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Phraseological units are the national wealth of the language. They enliven speech, make it colorful. Steady turns act as an expressive stylistic means. Without them, it is difficult to imagine a text rich in speech turns. They enliven and fill with images, the texts begin to take on a new life.
In a work of art - the method of characterizing a hero, creating a vivid character, spectacular pictures of reality along with metaphors and.
General concept of phraseological units
Phraseologism is a ready-made stable speech turnover with a single, holistic meaning. Stability is understood as the relative constancy of the lexical (component) composition.
| Phraseologism | The meaning of phraseology |
| keep a stone in one's bosom | hold a grudge against someone |
| how to drink | exactly, definitely |
| bring to a white heat | to a state of intense irritation, anger |
| come to a standstill | be in a stalemate |
| small fry | a person who has no power |
| take the rubbish out of the house | divulge family secrets |
| smoke the sky | live in idleness |
| like uncut dogs | a lot of |
| take the bull by the horns | get down to business with determination |
| dig in dirty laundry | show interest in the details of someone's private life |
| build castles in the air | come up with unrealistic plans |
| cover their tracks | hide something that can serve as evidence |
| take water in your mouth | stubbornly silent |
| unsalted slurping | be deceived in one's expectations |
| no hind legs | 1) to be exhausted, extremely tired; 2) sleep soundly |
| hold the tail with a gun | try to appear cheerful, independent |
Set phrases are studied by phraseology (Greek. phrase- "expression", logos- "teaching"). All constant speech turns of the language are called "phraseology".
In a broad sense, phraseological units are proverbs and sayings, winged expressions - all integral phrases or phrases.
Examples of phraseological units
- And the chest just opened;
- familiar faces;
- the tongue talks, but the head does not know;
- a husband loves a healthy wife, and a brother loves a rich sister;
- shitty situation.
Phraseologism is a kind of linguistic unit. Outwardly, in structure, it is similar to phrases - it consists of two or more word components.
They differ in that the words in it lose their independent lexical meaning.
The meaning of a phraseological unit is not the sum of the meanings of the components, as in a free phrase - green + field = green field, but completely different - brew + porridge = "start a difficult and unpleasant business", sideways + get out = "do not go without a trace, end badly." The meaning follows from a stable phrase and expresses one concept. It has the same meaning.
Phraseologisms have the property of impenetrability: it is impossible to introduce a new component into their structure. They are characterized by a stable sequence of words.
Other terms for defining phraseological units are idiom (Greek. idioma– “special property”), phraseological unit, phraseme, set phrase, phraseological phrase. In any language, phraseological units are individual, they need to be understood. They are not translated into another language verbatim.
Lexical meaning of phraseological units
Like words, phraseological units serve as names for actions, phenomena, states, objects, signs. Some of them combine expressive coloring with meaning.
Expressiveness is understood as the presence of an evaluative component, informational "redundancy" in contrast to a neutral word: turn tail, talk about lofty matters- ironic from rags to riches, disentangle porridge- disapproving monkey labor, oatmeal forehead- contemptuously alive smoking room, zhdanki eat- playfully.
Phraseologisms sound like free phrases. This phenomenon is defined as homonymy:
- give up during charging and give up in the meaning of "lose the desire to do something";
- cast a line into the lake and cast a line meaning "to hint at something".
Homonymous will be ideoms that have several meanings: close your eyes- to be near the dying in the last minutes of life; hide, keep silent about something; deliberately not to pay attention, not to notice something.
Phraseologisms that are close in meaning are combined into synonymous rows. Examples: "very fast" (run, run away) - one leg here, the other there, with all legs, as if on fire, with all blades.
From stable turns of speech, you can also form pairs that are opposite in meaning (antonyms): a yellow-mouthed chick is a shot sparrow, soul to soul - like a cat with a dog, lose your temper - pull yourself together, bend your line - dance to someone else's tune.
The origin of phraseological units
Steady turns are not created spontaneously during oral communications, written speech. These are ready-made lexical units with a known meaning. Etymology (a branch of linguistics) deals with the study of phraseological units and their origin.
