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Meaning of phrases and expressions. Winged expressions and their meanings

Monday, July 30, 2012 6:57 pm + to quote pad

Goof

Prosak used to be a special machine for weaving ropes and ropes. It had a complex structure and twisted strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person life. It was from such cases that the expression “get into a mess” came about, which today means to be in an awkward position.

Latest Chinese Warning

In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft often violated Chinese airspace for the purpose of reconnaissance. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a “warning” to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action followed, and such warnings were counted by the hundreds. This policy has given rise to the expression "the last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.

hang dogs

When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is absolutely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with a different meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.

quiet glanders

The word sape means "hoe" in French. In the 16th-19th centuries, the term "sapa" meant a way to open a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes planted in the tunnels to the castle walls, and the specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the covert digging of tunnels came the expression "quiet glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.

Big boss

The most experienced and strong hauler, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has evolved into the expression "big shot" to refer to an important person.

Case burnt out

Previously, if a court case disappeared, then a person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned down: either from a fire in the wooden buildings of the courts, or from deliberate arson for a bribe. In such cases, the defendants said: "The case burned out." Today, this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.

Leave in English

When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression "left in English." Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’ (“leave in French”). It appeared during the Seven Years' War in the 18th century as a mockery of French soldiers who arbitrarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.

Blue blood

The Spanish royal family and nobility prided themselves on the fact that, unlike the common people, they traced their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who entered Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood". Hence, this expression for the designation of the aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.

And a no brainer

The source of the expression “And a no-brainer” is a poem by Mayakovsky (“It is clear even to a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread first in the Strugatsky story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited teenagers who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, two-year students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year, the expression "no brainer" was very relevant.

Wash the bones

The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were removed, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found undecayed and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime this person was a sinner and he was cursed to come out of the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.

The highlight of the program

The opening of the Eiffel Tower, which looked like a nail, was timed to coincide with the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "highlight of the program" has entered the language.

Not by washing, so by skating

In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the laundry with the help of a special rolling pin. Well-rolled linen turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the washing was not of very high quality.

Seven Fridays in a week

Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a market day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give back the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to refer to people who do not keep their promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays in the week."

Scapegoat

The scapegoat is a special animal in Judaism, which, after the symbolic imposition of the sins of the whole people on it, was released into the desert on Yom Kippur.

Master (doctor) of sour cabbage soup

It is used in the meaning of "unlucky person". This expression came from this. Sour cabbage soup is a simple peasant food - water and sauerkraut, and anyone could cook them. If someone was called a master of sour cabbage soup, then this meant that he was not good for anything worthwhile.

Not at ease

The meaning of the expression is in a bad mood, not in the mood. At ease, on the contrary, - to feel cozy, comfortable. And what about the plate? It turns out that this expression originated in the 19th century as an erroneous translation of the French turnover "ne pas dans son assiette", that is, "out of position." The word assiette, meaning "state, position" was confused with "plate", which has the same spelling in French (assiette). Despite such an unusual, one might say, involuntary origin, this expression has taken root and firmly entered our speech.

Eat a pood of salt

It has long been said: in order to get used to each other, you need to eat a pound of salt together. As a rule, this applied to newly married young people. In order for the spouses to get used to each other, so that mutual understanding and trust arise between them, time must pass. And they should both eat one pood of salt. A pound of salt is an incomplete bag. So calculate how much time should pass before two people eat this incomplete bag of salt. Scientists have calculated that, on average, two young people can eat a pound of salt in one and a half to two years, and this, including canned preparations for the winter in the calculation.

cut off hunk

There is a saying: “You can’t stick a cut piece back.” The loaf was whole, but it became open and broken separately. That's why they began to call the members who left the family a cut slice. A son who separated and healed in his house, a daughter who was given in marriage, a recruit whose forehead was shaved by lot - all these are cut slices, it’s not a tricky thing to see each other, but they won’t heal with one family.

There is another subtlety here. In the time of the pagan gods, bread, which personified a prosperous life, could not be cut in any case, it was broken by hand, hence the word chunk appeared. Therefore, the phrase “cut slice” is an oxymoron of the purest water, the so-called “smart stupidity”.

pears hang around

The fact is that a ripe pear itself falls from a branch, although, of course, you can, armed with a drain, knock on branches, beating pears, but if you consider that pears are a perishable product and almost never went on sale, but were used for jams and compotes small, being only a seasonal delicacy for children, it is clear why the expression "pears to hang around" has become synonymous with not just idleness, but especially malicious idleness. It's better to play spillikins or beat bucks.

Charcoal-fired chestnuts are an uncharacteristic occupation for Russians, if only because edible chestnuts simply do not grow here. Indeed, this idiom comes from France, and is a literal translation of the expression "Tirer les marrons du feu". The meaning of the phrase is this: to work for the sake of another, not receiving anything but trouble for your work. The source of the expression was Lafontaine's fable "The Monkey and the Cat". The monkey saw chestnuts that were being baked in the fireplace in hot ashes, and asked a cat friend to get some chestnuts for her. While the cat, burning its paws, dragged the chestnuts out of the fire, the monkey quickly ate the extracted. And, a cat captured at the crime scene, also flew in for theft.

Sometimes meaning of catchphrases turns out to be quite different from what we imagined, but in any case - this is a fascinating excursion into the past and I hope you enjoyed it.

Information taken from various sources on the web

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Ruslena Very interesting posts! Some knew, but many did not even hear.)) Thank you! Monday, April 07, 2014 13:00 ()

