Find popular words and expressions. Winged words and expressions

We often use so-called catchphrases without even knowing their origin. Of course, everyone knows: “And Vaska listens and eats” - this is from Krylov’s fable, “gifts of the Danaans” and “Trojan horse” - from Greek legends about the Trojan War... But many words have become so close and familiar that it doesn’t even occur to us whoever said them first may come.

Scapegoat
The history of this expression is as follows: the ancient Jews had a rite of absolution. The priest laid both hands on the head of the living goat, thereby, as it were, transferring the sins of the entire people onto it. After this, the goat was driven out into the desert. Many, many years have passed, and the ritual no longer exists, but the expression still lives on...

Tryn-grass
The mysterious “tryn-grass” is not at all some kind of herbal medicine that people drink so as not to worry. At first it was called “tyn-grass”, and tyn is a fence. The result was “fence grass,” that is, a weed that no one needed, everyone was indifferent to.

Master of sour cabbage soup
Sour cabbage soup is a simple peasant food: water and sauerkraut. Preparing them was not particularly difficult. And if someone was called a master of sour cabbage soup, it meant that he was not fit for anything worthwhile. Balzac’s age

The expression arose after the publication of the novel by the French writer Honore de Balzac (1799-1850) “A Woman of Thirty” (1831); used as a characteristic of women aged 30-40 years.

White crow
This expression, as a designation of a rare person, sharply different from the rest, is given in the 7th satire of the Roman poet Juvenal (mid-1st century - after 127 AD):
Fate gives kingdoms to slaves and brings triumphs to captives.
However, such a lucky person is rarer than a black sheep.

Plant the pig
In all likelihood, this expression is due to the fact that some peoples do not eat pork for religious reasons. And if such a person was quietly put pork in his food, then his faith was desecrated.

Throwing a stone
The expression “throwing a stone” at someone in the sense of “accusing” arose from the Gospel (John 8:7); Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, who, tempting him, brought to him a woman caught in adultery: “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (in ancient Judea there was a penalty - stoning).

Paper endures everything (Paper does not turn red)
The expression goes back to the Roman writer and orator Cicero (106 - 43 BC); in his letters “To Friends” there is an expression: “Epistola non erubescit” - “A letter does not blush,” that is, in writing one can express thoughts that one is embarrassed to express orally.

To be or not to be - that is the question
The beginning of Hamlet's monologue in Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, translated by N.A. Polevoy (1837).

Wolf in sheep's clothing
The expression originated from the Gospel: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

In borrowed plumes
It arose from a fable by I.A. Krylov “The Crow” (1825).

Add the first number
You won’t believe it, but... from the old school, where students were flogged every week, no matter who was right or wrong. And if the mentor overdoes it, then such a spanking would last for a long time, until the first day of the next month.

Register Izhitsa
Izhitsa is the name of the last letter of the Church Slavonic alphabet. Traces of flogging on well-known places of careless students strongly resembled this letter. So registering an Izhitsa means teaching a lesson, punishing it, and it’s easier to flog it. And you still criticize modern school!

I carry everything I have with me
The expression originated from an ancient Greek legend. When the Persian king Cyrus occupied the city of Priene in Ionia, the inhabitants abandoned it, taking with them the most valuable of their possessions. Only Biant, one of the “seven wise men”, a native of Priene, left empty-handed. In response to the perplexed questions of his fellow citizens, he answered, referring to spiritual values: “I carry everything I own with me.” This expression is often used in the Latin formulation due to Cicero: Omnia mea mecum porto.
Everything flows, everything changes
This expression, which defines the constant variability of all things, sets out the essence of the teachings of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 530-470 BC)

Goal like a falcon
Terribly poor, beggar. People usually think that we are talking about a bird. But the falcon has nothing to do with it. In fact, the “falcon” is an ancient military battering gun. It was a completely smooth (“bare”) cast iron block attached to chains. Nothing extra!

Orphan Kazan
This is what they say about a person who pretends to be unhappy, offended, helpless in order to pity someone. But why is the orphan “Kazan”? It turns out that this phraseological unit arose after the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. The Mirzas (Tatar princes), finding themselves subjects of the Russian Tsar, tried to beg all sorts of concessions from him, complaining about their orphanhood and bitter fate.