Most of them came into the literary language from folklore: behind seven seals, milk rivers, self-collection tablecloth, good fellow, red maiden. Many turnovers are associated with ancient rites, now forgotten.
Many phraseological units came from the vocabulary: hit the tone, play the first violin- from musicians; game is not worth the candle- from furriers, cut under the walnut, without a hitch- from carpenters. Some phrases are related to history: ice carnage, Monomakh's hat, all over Ivanovo.
There are turns associated with biblical stories, ancient mythology: carry your cross, Babylonian pandemonium, until the second coming,with or on a shield, Augean stables, Trojan horse.
Here are a couple of interesting phraseological units, the meaning of which is related to their origin.
According to the ancient belief of the ancestors, a closed (circular) line, made with coal or a knife, spoken with special words, gained power and protected from evil spirits. The circle was also held in the air.
In Nikolai Gogol's story "Viy" Khoma Brut is saved from a witch by drawing a circle around him and saying a prayer. The Russian warriors drew a circle over their heads with the end of the sword, believing that enemy blows would not touch them, the spoken ones. From the ancient rite, the expression " headlong"- boldly, without fear.
turnover " rub glasses» (to deceive someone) came from the jargon of card cheats and means the real action - rubbing extra points on the so-called powder cards. Using powder - "sticky", the player turned the six into a seven or eight, two into a three. That is, he rubbed the points needed for the desired amount (for example, 21 points).
The expression took root in speech and served as the basis for the formation of nouns eyewash(deception) and eyewash(deceiver).
Phraseological units still appear today: issue on the mountain, new Russians, rich Pinocchio, cherchet la femme, rush hour.
Phraseologism - a means of attracting attention
Phraseological turns are well remembered. Ready and known to the reader, they facilitate perception. The use of antonymic (opposite in meaning) contextual combinations, figurative phrases, ambiguity attracts the attention of the audience.
The problem is that the administration of our enterprise selects and arranges personnel contrary to good traditions, which have long been described in folklore. According to these traditions, it is not recommended to let the goat into the garden, throw the pike into the river, and appoint the fox as the head of the chicken coop.
The use of phraseological units when writing content is appropriate in a conversational style, as well as in an artistic and journalistic style. Here are some methods for transforming phraseological units:
- Literalization. The context of the turnover implies the perception of it in its direct meaning: If the listeners do not laugh, I get upset, withdraw into myself and sit there.
- Permutation or replacement of individual words: Of the two evils, I choose the one that I have not tried before. Learning is light, and ignorance is a pleasant twilight.
- Expansion of the phraseological unit structure: What a pity that you are finally leaving.
- Combining parts of different meanings: All people are brothers, but not all of the mind.
- A complete change in the meaning of the ideoma: There are brave people. I am not a brave man; How could one call the weaker sex, which takes so much strength?
- Inserting a specifying definition: I am his personal king. He is without a king in his head, so I have him instead of a king.
Headings built on the basis of phraseological units arouse the reader's interest. Metaphor has an emotional effect on the audience: Water Don't Come Alone, Push Racing, Freedom on the Left.
The news, presented as a word game with a steady turnover, sounds like a slogan: In the courtyard - a pillar, at the pillar - gop.
Phraseologisms are winged expressions that do not have an author. Authorship doesn't matter. These "highlights" have firmly entered our language, and are perceived as a natural element of speech coming from the people, from time immemorial.
Phraseological units are an ornament of speech. Imagery, which is easily perceived in native speech, becomes a stumbling block in a foreign, foreign language. We absorb our language model with mother's milk.
For example, when you say, “a storehouse of knowledge,” you don’t think about the fact that a storehouse is a well! Because when you say this, you don’t mean a well at all, but a smart person, from whom, like from a well, you can draw useful information.
Phraseologisms and their meanings Examples
The meaning of phraseological units is to give emotional coloring to the expression, to strengthen its meaning.
Since water plays a big role in human life, it is not surprising that there are so many phraseological units associated with it:
- Water doesn't bother the mind.
- Water does not cry for water.
- The water breaks the dam.
- Water will find a way.
Below, as examples, phraseological units, one way or another related to water:
beat the key- about a stormy, eventful, fertile life: by analogy with a gushing spring in comparison with calmly flowing sources of water.