limada's original post
Catch phrases and their meaning
Where did the expressions "reach the handle", "scapegoat", "you can't cook porridge", "pour on the first number" and others come from?
We use such phrases every day in speech, without thinking at all about their original meaning and origin. Why is the last warning Chinese? Who is the quiet guy? And why should a successful business fail?
Everything has a historical or linguistic explanation. Behind each turn there is either a significant event, or the realities of the past, or the meaning of the word that has gone out of use. So.
You can't cook porridge
The meaning of this expression is - you won’t agree, you won’t do things, but the roots are here: in the old days in Russia there was a ritual of joint cooking of porridge by the community. A person who did not want to participate in this was considered a stranger and unreliable.
Get to the handle
In ancient Russia, kalachi was baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. Citizens often bought kalachi and ate them right on the street, holding this bow, or handle. For reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not used for food, but was given to the poor or thrown to be eaten by dogs. According to one version, they said about those who did not disdain to eat it: it reached the handle. And today the expression “to reach the handle” means to completely sink, to lose human appearance.
bosom friend
The old expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "get drunk", "drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit “bosom friend” was formed, which today is used to refer to a very close friend.
Pour in the first number
In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, often without any fault of the punished. If the mentor showed particular zeal, and the student got hit especially hard, he could be released from further vices in the current month, up to the first day of the next month. This is how the expression "pour on the first number" arose.
Goof
Prosak used to be a special machine for weaving ropes and ropes. It had a complex structure and twisted strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person life. It was from such cases that the expression “get into a mess” came about, which today means to be in an awkward position.
Latest Chinese Warning
In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft often violated Chinese airspace for the purpose of reconnaissance. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a “warning” to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action followed, and such warnings were counted by the hundreds. This policy has given rise to the expression "the last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.
hang dogs
When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is absolutely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with a different meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.
quiet glanders
The word sape means "hoe" in French. In the 16th-19th centuries, the term "sapa" meant a way to open a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes planted in the tunnels to the castle walls, and the specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the covert digging of tunnels came the expression "quiet glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.
Big boss
The most experienced and strong hauler, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has evolved into the expression "big shot" to refer to an important person.
Case burnt out
Previously, if a court case disappeared, then a person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned down: either from a fire in the wooden buildings of the courts, or from deliberate arson for a bribe. In such cases, the defendants said: "The case burned out." Today, this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.
Leave in English
When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression "left in English." Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’ (“leave in French”). It appeared during the Seven Years' War in the 18th century as a mockery of French soldiers who arbitrarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.
Blue blood
The Spanish royal family and nobility prided themselves on the fact that, unlike the common people, they traced their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who entered Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood". Hence, this expression for the designation of the aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.
And a no brainer
The source of the expression “And it’s clear to a hedgehog” is Mayakovsky’s poem (“It’s clear even to a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread first in the Strugatsky story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited teenagers who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, two-year students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year, the expression "no brainer" was very relevant.
Wash the bones
The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were removed, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found undecayed and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime this person was a sinner and a curse lies on him - to come out of the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.
The highlight of the program
The opening of the Eiffel Tower, which looked like a nail, was timed to coincide with the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "highlight of the program" has entered the language.
Not by washing, so by skating
In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the laundry with the help of a special rolling pin. Well-rolled linen turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the washing was not of very high quality.
Seven Fridays in a week
Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a market day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give back the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to refer to people who do not keep their promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays in the week."
Scapegoat
The scapegoat is a special animal in Judaism, which, after the symbolic imposition of the sins of the whole people on it, was released into the desert on Yom Kippur.
Master (doctor) of sour cabbage soup
It is used in the meaning of "unlucky person". This expression came from this. Sour cabbage soup is a simple peasant food - water and sauerkraut, and anyone could cook them. If someone was called a master of sour cabbage soup, then this meant that he was not good for anything worthwhile.
Not at ease
The meaning of the expression is in a bad mood, not in the mood. At ease, on the contrary, - to feel cozy, comfortable. And what about the plate? It turns out that this expression originated in the 19th century as an erroneous translation of the French turnover "ne pas dans son assiette", that is, "out of position." The word assiette, meaning "state, position" was confused with "plate", which has the same spelling in French (assiette). Despite such an unusual, one might say, involuntary origin, this expression has taken root and firmly entered our speech.
Eat a pood of salt
It has long been said: in order to get used to each other, you need to eat a pound of salt together. As a rule, this applied to newly married young people. In order for the spouses to get used to each other, so that mutual understanding and trust arise between them, time must pass. And they should both eat one pood of salt. A pound of salt is an incomplete bag. So calculate how much time should pass before two people eat this incomplete bag of salt. Scientists have calculated that, on average, two young people can eat a pound of salt in one and a half to two years, and this, including canned preparations for the winter in the calculation.
cut off hunk
There is a saying: “You can’t stick a cut piece back.” The loaf was whole, but it became open and broken separately. That's why they began to call the members who left the family a cut slice. A son separated and healed in his house, a daughter given in marriage, a recruit whose forehead was shaved by lot - all these are cut slices, it’s not a tricky thing to see each other, but they won’t heal with one family.
There is another subtlety here. In the time of the pagan gods, bread, which personified a prosperous life, could not be cut in any case, it was broken by hand, hence the word chunk appeared. Therefore, the phrase “cut slice” is an oxymoron of the purest water, the so-called “smart stupidity”.
pears hang around
The fact is that a ripe pear itself falls from a branch, although, of course, you can, armed with a drain, knock on branches, beating pears, but if you consider that pears are a perishable product and almost never went on sale, but were used for jams and compotes small, being only a seasonal delicacy for children, it is clear why the expression "pears to hang around" has become synonymous with not just idleness, but especially malicious idleness. It's better to play spillikins or beat bucks.
Charcoal-fired chestnuts are an uncharacteristic occupation for Russians, if only because edible chestnuts simply do not grow here. Indeed, this idiom comes from France, and is a literal translation of the expression "Tirer les marrons du feu". The meaning of the phrase is this: to work for the sake of another, not receiving anything but trouble for your work. The source of the expression was Lafontaine's fable "The Monkey and the Cat". The monkey saw chestnuts that were being baked in the fireplace in hot ashes, and asked a cat friend to get some chestnuts for her. While the cat, burning its paws, dragged the chestnuts out of the fire, the monkey quickly ate the extracted. And, a cat captured at the crime scene, also flew in for theft.
Sometimes the meaning of popular expressions turns out to be completely different than we imagined, but in any case, this is a fascinating excursion into the past and I hope you enjoyed it.
Information taken from various sources on the web

In this conference, I would like to cite some interesting facts about the formation of some well-known phrases.

Pour on the first day: In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, sometimes just like that, for prevention. If the mentor showed special zeal, and the student got especially hard, he could be released from further vices, up to the first day of the next month.

The Game Isn't Worth the Candle: In the pre-electric age, gamblers often gathered to play in the evening by candlelight. Often the stakes and, accordingly, the winnings of the winner were so small that even candles did not pay off. This is where the expression “the game is not worth the candle” was born.

Scapegoat: According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the absolution of sins, the high priest put his hands on the head of the goat and thereby laid on him the sins of the whole people. This is where the term "scapegoat" comes from.

To reach the handle: In Russia, kalachi was baked with a handle for which they were worn. Then the handle was broken off and, for reasons of hygiene, thrown away. These pens were picked up and eaten by dogs and beggars. So the expression “reach the handle” appeared - to impoverish, to sink.

Blue blood: The Spanish royal family and nobility prided themselves on the fact that, unlike the common people, they traced their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who entered Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, their pale skin had blue veins, and so they proudly called themselves "blue-blooded." Hence, this expression for the designation of the aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.

Scum: The scum were the remains of the liquid that remained at the bottom along with the sediment. And since all sorts of rabble often wandered around the taverns and taverns, finishing up the muddy remnants of alcohol after other visitors, the word scum soon passed to them.

Augean Stables: Legend has it that King Augius was an avid horse breeder with 3,000 horses in his stables. However, for some reason, no one cleaned the stables for 30 years. And when Hercules tried to make a name for himself in the field of exploits, he was instructed to clean them up. Hercules diverted the bed of the Alfea River to the stables and washed all the manure with a stream of water. Since then, the expression "Augean stables" has been applied to everything neglected or polluted to the last limit.

Vulgarity: the word is originally Russian, rooted in the verb “went”. Until the 17th century it was used in decent meaning, and meant everything habitual, traditional, done according to custom - that which WENT from ancient times. However, with the Petrine reforms, cutting a window to Europe and innovations the word “vulgar” lost respect and began to mean “backward, uncultured, rustic”.

Play on the nerves: After the discovery by the ancient doctors of the nerves in the human body, they named them by the similarity with the strings of musical instruments with the same word - nervus. From this came the expression for annoying actions - "play on the nerves."

