in the Orthodox funeral prayer (“... in a green place, in a place of peace ...”). This is how heaven is called in texts in Church Slavonic.
Ironically, the meaning of this expression was rethought by the democratic intelligentsia of the times of Alexander Pushkin. The language game was that our climate does not allow growing grapes, so in Rus' intoxicating drinks were produced mainly from cereals (beer, vodka). In other words, a hot place means a drunken place.
“They carry water for the offended”
There are several versions of the origin of this saying, but the most plausible seems to be the one associated with the history of St. Petersburg water carriers.
The price of imported water in the 19th century was about 7 kopecks in silver per year, and of course there were always greedy traders who inflated the price in order to make money. For this illegal act, such unfortunate entrepreneurs were taken away from their horse and forced to carry barrels in a cart on themselves.
"Sieve Friend"
“We’re not at the front here, dear friend!” We don’t need “languages”... It is believed that a friend is called this by analogy with sieve bread, usually wheat. To prepare this bread, much finer flour is used than in rye. To remove impurities from it and make the culinary product more “airy”, not a sieve is used, but a device with a smaller cell - a sieve. That's why the bread was called sieve bread. It was quite expensive, was considered a symbol of prosperity and was put on the table to treat the most dear guests.
The word “sieve” when applied to a friend means the “highest standard” of friendship. Of course, this phrase is sometimes used in an ironic tone.
"7 Fridays a week"
In the old days, Friday was a market day, on which it was customary to fulfill various trading obligations. On Friday they received the goods, and agreed to give the money for it on the next market day (Friday of the next week). Those who broke such promises were said to have seven Fridays a week.
But this is not the only explanation! Friday was previously considered a day free from work, so a similar phrase was used to describe a slacker who had a day off every day.
“Where Makar didn’t drive his calves”
One version of the origin of this saying is as follows: Peter I was on a working trip to the Ryazan land and communicated with the people in an “informal setting.” It so happened that all the men he met on the way called themselves Makars. The king was very surprised at first, and then said: “You will all be Makars from now on!”
Allegedly, since then, “Makar” has become collectively the Russian peasant and all peasants (not only Ryazan) began to be called Makars.
"Sharashkin's office"
The office got its strange name from the dialect word “sharan” (“trash”, “golytba”, “crook”). In the old days, this was the name given to a dubious association of swindlers and deceivers, but today it is simply an “undignified, unreliable” organization.
“If we don’t wash, we just roll”
In the old days, skilful washerwomen knew that well-rolled linen would be fresh, even if the washing was not done at all brilliantly. Therefore, having made a mistake in washing, they achieved the desired impression “not by washing, but by rolling.”
"Drunk drunk"
We find this expression in Alexander Pushkin, in the novel “Eugene Onegin”, when we're talking about about Lensky’s neighbor Zaretsky:
Falling off a Kalmyk horse,
Like a drunk Zyuzya, and the French
Got captured...
The fact is that in the Pskov region, where Pushkin for a long time was in exile, “zyuzey” is the name given to a pig. In general, “as drunk as a drunk” is an analogue of the colloquial expression “drunk as a pig.”
"Dividing the skin of an unkilled bear»
It is noteworthy that back in the 30s of the 20th century in Russia it was customary to say: “Sell the skin of an unkilled bear.” This version of the expression seems closer to the original source, and more logical, because there is no benefit from a “divided” skin; it is valued only when it remains intact. The primary source is the fable “The Bear and Two Comrades” by the French poet and fabulist Jean La Fontaine (1621 -1695).
"Retired Goat Drummer"
In the old days, among traveling troupes, the main actor was a learned, trained bear, followed by a “goat”, and behind it a mummer with a goat skin on his head - a drummer.
His task was to beat a homemade drum, inviting the audience. Eating odd jobs or handouts is quite unpleasant, and then the “goat” is not real, it’s retired.