Beat like a fish on ice- persistent, but vain efforts, fruitless activities
Storm in a teacup- great excitement for an insignificant reason.
It is written with a pitchfork on the water- it is not yet known how it will be, the outcome is not clear, by analogy: “grandmother said in two”
Do not spill water- strong friendship
Carry water in a sieve- wasting time, doing useless business Analogously: crushing water in a mortar
Got water in my mouth- silent and does not want to answer
carry water(on someone) - to burden with hard work, taking advantage of his complaisant nature
Still waters run deep- about someone who is quiet, humble only in appearance
Come out dry from water- without bad consequences, go unpunished
Bring to light- to expose, to expose in a lie
ride the wave- carry gossip, provoke scandals
Ninth Wave- crucible (high wave)
Money is like water — refers to the ease with which they are spent
To stay afloat — to be able to cope with circumstances, to conduct business successfully
Blow on the water, getting burned in milk- being overly cautious, remembering past mistakes
Wait by the sea for the weather- wait for favorable conditions that are unlikely to develop
From empty to empty (pour)- engage in empty, meaningless reasoning
As two drops of water- similar, indistinguishable
How to look into the water- foresaw, accurately predicted events, as if he knew in advance
How to sink into the water- disappeared without a trace
Down in the mouth- sad, sad
Rain like a bucket- heavy rain
Like water through your fingers- one who easily escapes persecution
How do you not know the ford , then don't go into the water- warning not to take hasty action
How to drink to give- accurately, undoubtedly, easily, quickly; as easy as giving a traveler a drink
Like a fish in water- very good at navigating, well versed in something, feel confident
Like water off a duck's back- no one cares
Like snow on your head- suddenly, all of a sudden
A drop sharpens a stone — 0b perseverance and perseverance
Sink into oblivion— To be consigned to oblivion, to disappear without a trace and forever
crocodile tears- insincere compassion
Bathe in gold- to be very rich
The ice has broken- business started
Fish in troubled waters- benefit for yourself without advertising it
A lot of water has flowed(since then) - a lot of time has passed
Reckless- about a decisive, brave, courageous person
Sea of tears- cry a lot
Darker than clouds- very angry
muddy the waters- deliberately confuse any matter, confuse or confuse
On the wave of success- seize the opportunity
On the crest of a wave- is in favorable conditions
At the bottom- low (including in a figurative sense)
blow up the atmosphere- exaggerate the gravity of the situation
You cannot enter the same river (water) twice- you can enter the stream of water again, but it will no longer be the same, so in life you can’t repeat some moments, relive them twice
Not by washing, so by skating- not in one way, but in another way, by any means (to achieve something, to annoy someone). The expression comes from the speech of village laundresses.
Not salty slurping- return without profit
Survive from bread to water- to be poor, starve
To pour (water) from empty to empty- engage in repetitive, meaningless activities
Wash the bones- to slander, gossip, gossip about someone
Fill up the cup- make nervous
To go with the flow- obey the influence of circumstances, the course of events
After the rain on Thursday- never. Phraseologism is associated with the veneration by the ancient Slavs of the god Perun (the god of thunder and lightning). Thursday was dedicated to him. In Christian times, the expression began to express complete distrust
Last straw- after which the turn of events occurs
Pass fire, water and copper pipes- survive life's trials, difficult situations
a dime a dozen- a large number of
Flog a dead horse- useless business Similarly:
Pound water in a mortar- to engage in useless, empty business
Seventh water on jelly- distant family
Seven feet under the keel- a successful unobstructed road
Don't drink water from your face- they persuade a person to fall in love not for external data, but for internal qualities or other less visible virtues.
Hide the ends in the water- hide the traces of the crime.
Quieter than water, lower than grass- behave modestly, inconspicuously
Wash your hands- to step aside from something, to relieve oneself of responsibility for something. In some ancient peoples, judges and accusers, as a sign of their impartiality, performed a symbolic ceremony: they washed their hands. The expression became widespread thanks to the gospel legend, according to which Pilate, forced to agree to the execution of Jesus, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said: "I am innocent of the blood of this Righteous One."