Breathing incense: According to Christian custom, a person who did not have long to live, the priest confessed, communed and censed with incense. As a result, the expression "breathes its last" has become fixed to refer to a sickly person or a barely working device.

Wash the bones: According to the ideas of some peoples, every unrepentant sinner, if a curse weighs on him, after death comes out of the grave in the form of a ghoul or vampire and destroys people. To remove the spell, you need to dig up the remains of the deceased and rinse his bones with clean water. Today, the expression "wash the bones" means an analysis of a person's character.

Money doesn't smell: When the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian reproached him for imposing a tax on public toilets, the emperor showed him the money that came from this tax and asked if it smelled. The son gave a negative answer. This is where the expression "money doesn't smell" comes from.

Bosom friend: The old expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "get drunk", "drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit “bosom friend” was formed, which today is used to refer to a very close friend.
http://rabotanama.ru/node/4902
here's another addition:
1. "Drive by the nose"
Previously, gypsies entertained people at fairs, speaking with bears. They forced the animals to perform various tricks, while deceiving them with the promise of handouts. The gypsies led the bear by the nose ring. It was from that time that "don't lead me by the nose" means "do not deceive." And the expression “to know the whole story” is connected ... with the old torture, when the accused were driven nails or needles under the nails. The purpose of this rather unpleasant act was to gain recognition.
2. "Master of sour cabbage soup"
About the one who knows little, we say "master of sour cabbage soup." The origin of the saying is quite simple. Sour cabbage soup (apparently, in the simplest variation) was a simple meal: water and sauerkraut. It wasn't hard to make soup. And if someone was called the "master of sour cabbage soup", this meant that he was not good for anything worthwhile. The expression “to put a pig on”, that is, to do something bad to someone, is apparently due to the fact that some peoples do not eat pork for religious reasons. And if pork was imperceptibly put into a person’s food, then by doing so they did a very serious dirty trick.
3. "Beat the thumbs"
Today, the expression "beat the buckets" means to do nothing. Meanwhile, before beating the buckets was an occupation. Although quite simple ... Dishes in ancient times were mainly made of wood: cups and spoons, “brothers” and plates - everything was wooden. But in order to cut something, it was necessary to chip off a chock - a baklusha - from a log. It was an easy, trifling matter that was entrusted to apprentices. This lesson was called “beating the buckets”. The craftsmen jokingly called the auxiliary workers "bottlenecks". So, from the jokes of the masters, this expression appeared.
4. “I didn’t come to the court”
When you study proverbs and sayings, you wonder what antiquity they sometimes come from. “I didn’t come to court” - This saying has an interesting mythological basis. According to her, only the animal that the brownie likes will live in the courtyard (yard). And if you don't like it, you'll either run away or get sick. What to do ... not to the court ...
6. "Kazan orphan"
As you know, the expression "Kazan orphan" refers to a person who pretends to be offended or helpless in order to pity someone. Now this phrase is used, rather, as a good-natured joke. But why exactly "Kazan"? This phraseological unit arose after the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. Tatar princes (mirzas) became subjects of the Russian tsar. At the same time, they tried to beg from Ivan the Terrible all sorts of concessions and benefits, complaining about the bitter fate. It was they who, thanks to the sharp folk language, became the first "Kazan orphans."
7. "Do not wash dirty linen in public"
An ancient and ubiquitous proverb. Of course, it does not teach us uncleanliness. She advises not to endure family squabbles and quarrels in public. Dahl generally wrote beautifully about this proverb: “family squabbles will be sorted out at home, if not under one sheepskin coat, then under one roof.” But this proverb also has a direct meaning: among the peasants, rubbish was never swept out and carried out into the street. It was quite difficult to do: sweep the rubbish into the street through the high rapids. However, the main reason is the existence of a rather serious belief: according to rubbish, unkind people can send damage. Rubbish was usually swept into the oven or cooking corner. When the stove was fired, the rubbish was burned. There was another interesting custom: the wedding guests, testing the patience of the bride, forced the hut to revenge, while again and again they littered and they said:“Sweep, sweep, but don’t take it out of the hut, but rake it under the bench and put it in the oven so that it will be carried out with smoke.”
8. "Neither stake nor yard"
We are talking about a state of extreme poverty. If we disassemble the content of this proverb, it turns out that there is no “not a stake”, that is, a short pointed stick, “not a yard” - that is, a house. As for the “yard”, everything is clear, and there are no disputes on this score. But about the “col” there is a rather convincing version of the late nineteenth century. The fact is that, at least in some places, a “stake” was called a strip of arable land two sazhens wide. Therefore, not to have a stake means not to have arable land; not to have a yard means to live with others. Well… it makes sense. It is difficult to overestimate, especially in the old days, the importance of arable land for the peasant. In fact, along with the house, she was his main wealth.
9. "Crazy"
The word "crazy" is used quite often in everyday life. As you know, it means a situation where a person has lost the ability to clearly perceive the surrounding reality, to think adequately. Interestingly, the origin of the word is associated with large-scale events in 1771, it was then that a devastating plague raged in Moscow. Eyewitnesses described the following symptoms in people: "The reprimand of the patients is unintelligible and confusing, the tongue is definitely frozen, or bitten, or like that of a drunk." The plague manifested in chills, fever, headache and confusion. The memory of the above events is reflected in the word "crazy", which we now apply to much less serious situations.
10. Get into trouble.
Means "to get in a predicament stupid, embarrassing or ridiculous position, overlook the danger. It appeared in the speech of old Russian spinners, rope craftsmen and was formed from the combination of getting into a trouble. The word prosak has been lost in modern Russian, since reality itself has passed away - a rope, rope mill, a machine on which in the old days ropes were twisted, stretching from the spinning wheel to the sleigh. When working with prosak, the spinner was in great danger if the beard, clothes or hand fell into the loom: he could lose not only his beard, but sometimes his health or life. The expression get into a mess, where the adverb into a mess is formed from a combination of a noun with a preposition, which is traditional for Russian dialects, has lost its direct meaning and is now used only figuratively, that is, it has acquired the status of a phraseological unit. The origin of many Russian phraseological units, by the way, is connected with the professional environment.
11. Get it on your nose
This expression is often said today in full confidence that the nose is meant. Ordinary human nose. Sometimes they also show on the nose. Meanwhile, this is a mistake ... The nose used to be called a special plaque for records. It was worn along with special sticks, with which they made various notes or notches as a keepsake. Indeed, in antiquity, for all its severity, no one made any notches on his personal nose as a keepsake.
12. Play spillikins.
There is such an old game, with the help of which, as they say, patience and caution are developed: spillikins. In front of you lies a bunch of tiny little things, glasses, hammers, hearts - spillikins - heaped up in a mess. It is required with a small hook to pull out one spillikin after another from the pile so that the rest are not disturbed. A great activity for idlers! It is not surprising that the expression "playing spillikins" has long meant: to engage in trifles, nonsense, leaving aside the main and important.
13. "Shelving."
There is an assumption that this phrase, meaning “give a case a long delay”, “delay its decision for a long time”, arose in Muscovite Russia, three hundred years ago. Tsar Alexei, the father of Peter I, ordered in the village of Kolomenskoye in front of his palace to install a long box where anyone could drop their complaint. Complaints fell, but it was very difficult to wait for decisions; often months and years had passed before that. The people renamed this "long" box to "long". It is difficult, however, to vouch for the accuracy of this explanation: after all, we are not talking about "lowering" or not "putting", but "putting it on the back burner." One might think that the expression, if not born, was fixed in speech later, in "presences" institutions of the 19th century. The then officials, accepting various petitions, complaints and petitions, undoubtedly sorted them, putting them in different boxes. "Long" could be called the one where the most unhurried things were put off. It is clear that the applicants were afraid of such a box. By the way, there is no need to assume that someone once specifically renamed the “long” box into “long”: in many places in our country, in the folk language, “long” just means “long”. The expression “put under the cloth” which was born later has the same meaning. Cloth covered tables in Russian offices.