“The promised one has been waiting for three years”
According to one version, it is a reference to a text from the Bible, to the book of the prophet Daniel. It says: “Blessed is he who waits and attains one thousand and thirty-five days,” that is, three years and 240 days. The biblical call for patient waiting was humorously reinterpreted by the people, because the full saying goes like this: “They wait for the promised for three years, but refuse the fourth.”
"Good riddance"
In one of Ivan Aksakov’s poems you can read about a road that is “straight as an arrow, with a wide surface that spreads like a tablecloth.” This is how in Rus' people were seen off on a long journey, and no bad meaning was put into them.
This original meaning of the phraseological unit is present in Explanatory dictionary Ozhegova. But it also says that in modern language the expression has the opposite meaning: “An expression of indifference to someone’s departure, departure, as well as a desire to get out, wherever.” An excellent example of how ironics rethink stable etiquette forms in language!
“Shout to the entire Ivanovskaya”
In the old days, the square in the Kremlin on which the bell tower of Ivan the Great stands was called Ivanovskaya. On this square, clerks announced decrees, orders and other documents concerning the residents of Moscow and all the peoples of Russia. So that everyone could hear clearly, the clerk read very loudly, shouting throughout Ivanovskaya.
"Pull the gimp"
What is a gimp and why does it need to be pulled? This is a copper, silver or gold thread used in gold embroidery for embroidering patterns on clothes and carpets. Such a thin thread was made by drawing - repeated rolling and pulling through increasingly smaller holes.
Pulling out the rigmarole was a very painstaking task, requiring a lot of time and patience. In our language, the expression “pull the ropes” has been fixed in its figurative meaning - to do something long, tedious, the result of which is not immediately visible.
Nowadays, it is understood as a boring conversation, a tedious conversation.
"Japanese policeman!"
"Japanese policeman!" - a stable curse word in Russian.
Appeared after the Otsu Incident, when policeman Tsuda Sanzo attacked Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.
In his youth, Tsarevich Nicholas, the future Tsar Nicholas II, traveled to the countries of the East. The Tsarevich and his friends had as much fun as they could. Their riotous fun, which violated eastern traditions, was not very popular with the local residents, and finally, in the Japanese town of Otsu, a local policeman, outraged by the tactlessness of the Europeans, rushed at the crown prince and hit him on the head with a saber. The saber was in its sheath, so Nikolai escaped with a slight fright.
This event had a significant resonance in Russia. A Japanese policeman, instead of ensuring the safety of people, rushes at a man with a saber just because he laughs too loudly!
Of course, this minor incident would have long been forgotten if the expression “Japanese policeman” had not also turned out to be a successful euphemism. When a person utters the first sound in a drawn-out manner, it seems that he is about to swear. However, the speaker is just remembering an old political scandal, which, most likely, he has never heard of.
Disservice
“Your constant praise is a real disservice.”
Its meaning is unsolicited help, a service that does more harm than good.
And the Primary Source was I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear.” It tells how the Bear, wanting to help his friend the Hermit smack a fly that had landed on his forehead, killed the Hermit himself along with it. But this expression is not in the fable: it developed and entered folklore later.
Shelve
“Now you’ll put it on the back burner, and then you’ll forget it completely.”
The meaning of this phraseological unit is simple - to give the matter a long delay, to delay its decision for a long time.
This expression has a funny story.
Once Tsar Alexei, the father of Peter I, ordered a long box to be installed in the village of Kolomenskoye in front of his palace, where anyone could drop their complaint. Complaints were received, but it was very difficult to wait for a solution: months and years passed. The people renamed this “long” box “long”.
It is possible that the expression, if not born, was fixed in speech later, in “presences” - institutions of the 19th century. The officials of that time, accepting various petitions, complaints and petitions, undoubtedly sorted them, putting them in different boxes. “Long” could be called the one where the most leisurely tasks were postponed. It is clear that the petitioners were afraid of such a box.