The Russian language is rightfully considered the most perfect, beautiful and rich language in the world, which has absorbed, along with the authentic culture of more than 200 peoples of the Russian world, the best elements of Western and Eastern cultural traditions.
Our language is one of the basic elements of the entire Russian civilization, therefore, in order to be rightfully considered Russian, we must be able to use it well and master all the richness of concepts and expressions of the Russian language no worse than Pushkin, Gogol and Dostoevsky.
We present to your attention the first part of the TOP-50 most interesting phraseological units of the Russian language with their original and current meanings, as well as the history of origin:
1. Goal like a falcon
The expression denotes extreme poverty, need.
"Falcon"- this is a smoothly planed and iron-bound ram log, which could be hand-held or wheeled and was used until the end of the 15th century to punch holes in wooden palisades or fortress gates. The surface of this tool was even and smooth, i.e. "naked". The same term also denoted cylindrical tools: scrap iron, a pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, and so on.
2. Arshin swallowed
An expression denoting a person who stood at attention or assumed a majestically haughty posture with a straight back.
Arshin is an ancient Russian measure of length of 71 centimeters, widely used in the sewing business before the transition to the metric system of measures. Accordingly, the masters used wooden or metal arshin rulers for measurements. If you swallow this, your posture will surely become phenomenal ...
3. Scapegoat
This is the name of a person who has been blamed for any failure, failure.
An expression that goes back to the Bible. According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the absolution of sins, the high priest put his hands on the goat's head and thereby laid on him the sins of the entire people of Israel. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released, so that he forever carried away the sins of the Jews.
4. Screams all over Ivanovskaya
The ensemble of the Kremlin cathedrals in Moscow is decorated with the bell tower of Ivan the Great, where on holidays all thirty bells were always rung. The ringing was extremely powerful and carried very far.
5. Smoking room is alive!
We remember this expression from the film “The meeting place cannot be changed” and it denoted the joy of meeting a person who has gone through serious trials.
In fact, “smoking room” is an ancient children's game in Rus'. The children sat in a circle and passed each other a burning torch, saying: “Alive, alive smoking room! Thin legs, short soul. The one in whose hands the torch was extinguished left the circle. That is, a "smoking room" is a torch that burned weakly and "smoked" (smoked) in children's hands.
In relation to a person, the expression was first used by the poet Alexander Pushkin in an epigram to the critic and journalist Mikhail Kachenovsky: “How! is Kurilka a journalist still alive?..”
6. Clean out those Augean stables
Deal with an incredibly neglected mess of cyclopean proportions.
It goes back to the ancient Greek myths about Hercules. There lived in ancient Elis King Augius, a passionate lover of horses, who kept three thousand horses in the stables, but did not clean the stall for 30 years.
Hercules was sent to the service of Avgius, to whom the king instructed to clear the stables in one day, which was impossible. The hero thought and directed the waters of the river through the gates of the stables, which carried out all the manure from there in a day. This act was the 6th feat of Hercules out of 12.
7. Bosom friend
Now a positive expression denoting an old and trusted friend. Previously it was negative, because meant companion.
The old expression "to pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol". This is where this idiom comes from.
8. Get into trouble
Be in an extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous position.
A prosak is a drum with teeth in a machine with which wool was combed. Once in a hole, it was easy to cripple, lose a hand.
9. Poor place
And again, a biblical expression found in psalms and church prayers and denoting paradise, the kingdom of heaven. In secular word usage, it acquired a negative connotation - bars, strip clubs, etc. began to be called “hot spots”.
This refers to a place where cereals grow abundantly from which the main food (bread) is prepared - a fertile field, the basis of well-being.
10. Like Buridan's donkey
It means a person who is extremely indecisive.
It goes back to the famous example of the 14th-century French philosopher Jean Buridan, who argued that people's actions depend for the most part not on their own will, but on external circumstances. Illustrating his thought, he argued that a donkey, to the left and right of which two identical piles will be placed at an equal distance, one of which will contain hay, and the other straw, will not be able to make a choice and will die of hunger.
11. Reach the handle
To sink completely, to lose human appearance and social skills.