We use old sayings and various catch phrases in everyday life, sometimes without even knowing the history of the emergence of such catch phrases. We all know the meanings of many of these phrases from childhood and use these expressions appropriately, they came to us imperceptibly and became entrenched in our culture for centuries. Where did these phrases and expressions come from?

But every folk wisdom has its own story, nothing comes out of nowhere. Well, it will be very interesting for you to find out where these catchphrases and expressions, proverbs and sayings came from!

Where did expressions come from?

bosom friend

“Pour over the Adam's apple” is a rather old expression, it meant in ancient times literally “get drunk”, “drink a lot of alcohol”. The phraseologism “bosom friend” that has been formed since then is used to this day and it denotes the closest friend.

Money doesn't smell

The roots of this expression should be sought in ancient Rome. The son of the Roman emperor Vespasian once reproached his father for imposing a tax on public toilets. Vespasian showed his son the money that came into the treasury from this tax and asked him if the money smelled. The son sniffed and gave a negative answer.

Wash the bones

The expression has been around since ancient times. Some peoples believed that an unrepentant damned sinner, after his death, comes out of the grave and turns into a ghoul or vampire and destroys everyone who gets in his way. And in order to remove the spell, it is necessary to dig up the remains of the dead man from the grave and rinse the bones of the deceased with clean water. Now the expression "wash the bones" means nothing more than dirty gossip about a person, a pseudo-analysis of his character and behavior.

Breathe incense

Christian custom required that the dying before death were confessed by priests, as well as communed them and censed them with incense. The expression stuck. Now they say about sickly people or poorly working devices and equipment: “breathes its last”.

play on nerves

In ancient times, after doctors discovered the existence of nervous tissue (nerves) in the body, by resemblance to the strings of musical instruments, they called nervous tissue in Latin the word strings: nervus. From that moment on, the expression went, which means annoying actions - "play on the nerves."

vulgarity

The word "vulgarity" is originally Russian, the root of which is formed from the verb "let's go." Until the 17th century, this word was used in a good, decent sense. It meant traditional, habitual in the daily life of people, that is, what is done according to custom and happened, that is, WENT from time immemorial. However, the ensuing reforms of the Russian Tsar Peter I with their innovations distorted this word, it lost its former respect and began to mean: “uncivilized, backward, rustic”, etc.

Augean stables

There is a legend according to which King Augius was an avid horse breeder; there were 3,000 horses in the king's stables. For some reason, no one cleaned the stables for 30 years. Hercules was charged with cleaning these stables. He directed the course of the river Alfea to the stables, all the dirt from the stables was washed with a stream of water. Since then, this expression has been applied to the contamination of something to the last limit.

scum

The remains of the liquid that remained at the bottom along with the sediment used to be called scum. All sorts of rabble often wandered around the taverns and taverns, who finished drinking the muddy remnants of alcohol in glasses after other visitors, very soon the term scum passed to them.

Blue blood

The royal family, as well as the nobility of Spain, were proud that they were leading their
ancestry from the West Goths, unlike the common people, and they never mixed with the Moors who entered Spain from Africa. Blue veins clearly stood out on the pale skin of the native Spaniards, which is why they proudly called themselves "blue blood". This expression eventually began to denote a sign of the aristocracy and passed into many nations, including ours.

Get to the handle

In Russia, kalachi was always baked with a handle, so that it was convenient to carry kalachi. Then the handle was broken off and thrown away for hygiene reasons. The broken handles were picked up and eaten by beggars and dogs. The expression means - to become impoverished, to go down, to impoverish.

Scapegoat

The ancient Jewish rite consisted in the fact that on the day of the remission of sins, the high priest laid his hands on the head of a goat, as if laying all the sins of the people on it. Hence the expression "scapegoat".

It is not worth it

In the old days, before the invention of electricity, gamblers used to gather to play in the evenings by candlelight. Sometimes the bets made and the winnings of the winner were negligible, so much so that even the candles that burned during the game did not pay off. This is how the expression came about.

Pour in the first number

In the old days, at school, students were often flogged, sometimes even without misconduct on their part, just for prevention. The mentor could show diligence in educational work and sometimes the students got it very hard. Such disciples could be freed from vice, up to the first day of the next month.

Beat the thumbs

In the old days, chocks, chopped off from a log, were called baclushes. These were blanks for wooden utensils. For the manufacture of wooden utensils, special skills and efforts were not needed. This was considered very easy. Since that time, it has become customary to “beat the buckets” (to mess around).

Not by washing, so by skating

In the old days, women in the villages, after washing, literally “rolled” the laundry with the help of a special rolling pin. Thus, well-rolled linen turned out to be wrung out, ironed and, moreover, clean (even in cases of poor-quality washing). In our time, we say “not by washing, so by rolling,” which means achieving the cherished goal in any way.

In the bag

In the old days, messengers who delivered mail to recipients sewed very valuable important papers, or “cases” under the lining of their caps or hats, in order to hide important documents from prying eyes and not attract the attention of robbers. This is where the popular to this day expression “it's in the bag” comes from.

Let's go back to our sheep

In a French comedy from the Middle Ages, a rich clothier sued a shepherd who stole his sheep. During the court session, the clothier forgot about the shepherd and switched to his lawyer, who, as it turned out, did not pay him for six cubits of cloth. The judge, seeing that the cloth maker had drifted in the wrong direction, interrupted him with the words: "Let's return to our rams." Since that time, the expression has become catchy.

To contribute

In ancient Greece, a mite (small coin) was in circulation. In the gospel parable, the poor widow donated the last two mites for the construction of the temple. Hence the expression - "do your bit."

Versta Kolomna

In the 17th century, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who was ruling at that time, the distance between Moscow and the royal summer residence in the village of Kolomenskoye was measured, as a result of which very high milestones were installed. Since then, it has become customary to call very tall and thin people "Kolomenskaya Verst".

Chasing a long ruble

In the XIII century in Russia, the hryvnia was the monetary and weight unit, which was divided into 4 parts (“ruble”). More weighty than others, the rest of the ingot was called the "long ruble". The expression "chasing a long ruble" means easy and good earnings.

Newspaper ducks

The Belgian humorist Cornelissen published a note in the newspaper about how one scientist bought 20 ducks, chopped one of them and fed it to the other 19 ducks. A little later, he did exactly the same with the other, third, fourth, etc. As a result, he was left with one and only duck, which ate all of its 19 girlfriends. The note was posted to mock the gullibility of readers. Since then, it has become customary to call false news nothing but "newspaper ducks."