In ancient Rus', kalachi was baked not round, but in the form of a castle with a round bow. Citizens often bought kalachi and ate it right on the street, holding this handle like a handle. At the same time, for reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not used for food, but was either given to the poor or thrown to the dogs. About those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: it reached the handle.
12. Goof off
Get into an uncomfortable, and often shameful position.
In Rus', walking bareheaded in crowded places (excluding the temple for men) was considered a shame. There was no greater shame for a person than if his hat was torn off in a crowded place.
13. Shabby look
Untidy clothes, unshaven and other signs of negligence in appearance.
Under Tsar Peter I, the Yaroslavl linen manufactory of the merchant Zatrapeznikov began to work, which produced silk and cloth that were in no way inferior in quality to the products of European workshops.
In addition, the manufactory also made a very cheap hemp striped fabric, which, by the name of the merchant, was nicknamed “tablecloth”. She went to mattresses, bloomers, sundresses, women's headscarves, work dressing gowns and shirts.
For rich people, a dressing gown made from “shabby clothes” was home clothes, but for the poor, clothes made from this fabric were used “for going out”. The shabby appearance spoke of the low social status of a person.
14. Caliph for an hour
So they say about a person who accidentally and briefly found himself in power.
The expression has Arabic roots. This is the name of a fairy tale from the collection “A Thousand and One Nights” - “A waking dream, or Caliph for an hour”.
It tells how the young Baghdadian Abu-Ghassan, not knowing that he was facing the caliph Harun al-Rashid, shares with him his cherished dream - at least for a day to become a 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-Ghassan 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.
15. Knock down
Make you lose the thread of the conversation, forget about something.
In Greece, there is Mount Pantelik, famous in antiquity, where marble was mined for a long time. Accordingly, there were many caves, grottoes and passages, and once there, one could easily get lost.
16. I saw him through
Those. realized what kind of person he was, noticed a deception or discovered a secret.
The expression came to us from those times when coins made of precious metals were in use. The authenticity of the coins was checked by a tooth, because precious metals without impurities were soft. If there is a dent left on the coin, then it is real, and if not, it is fake.
17. A voice crying in the wilderness
This is how they talk about the one whose sound thoughts and warnings stubbornly refuse to listen.
A biblical expression with roots in the prophecy of Isaiah and the Gospel of John. The prophets, who predicted the imminent coming of the Savior, urged the Jews to prepare for this day: to monitor their lives and correct it, becoming pious, attentive to the gospel sermon. But the Jews did not heed these calls and crucified the Lord.
18. Bury talent in the ground
It means not to use and not develop the abilities given by God.
Again, a reference to the Bible. Talent was the largest weight and monetary unit in Ancient Greece, Babylon, Persia and other areas of Asia Minor.
In the gospel parable, one of the servants received money from the master and buried it, being afraid to invest in a business that could bring both profit and loss. Upon the return of the master, the servant returned the talent and was punished for the lost time and the profit lost by the host.
19. Tightened the gimp
He began some very long business, began to hesitate.
Gimp is the thinnest wire made of precious metals, which has already acquired the properties of a thread and was used to decorate camisoles, uniforms and dresses with beautiful complex patterns. It was necessary to pull the gimp on ever-decreasing jewelry rollers in several passes, which was a long process. Sewing with a cantle is even less fast.
20. Brought to white heat
Angry to the point of madness, uncontrollable rage.
Goes back to blacksmithing. When the metal is heated during forging, it glows differently depending on the temperature: first red, then yellow, and finally dazzling white. At an even higher temperature, the metal will already melt and boil.
21. Soap opera
This is the name of a television series with a trivial plot.
The fact is that in the 30s in America they began to produce serial (then still radio) programs for housewives with melodramatic plots. They were created with the money of soap and detergent manufacturers, who advertised their products during breaks.
22. Good riddance!
Now this is how they kick out an annoying guest or visitor. Previously, the meaning was the opposite - a wish for a good journey.
In one of Ivan Aksakov's poems, one can read about the road, which is "straight, like an arrow, with a wide smooth surface that the tablecloth lay down." Knowing our spaces, people wished for an unhindered and easy path.
23. Egyptian plagues
Heavy punishments that have fallen, disasters, torments.
Biblical story from the book of Exodus. For Pharaoh's refusal to release the Jews from captivity, the Lord subjected Egypt to terrible punishments - ten Egyptian plagues: blood instead of water, execution with frogs, an invasion of midges, dog flies, pestilence, ulcers and boils, thunder, lightning and hail of fire, an invasion of locusts, darkness and death first-born in the families of the Egyptians.
24. Do your part
To invest part of your work, skills or money in the creation of something important, big.
There is a biblical story about two mites of a poor widow, which she donated to the work of the Jerusalem temple. Lepta is one of the smallest coins of that time in the Roman Empire. Two mites were the widow's only money, donating which she remained hungry until evening. Therefore, her victim was the largest of all.
25. Sing Lazarus
Beat on pity, beg, try to play on sympathy.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is told by the Savior in the Gospel. Lazarus was poor and lived at the gate of the rich man's house. Lazarus ate the remnants of the rich man's food along with the dogs and endured all sorts of hardships, but after death he went to heaven, while the rich man ended up in hell.
Professional beggars in Russia often begged on the steps of churches, comparing themselves to the biblical Lazarus, although they often lived much better. Therefore, attempts to pity and are called in this way.
Andrey Segeda
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Winged expressions help to express thoughts more accurately, give speech a more emotional coloring. They allow in a few short but precise words to express more emotions and convey a personal attitude to what is happening.
1 sly
Initially, this expression meant to secretly dig a mine or a secret tunnel. The word "zappa" (translated from Italian) means "digging shovel".
Borrowed into French, the word turned into the French "sap" and received the meaning of "earthworks, trenches and undermining", the word "sapper" also arose from this word.
In Russian, the word "sapa" and the expression "quiet glanders" meant work that is carried out with extreme caution, without noise, in order to get close to the enemy unnoticed, in complete secrecy.
After widespread use, the expression acquired the meaning: carefully, in deep secrecy and slowly (for example, “So he drags all the food from the kitchen on the sly!”).
2 Can't see anything
According to one version, the word "zga" comes from the name of a part of the horse harness - a ring in the upper part of the arc, into which a rein was inserted so as not to dangle. When the coachman needed to unharness the horse, and it was so dark that this little ring (zgi) could not be seen, they said that "you can't see it at all."
According to another version, the word "zga" comes from the Old Russian "sytga" - "road, path, path." In this case, the meaning of the expression is interpreted - "so dark that you can not even see the road, the path." Today, the expression “nothing is visible”, “nothing can be seen” means “nothing is visible”, “impenetrable darkness”.
A blind man leads a blind man, but both of them cannot see. (last)
“Darkness hangs over the earth: you can’t see it ...” (Anton Chekhov, “Mirror”)
3 dance from the stove
The expression "to dance from the stove" first appeared in the novel of the 19th century Russian writer Vasily Sleptsov "The Good Man". The book was published in 1871. There is an episode in it when the main character Seryozha Terebenev recalls how he was taught to dance, but the “pas” required from the dance teacher did not work out for him. There is a phrase in the book:
- Oh, what are you, brother! - Father says reproachfully. - Well, go back to the stove, start over.
Vasily Alekseevich Sleptsov. 1870
In Russian, this expression began to be used, speaking of people whose habit of acting according to a hardened scenario replaces knowledge. A person can perform certain actions only “from the stove”, from the very beginning, from the most simple and familiar action:
“When he (the architect) was ordered 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 come and develop from the hall to the living room. (Anton Chekhov, "My Life").
4 shabby look
During the time of Tsar Peter I, Ivan Zatrapeznikov lived - an entrepreneur who received the Yaroslavl textile manufactory from the emperor. The factory produced a cloth called “striped”, or “striped”, popularly called “mess”, “mess” - a coarse and low-quality cloth made from hemp (hemp fiber).