Money laundering

The origins of the expression go to America, at the beginning of the 20th century. It was difficult for Al Capone to spend money obtained by dishonest means, because he was constantly under the scrutiny of the special services. In order to be able to safely spend this money and not get caught by the police, Capone created a huge network of laundries, which had very low prices. Therefore, it was difficult for the police to track the real number of customers, it became possible to write absolutely any income of laundries. This is where the now popular expression “money laundering” comes from. Since that time, the number of laundries has remained huge, the prices for their services are still low, so in the USA it is customary to wash clothes not at home, but in laundries.

Orphan Kazan

As soon as Ivan the Terrible took Kazan, he decided to bind the local aristocracy to himself. To do this, he rewarded high-ranking officials of Kazan who voluntarily came to him. Many of the Tatars, wishing to receive good rich gifts, pretended to be hard hit by the war.

Inside out

Where did this popular expression come from, which is used when a person dressed or did something wrong? During the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Russia, an embroidered collar was a sign of the dignity of one or another nobleman, and this collar was called "shivoro". If such a worthy boyar or nobleman angers the king in any way or was subjected to royal disgrace, as usual, he was put on a skinny nag with his back forward, having previously turned his clothes inside out. Since then, the expression “topsy-turvy”, which meant “on the contrary, is wrong”, has been fixed.

From under the stick

The expression "under the stick" takes its roots from circus acts in which trainers make animals jump over a stick. This phraseological turnover has been used since the 19th century. It means that a person is forced to work, forced to do some action or behavior, which he really does not want to do. This phraseological image is associated with the opposition "will - captivity". This metaphor likens a person to an animal or a slave who is forced to do something or work under pain of physical punishment.

A teaspoon per hour

This popular expression appeared in quite distant times for us thanks to pharmacists. Pharmacists in those difficult times themselves made potions, medicinal ointments and infusions for many diseases. According to the rules that existed since those times, each bottle of the medicinal mixture should have an instruction (prescription) for the use of this medicine. Then it was still measured not in drops, as mostly now, but in teaspoons. For example, 1 teaspoon per glass of water. Such medicines in those days had to be taken strictly by the hour, and the treatment usually lasted quite a long time. Hence the meaning of this catchphrase. Now the expression "a teaspoon per hour" means a long and slow process of any action with time intervals, on a very small scale.

Goof

To get into trouble means to be in an awkward position. Prosak is an ancient medieval special rope loom for weaving ropes and twisting ropes. It had a very complex design and twisted the strands so much that getting clothes, hair or beards into its mechanism could even cost a person his life. This expression originally even had a once specific meaning, literally - "accidentally fall into twisted ropes."

Usually this expression means to be embarrassed, goof off, get into an unpleasant situation, disgrace yourself in some way, sit in a puddle, screw up as they say these days, hit your face in the dirt.

Free and for free

Where did the word "freebie" come from?

Our ancestors called the top of the boot a freebie. Usually the lower part of the boot (head) wore out much faster than the top of the freebie. Therefore, to save money, enterprising "cold shoemakers" sewed a new head to the bootleg. Such updated boots can be said - sewn "for free" - were much cheaper than their new counterparts.

Nick down

The expression "hack on the nose" came to us from ancient times. Previously, our ancestors used the term “nose” to mean writing boards that were used as old notebooks - they made all kinds of notes on them, or it would be more correct to even say notches as a keepsake. Since then, the expression "hack on the nose" has appeared. If they borrowed money, then they wrote the debt on such tablets and gave it to the creditor as debt obligations. And if the debt was not returned, the creditor "was left with a nose", that is, with a simple tablet instead of the borrowed money.

Prince on a white horse

The expression of modern princesses about the expectations of a "prince on a white horse" originated in medieval Europe. At that time, royal persons rode beautiful white horses in honor of special holidays, and the most highly revered knights participated in tournaments on horses of the same suit. Since that time, the expression about princes on white horses has gone, because a stately white horse was considered a symbol of greatness, as well as beauty and glory.

For distant lands

Where is it located? In ancient Slavic tales, this expression of the distance "to distant lands" is very common. It means that the object is very far away. The roots of the expression go back to the time of Kievan Rus. Then there was a decimal and nine-decimal system of calculus. So, according to the nine-decimal system, which was based on the number 9, the maximum scale for the standards of a fairy tale, which increases everything by a factor of three, the number was taken far away, that is, three times nine. That's where the expression comes from...

I'm going to you

What does the phrase "I'm coming for you" mean? This expression has been known since the time of Kievan Rus. Before a military campaign, the Grand Duke and Bright Warrior Svyatoslav always sent a warning message “I’m coming at you!” to enemy lands, which meant an attack, an attack - I’m coming at you. In the days of Kievan Rus, our ancestors called “you” precisely enemies, and not to honor unfamiliar and older people.

It was a matter of honor to warn the enemy about the attack. The code of military honor, the ancient traditions of the Slavic-Aryans also included a ban on shooting or attacking with a weapon an unarmed or unequal enemy. The code of military honor was strictly adhered to by those who respected themselves and their ancestors, including Grand Duke Svyatoslav.

There is nothing behind the soul

In the old days, our ancestors believed that the soul of a person is located in a dimple on the neck between the collarbones.
In the same place on the chest, according to custom, money was kept. Therefore, it was said and is still being said about a poor person that he "has nothing behind his soul."

Sewn with white thread

This phraseological unit comes from tailoring roots. In order to see how to sew the details when sewing, they are first sewn hastily with white threads, so to speak, a draft or trial version, so that later all the details are carefully sewn together. Hence the meaning of the expression: a hastily assembled case or work, that is, “for a rough job,” may imply negligence and deceit in the case. Often used in legal folk terms when an investigator is working on a case.

Seven spans in the forehead

By the way, this expression does not speak of a very high intelligence of a person, as we usually think. This expression is about age. Yes Yes. A span is an ancient Russian measure of length, which is equal to 17.78 cm in terms of centimeters (an international unit of measurement of length). 7 spans in the forehead is a person’s height, it is 124 cm, usually children grew up to this mark by 7 years. At this time, children were given names and began to be taught (boys - the male craft, girls - the female). Until this age, children were usually not distinguished by gender and they wore the same clothes. By the way, until the age of 7 they usually didn’t have names, they simply called them a child.

Looking for Eldorado

Eldorado (in Spanish, El Dorado means "golden") is a mythical country in South America that is rich in gold and precious stones. The conquistadors of the 16th century were looking for her. In a figurative sense, "Eldorado" is often called the place where you can quickly get rich.

Karachun came

There are such folk expressions that not everyone can understand: “Karachun came”, “Karachun grabbed”. Meaning: someone, someone suddenly died, died or died ... Karachun (or Chernobog) in ancient Slavic mythology of pagan times is the underground god of death and frost, besides, he is not at all a good spirit, but on the contrary - evil. By the way, his celebration falls on the day of the winter solstice (December 21-22).

About dead or good or nothing

The implication is that the dead are spoken of either well or not at all. This expression has come down in a rather serious modified form to our days from the depths of centuries. In ancient times, this expression sounded like this: “About the dead is either good or nothing but the truth”. This is a fairly well-known saying of the ancient Greek politician and poet Chilo from Sparta (VI century BC), and the historian Diogenes Laertes (III century AD) tells about him in his essay “The Life, Teachings and Opinions of Illustrious Philosophers” . Thus, the clipped expression has lost its original meaning over time and is now perceived in a completely different way.

Exasperate

You can often hear in colloquial speech how someone brings someone to white heat. The meaning of the expression: inflame to strong emotions, bring someone into a state of extreme irritation or even complete loss of self-control. Where and how did this turn of speech come about? Everything is simple. When the metal is gradually heated, it turns red, but when it is further heated to a very high temperature, the metal turns white. To heat up, that is, to warm up. Incandescence is essentially very strong heating, hence the expression.

All roads lead to Rome

During the Roman Empire (27 BC - 476 AD) Rome tried to expand its territory through military conquest. Cities, bridges, roads were actively built for better interconnection between the provinces of the empire and the capital (for collecting taxes, for the arrival of couriers and ambassadors, for the quick arrival of legions to suppress riots). The Romans were the first to build roads and naturally the construction was carried out from Rome, from the capital of the Empire. Modern scientists say that the main routes are built precisely on the ancient ancient Roman roads, which are already thousands of years old.

Balzac woman

How old are women of Balzac age? Honoré de Balzac, a famous French writer of the 19th century, wrote the novel "The Thirty-Year-Old Woman", which became quite popular. Therefore, the “Balzac age”, “Balzac woman” or “Balzac heroine” is a woman of 30-40 years old who has already learned life wisdom and worldly experience. By the way, the novel is very interesting, like other novels by Honore de Balzac.

Achilles' heel

The mythology of Ancient Greece tells us about the legendary and greatest hero Achilles, the son of the sea goddess Thetis and the mere mortal Peleus. In order for Achilles to become invulnerable and strong like the gods, his mother bathed him in the waters of the sacred river Styx, but since she was holding her son by the heel so as not to drop, it was this part of the body that Achilles remained vulnerable to. The Trojan Paris hit Achilles in the heel with an arrow, causing the hero to die...

Modern anatomy refers to the tendon over the calcaneus in humans as "Achilles". The very expression "Achilles' heel" since ancient times denotes a weak and vulnerable place of a person.

Dot all I

Where did this rather popular expression come from? Probably from the Middle Ages, from book scribes in those days.

Around the 11th century, a dot appeared above the letter i in the texts of Western European manuscripts (before that, the letter was written without a dot). When writing letters in words in italics (without separating letters from each other), the dash could get lost among other letters and the text became difficult to read. In order to more clearly designate this letter and make it easier to read texts, a dot was introduced above the letter i. And the points were set after the text on the page had already been written. Now the expression means: to clarify, to bring the matter to the end.

By the way, this saying has a continuation and completely sounds like this: “Dot all i and cross out t”. But the second part didn't work for us.

Tantalum flour

What does the expression mean "experience tantalum torment"? Tantalus - according to ancient Greek mythology, the king of Sipil in Phrygia, who, for insulting the gods, was cast down to Hades in the underworld. There Tantalus experienced unbearable pangs of hunger and thirst. The most interesting thing is that at the same time he stood in the water up to his throat, and near him beautiful fruits grew on trees and branches with fruits were very close by - you just had to reach out. However, as soon as Tantalus tried to pick a fruit or drink water, the branch deviated from him to the side, and the water flowed away. Tantalum flour means the inability to get what you want, which is very close.

Stalemate situation

A stalemate is a special position in chess in which the side with the right to make a move cannot use it, while the king is not in check. In the end - a draw. The expression "stalemate" may well mean the impossibility of any action on both sides, perhaps even in some way mean the hopelessness of the situation.

Augean stables
In Greek mythology, the "Augean Stables" are the vast stables of Augius, king of Elis, which have not been cleaned for many years. They were cleansed on the same day by Hercules: he directed the river Alpheus through the stables, the waters of which carried away all the impurities. This myth was first reported by the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus. The expression "Augean stables" that arose from here is about an extremely neglected room, as well as about affairs that are in extreme disorder.

Aurora
In Roman mythology, Aurora is the goddess of the dawn. In figurative and poetic speech, it is generally a synonym for dawn. The expression "pink-fingered Aurora" entered the literary speech from Homer's poems. In Greek mythology, it corresponds to Eos.

Antey
In Greek mythology, Antaeus is a giant, the ruler of Libya, the son of the god of the seas, Poseidon, and the goddess of the earth, Gaia. Called to battle all who appeared in his domain, and was invincible while in contact with mother earth. Strangled by Hercules, who tore him off the ground. This myth is transmitted by the Greek writer Apollodorus in the "Library". The image of Antaeus is used when talking about the power that a person possesses if he is connected with his native land, native people.

29 November 2012, 01:54

Poor as Ir
In Greek mythology, Ir is one of the characters in the Odyssey, a beggar who entered into a fight with Odysseus when he returned to his home under the guise of a beggar. In a figurative sense - the poor.

Balzac age
The expression arose after the release of the novel by O. de Balzac "A Woman of Thirty", is used as a playful definition of women aged 30-40 years.

White crow
This expression, as a designation of a rare, exceptional person, is given in the satire of the Roman poet Juvenal:
Fate gives kingdoms to slaves, delivers triumphs to captives.
However, such a lucky man is less likely to be a white crow.

Prodigal son
The expression arose from the gospel parable of the prodigal son (Luke, 15, 11-32), which tells how a certain man divided his property between two sons; the younger went to a far side and, living dissolutely, squandered his part. Having experienced need and hardship, he returned to his father and repented before him, and his father accepted and forgave him: Let us eat and be merry, for this son of mine was dead and is alive, was lost and was found. The expression "prodigal son" is used both in the meaning of "a dissolute person" and in the meaning of "repentant of his errors."

29 November 2012, 02:32

Age of Astrea
In Greek mythology, Dike Astrea is one of Or, the goddess of justice, the daughter of Zeus and Themis. Dike informed Zeus about all the injustices happening on earth. The time when she was on earth was a happy, "golden age". She left the earth in the Iron Age and since then, under the name of Virgo, has been shining in the constellation of the Zodiac. The nickname Astrea (starry, heavenly) is probably associated with the idea that true justice is possible only in heaven. The expression "age of Astrea" is used in the meaning: a happy time.

Barbarian
Barbarian is a contemptuous term for a rude and uncultured person. Arose from "barbaros" - "incomprehensibly chattering". So the Greeks called those who did not speak Greek.

Libation [worship] Bacchus [Bacchus]
Bacchus (Bacchus) is the Roman name of the Greek god of wine and fun Dionysus. Among the ancient Romans, when sacrificing to the gods, there was a rite of libation, which consisted in pouring wine from a bowl in honor of the god. From this arose the playful expression "libation to Bacchus", used in the meaning: a drinking bout. The name of this ancient Roman god is also used in other playful expressions about drunkenness: "worship Bacchus", "serve Bacchus."