Clothes were sewn from shabby clothes mainly by poor people who could not buy something better for themselves. And the appearance of such poor people was appropriate. Since then, if a person is dressed sloppily, they say about him that he has a shabby appearance:
“The hay girls were poorly fed, dressed in shabby clothes and given little sleep, exhausting them with almost continuous work.” (Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, "Poshekhonskaya antiquity")
5 Sharpen laces
To sharpen folly means to idle talk, to engage in useless chatter. Lassy (balusters) are chiseled curly columns of railings at the porch.
At first, “sharpening balusters” meant having an elegant, whimsical, ornate (like balusters) conversation. However, there were few craftsmen to conduct such a conversation, and over time, the expression began to mean empty chatter:
“They used to sit in a circle, some on a bench, some simply on the ground, each with some business, a spinning wheel, a comb or bobbins, and they would go and go to sharpen their laces and babble about a different, experienced time.” (Dmitry Grigorovich, Village).
6 Lying like a gray gelding
To lie like a gray gelding means to speak fables 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 liked to tell the officers funny stories and fables. The expression "lies like Sievers-Mering" was understandable only to his colleagues. However, they began to use it throughout Russia, completely forgetting about the origins. Sayings 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" came from the name of one scientist - Brad Steve Cobile, who once wrote a very stupid article. His name, consonant with the words "bullshit" 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 a different color) was the most stupid animal. There was a sign according to which if a gray mare is dreamed, then in reality the dreamer will be deceived.
8 Androns ride
"Androns are coming" means nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, complete nonsense.
In Russian, this phrase is used in response to someone who tells a lie, inappropriately puts on airs and boasts about himself. In the 1840s, on the territory of almost all of Russia, andretz (andron) meant a wagon, various kinds of carts.
“And you don’t have to scold my house! “Do I scold you?.. Cross yourself, Petrovnushka, the androns are coming!” (Pavel Zarubin, "The Dark and Bright Sides of Russian Life")
9 Biryuk live
Mikhail Golubovich in the movie Biryuk. 1977
The expression "to live with a biryuk" 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 predatory animal dangerous for the economy. The peasants perfectly studied his habits and habits and often remembered them when speaking about a person. “Oh, and you have grown old, little brother! Dunyashka said regretfully. “Some kind of gray has become like a biryuk.” (Mikhail Sholokhov, Quiet Flows the Don)
10 to play with spillikins
Spillikins are various small household items that were used during the ancient game. Its meaning was to pull out one toy after another from a pile of toys with fingers or a special hook, without touching or scattering the rest. The one who moved the adjacent spillikin passes the move to the next player. The game continues until the whole pile is taken apart. By the beginning of the 20th century, spillikins became one of the most popular games in the country and were very common not only among children, but also among adults.
In a figurative sense, the expression "playing spillikins" means to engage in trifles, nonsense, leaving aside the main and important:
“After all, I came to the workshop to work, and not to sit back and play spillikins.” (Mikhail Novorussky "Notes of the Schlisselburger")
11 Pies with kittens
In Rus', they never ate cats, except in severe famine. During long sieges of cities, their inhabitants, having exhausted all food supplies, people used domestic animals for food, and cats and cats were the last to go.
Thus, this expression means a catastrophic state of affairs. Usually the proverb is shortened and they say: “These are the pies”, in other words, “these are the things”.
12 Leave unsalted slurping
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 host salted the food himself, with his own hand. Sometimes, expressing his respect for 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 salt at all. Hence the expression - "to leave without salty slurping":
“And the more she spoke, and the more sincerely she smiled, the stronger the confidence became in me that I would leave her without salty slurping.” (Anton Chekhov "Lights")
"The fox missed the live 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 unfairness of any opinion, judgment or assessment. Shemyaka is a real historical person, the Galician prince Dimitri Shemyaka, famous for his cruelty, deceit and unrighteous deeds. He became famous for his tireless, stubborn struggle with the Grand Duke Vasily the Dark, his cousin, for the Moscow throne. Today, when they want to point out the partiality, unfairness of some judgment, they say: “Is this criticism? Shemyakin court of some kind.
According to aif.ru
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.
In contact with
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 richer, more beautiful, similar to the 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 also an interesting story with phraseology "hang nose". Now the full version of the proverb is rarely used, which 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 did the cunning fox get its prey to come dangerously close? 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.