Babel
The expression arose from the biblical myth of an attempt to build a tower in Babylon that would have to reach the sky. When the builders began their work, the angry God "confounded their language", they ceased to understand each other and could not continue the construction (Genesis, 11, 1 - 9). (Church-glory: pandemonium - the structure of a pillar, tower.) Used in the meaning: disorder, stupidity, noise, turmoil

29 November 2012, 02:35

Hercules. Labor of Hercules (feat) Pillars of Hercules (pillars.)
Hercules (Hercules) - in Greek mythology, a hero, the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. He performed the famous twelve labors: he strangled the Nemean lion, killed the Lernean hydra, cleared the Augean stables, etc. In memory of his wanderings, Hercules erected the Pillars of Hercules. So in the ancient world they called two rocks on opposite banks of the Strait of Gibraltar. These pillars were considered "the edge of the world", beyond which there is no way. Therefore, the expression "to reach the Pillars of Hercules" began to be used in the meaning: to reach the limit of something, to the extreme point. The name of Hercules himself became a household name for a person with great physical strength. The expression "Hercules labor, feat" is used when talking about any business that requires extraordinary efforts.

Hercules at the Crossroads
The expression arose from the speech of the Greek sophist Prodicus, which became known to us in the presentation of Xenophon. In this speech, Prodicus told an allegory he had composed about Hercules (Hercules), sitting at a crossroads and reflecting on the life path that he was to choose. Two women approached him: Pampering, who promised him a carefree life full of pleasures, and Virtue, who showed him the difficult path to fame. Hercules preferred the latter, and after many labors became a god. The expression "Hercules at the Crossroads" is applied to a person who finds it difficult to choose between two solutions.

Voice in the wilderness
An expression from the Bible (Isaiah, 40, 3; quoted: Matt., 3, 3; Mark, 1, 3; John, 1, 23), is used in the meaning: a vain call for something that remains unheeded, without an answer

Hannibal at the gate
This expression, meaning imminent and formidable danger, was first figuratively used by Cicero in one of his speeches (Philipiki, 1,5,11) against the commander Antony, who was marching on Rome to seize power. Cicero was referring to the Carthaginian commander Hannibal (Annibal) (247-183 BC), who was an ardent enemy of Rome.

29 November 2012, 02:37

Sword of Damocles
The expression originated from an ancient Greek tradition told by Cicero. Damocles, one of the associates of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius the Elder, began to enviously speak of him as the happiest of people. Dionysius, in order to teach the envious man a lesson, put him in his place. During the feast, Damocles saw that a sharp sword was hanging on a horsehair over his head. Dionysius explained that this is a symbol of the dangers to which he, as a ruler, is constantly exposed, despite his seemingly happy life. Hence the expression "sword of Damocles" received the meaning of an impending, threatening danger.

Greek gift. Trojan horse
The expression is used in the meaning: insidious gifts that bring death to those who receive them. Originated from Greek legends about the Trojan War. The Danans (Greeks), after a long and unsuccessful siege of Troy, resorted to a trick: they built a huge wooden horse, left it at the walls of Troy, and pretended to swim away from the shores of Troy. The priest Laocoön, seeing this horse and knowing the tricks of the Danaans, exclaimed: "Whatever it is, I am afraid of the Danaans, even those who bring gifts!" But the Trojans, not listening to the warnings of Laocoon and the prophetess Cassandra, dragged the horse into the city. At night, the Danaans, who hid inside the horse, went out, killed the guards, opened the city gates, let in their comrades who returned on ships, and thus captured Troy (Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid). Virgil's half-line "I'm afraid of the Danaans, even those who bring gifts", often quoted in Latin ("Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes"), has become a proverb. From here arose the expression "Trojan horse", used in the meaning: a secret, insidious plan; betrayal.

Two-faced Janus
In Roman mythology, Janus - the god of time, as well as every beginning and end, entrances and exits (janua - door) - was depicted with two faces facing in opposite directions: young - forward, into the future, old - back, into the past. The expression "two-faced Janus", or simply "Janus", which arose from here, means: a hypocrite, a two-faced person.

Two Ajax
In the poems of Homer, Ajaxes are two friends, heroes of the Trojan War, who jointly performed feats. The expression "Two Ajax" means two inseparable friends. The popularity was promoted by Offenbach's operetta "Beautiful Elena".

29 November 2012, 03:13

Echidna
In Greek mythology, Echidna is a monster, a half-maiden-half-snake, who gave birth to a number of monsters: the Sphinx, Cerberus, the Nemean lion, a chimera, etc. In a figurative sense, he is an evil, caustic and treacherous person.

Egyptian darkness
This expression, used in the meaning: thick, hopeless darkness, arose from the biblical story about one of the miracles that Moses allegedly performed: he “stretched out his hand to heaven, and there was thick darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days” (Exodus, 10, 22).

If you want peace, prepare for war
This expression, often quoted in the Latin form: "Si vis pacem, para bellum", belongs to the Roman historian Cornelius Nepos (94 - 24 BC) and is found in the biography of the Theban commander of the 4th century. BC e. Epaminonda. A similar formula: "Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum (Whoever wants peace prepares war)" is found in a Roman military writer of the 4th century. n. e. Flavia Vegetia.

Eat to live, not live to eat.
The statement belongs to Socrates, was often quoted by ancient writers (Quintilian, Diogenes Laertes, Aulus Helius, etc.). Later it was also actively used, including in Molière's famous comedy The Miser.

29 November 2012, 03:15

Life is a struggle
The expression goes back to ancient authors. Euripides in the tragedy "The Petitioners": "Our life is a struggle." In Seneca's letters: "To live is to fight." Voltaire in the tragedy "Fanaticism, or the Prophet Mohammed" puts into the mouth of Mohammed; phrase: "My life is a struggle"

Die is cast
Exclamation of Julius Caesar while crossing the Rubicon. Used in the meaning: the final decision is made. According to Suetonius, the words "the die is cast" were pronounced by Julius Caesar in Latin (alea jacta est), and no to Plutarch - in Greek, as a quote from Menander's comedy: "Let the die be cast." Caesar's historical phrase is often quoted in Latin form.

Life is short, art is long-lived.
Aphorism of the Greek thinker and physician Hippocrates. It is often used not in the sense in which it was said - art is more durable than the life of one person - but also in a broader interpretation - art is greater, more significant than a person’s life, for understanding it and mastering it of a person’s life will never be enough.

He reaps where he did not sow.
So they say about people who enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor. Arose from the Gospel: "You are a cruel man, you reap where you did not sow and gather where you did not scatter", Matthew, 25.24; "You take what you did not lay down and you reap what you did not sow" (Luke 19:21).

Yellow press
This expression, used in the sense of a base, deceitful, sensational press, originated in the United States. In 1895, the American artist Richard Outcolt placed in a number of issues of the New York newspaper "The World" a series of frivolous drawings with humorous text, among which was a boy in a yellow shirt, to whom various funny statements were attributed. Soon another newspaper, the New-York Journal, began to print its own series of drawings of a similar meaning and content. A furious dispute broke out between the newspapers over the right to the "yellow boy". In 1896, Erwin Wardman, editor of the New-York Press, published an article in his magazine in which he spoke very contemptuously of both sides of the dispute. For the first time he used the expression "yellow press" in relation to the debaters, and since then the expression has become winged.

29 November 2012, 03:16

The Golden Fleece. Argonauts
In ancient Greek myths, it is said that the hero Jason went to get the Golden Fleece - the golden skin of a magical ram - which was guarded by the dragon of the king of Colchis, Eeta. Jason built the ship "Argo" and, having gathered the greatest heroes, who, after the name of the ship, became known as the Argonauts, set off. Having overcome many adventures, Jason obtained the Golden Fleece. The poet Pindar was the first to expound this myth. Since then, the golden fleece is called gold, wealth, which they seek to master; Argonauts - brave sailors, adventurers.

Golden age
Hesiod called the golden age the very first and happiest time in the history of mankind, when people knew neither wars, nor worries, nor suffering. In a figurative sense, the golden age is called the time of the highest prosperity.

Golden Rain
This image arose from the Greek myth of Zeus, who, captivated by the beauty of Danae, the daughter of King Acrisius, appeared to her in the form of a golden rain, after which her son Perseus was born. Danae, showered by a rain of gold coins, is depicted in the paintings of many Renaissance artists (Titian, Correggio, Van Dyck, etc.). Figuratively, "golden rain" is called plentiful gifts.

Bury talent in the ground
The expression arose from the gospel parable about how a certain person, leaving, instructed the slaves to guard his estate; to one servant he gave five talents, to another two, and to a third one. (Talent is an ancient monetary unit.) The slaves who received five and two talents “used them for business”, that is, they loaned them at interest, and the one who received one talent buried it in the ground. When the departing master returned, he demanded a report from the slaves. Those who gave money on interest returned him ten talents instead of the five they had received, and four instead of two. And the master praised them. But the one who received one talent said that he buried it in the ground. And the owner answered him: “Cunning slave and lazy. You should have given my money to the merchants, and I would have received it at a profit” (Mat. 25:15-30). The word "talent" (Greek talanton) was originally used in the sense of: scales, weight, then the amount of money of a certain weight, and, finally, became synonymous with outstanding abilities in any field. The expression "bury talent in the ground" is used in the sense: do not care about the development of talent, let it die out.

Zeus the Thunderer
Zeus (Zeus) - in Greek mythology, the supreme god, father and king of the gods. In figurative speech - majestic, unparalleled. Zeus is the lord of thunder and lightning; one of his constant epithets is "thunderer". Hence, ironically, "Zeus the Thunderer" is a formidable boss.

golden calf
The expression is used in the meaning: gold, wealth, the power of gold, money, according to the biblical story about a calf made of gold, which the Jews, wandering in the desert, worshiped as a god (Exodus, 32)

lost sheep
So they say about a dissolute person who has gone astray from the path of the righteous. The expression arose from the Gospel (Matt, 18.12; Luke, 15, 4-6)

Rear behold
The expression originated from the Bible; God said that people should not see his faces, and if anyone looks, he will be stricken with death; only Moses he allowed to see himself only from behind: "Behold my rear" (Exodus, 33:20-23). Hence the expression "Rear contemplate" got the meaning: not to see the true face of something, to know something is unfounded.

the Forbidden fruit
The expression is used in the meaning: something tempting, desirable, but forbidden or inaccessible. It originated from the biblical myth about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruits of which God forbade Adam and Eve to eat.

Rhodes here, jump here
An expression from Aesop's fable "Bouncer". A certain man boasted that once in Rhodes he had made a colossal leap, and cited witnesses as evidence. One of the listeners objected: "Friend, if this is true, you do not need witnesses: here is Rhodes for you, jump here." The expression is used in the sense: instead of boasting about something in words, show it in practice.

Knowledge is power.
Expression of the English materialist philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626) in Moral and Political Essays, 2.11 (1597).

Golden mean
So they say about some decision, a course of action, alien to extremes, risk. This expression, "aurea mediocritas", is from the 2nd book of the odes of the Roman poet Horace.

29 November 2012, 03:17

And you Brute?
In Shakespeare's tragedy "Julius Caesar" (d. 3, yavl. 1), with these words (in the original in Latin: "Et tu, Brute?"), the dying Caesar addresses Brutus, who was among the conspirators who attacked him in the Senate . Historians consider this phrase legendary. Mark Junius Brutus, whom Caesar considered his supporter, became the head of a conspiracy against him and was one of the participants in his assassination in 44 BC. e. Caesar, at the very first wound inflicted on him, as Suetonius reports in his biography, only sighed and did not utter a single word. However, at the same time, Suetonius adds, it was said that Caesar, seeing Brutus advancing on him, exclaimed in Greek: “And you, my child?” But according to the tragedy of Shakespeare, the legendary phrase of Caesar became winged to characterize the unexpected betrayal of a friend.

Trumpet Jericho Walls of Jericho.
An expression from the biblical myth. The Jews, upon leaving the Egyptian captivity, on their way to Palestine, had to take the city of Jericho. But its walls were so strong that it was impossible to destroy them. However, from the sound of the sacred trumpets, the walls of Jericho fell by themselves, and thanks to this miracle, the city was taken by the Jews (Joshua 6). The expression "trumpet of Jericho" is used in the meaning: a loud, trumpet voice.

Massacre of the innocents
The expression arose from the gospel legend about the killing of all babies in Bethlehem at the command of the Jewish king Herod, after he learned from the Magi about the birth of Jesus, who they called the king of the Jews (Matt., 2, 1 - 5 and 16). Used as a definition of child abuse, as well as when jokingly talking about strict measures taken against anyone at all.

29 November 2012, 03:32

Carthage must be destroyed
The phrase with which, according to Plutarch, the Roman commander and statesman Cato the Elder (234 - 149 BC), the implacable enemy of Carthage, ended his every speech in the Senate. Titus of Livy, Cicero and others tell about the same. This expression began to be used as a persistently repeated call for a stubborn struggle against the enemy or some kind of obstacle. Often quoted in Latin: "Carthaginem esse delendam".

Sink into oblivion. Summer
In Greek mythology, Lethe is the river of oblivion in the underworld. The souls of the dead, having tasted the water from Lethe, forgot about their earthly life. “Sink into oblivion” - to be forgotten, to disappear without a trace.

Cassandra, prophetic Cassandra
In Greek mythology, Cassandra is the daughter of the Trojan king Priam. Cassandra received a prophetic gift from Apollo, but when she rejected his love, he made it so that her prophecies were no longer believed. So, the Trojans did not heed the words of Cassandra, who warned her brother Paris against the abduction of Helen, the latter, as you know, led to the Trojan War and the death of Troy. The name of Cassandra has become a household name for a person who warns of danger, but who is not believed.

Carnival
Carnival is a holiday. The word is related to the Anthesteria, the great spring festivals of the awakening of nature, held in Athens. The first two days of Anthesterium, "the day of opening the barrels" and "the day of the mugs", were dedicated to Dionysus: the statue of the god of winemaking was transported in a boat on wheels. From the name of this boat (lat. carrus-navalis - "chariot-ship" and the word "carnival" came from.

Phrase, - s, feminine.
1. Complete statement (in 3 significant.). Long, short phrase
2. Pompous expression covering the poverty or deceitfulness of the content. Empty phrases. Avoid phrase.
3. A series of sounds or chords that form a relatively complete fragment of a musical theme ( special).
adjective phrasal, - th, - th (to 1 and 3 significant.). Phrase stress.

Word usage examples phrase in the context

phrase