Unlucky man
In the old days in Rus', “path” was the name given not only to the road, but also to various positions at the prince’s court. The falconer's path is in charge of princely hunting, the hunter's path is in charge of hound hunting, the stableman's path is in charge of carriages and horses. The boyars tried by hook or by crook to get a position from the prince. And those who did not succeed were spoken of with disdain: a good-for-nothing person.

Was there a boy?
One of the episodes of M. Gorky’s novel “The Life of Klim Samgin” tells about the boy Klim skating with other children. Boris Varavka and Varya Somova fall into the wormwood. Klim hands Boris the end of his gymnasium belt, but, feeling that he too is being pulled into the water, he lets go of the belt. Children are drowning. When the search for the drowned begins, Klim is struck by “someone’s serious, incredulous question: “Was there a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy.” The last phrase became popular as a figurative expression of extreme doubt about something.

Twenty two misfortunes
This is how in A.P. Chekhov’s play “The Cherry Orchard” (1903) they call the clerk Epikhodov, with whom some comic trouble happens every day. The expression is applied to people with whom some misfortune constantly happens.

Money doesn't smell
The expression arose from the words of the Roman emperor (69 - 79 AD) Vespasian, said by him, as Suetonius reports in his biography, on the following occasion. When Vespasian's son Titus reproached his father for introducing a tax on public latrines, Vespasian brought the first money received from this tax to his nose and asked if it smelled. To Titus's negative answer, Vespasian said: "And yet they are made of urine."

Draconian measures
This is the name given to the excessively harsh laws named after Dragon, the first legislator of the Athenian Republic (7th century BC). Among the punishments determined by its laws, the death penalty allegedly occupied a prominent place, which punished, for example, such an offense as theft of vegetables. There was a legend that these laws were written in blood (Plutarch, Solon). In literary speech, the expression “draconian laws”, “draconian measures, punishments” have become stronger in the meaning of harsh, cruel laws.

Inside out
Now this seems to be a completely harmless expression. And once it was associated with shameful punishment. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, a guilty boyar was placed backwards on a horse with his clothes turned inside out and, in this disgraced form, was driven around the city to the whistling and jeers of the street crowd.

Retired goat drummer
In the old days, trained bears were brought to fairs. They were accompanied by a dancing boy dressed as a goat, and a drummer accompanying his dance. This was the goat drummer. He was perceived as a worthless, frivolous person.

Yellow press
In 1895, American graphic artist Richard Outcault published a series of frivolous drawings with humorous text in a number of issues of the New York newspaper “The World”; Among the drawings was a picture of a child in a yellow shirt, to whom various funny sayings were attributed. Soon another newspaper, the New York Journal, began publishing a series of similar drawings. A dispute arose between these two newspapers over the right of primacy to the “yellow boy”. In 1896, Erwin Wardman, editor of the New York Press, published an article in his magazine in which he contemptuously called both competing newspapers "yellow press." Since then, the expression has become popular.

Finest hour
An expression by Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) from the preface to his collection of historical short stories, Humanity's Finest Hours (1927). Zweig explains that he called historical moments starry hours “because, like eternal stars, they invariably shine in the night of oblivion and decay.”

Golden mean
An expression from the 2nd book of odes of the Roman poet Horace: “aurea mediocritas.”

Choose the lesser of two evils
An expression found in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle “Nicomachean Ethics” in the form: “The lesser of evils must be chosen.” Cicero (in his essay “On Duties”) says: “One should not only choose the least of evils, but also extract from them themselves what can be good in them.”

To make mountains out of molehills
The expression is one of the ancient ones. It is quoted by the Greek writer Lucian (3rd century AD), who ends his satirical “Praise of the Fly” like this: “But I interrupt my speech, although I could say a lot more, lest anyone think that I “, as the proverb goes, I make a mountain out of a molehill.”

Highlight
The expression is used in the meaning: something that gives a special taste, attractiveness to something (a dish, a story, a person, etc.). It arose from a popular proverb: “Kvass is not expensive, the zest in kvass is expensive”; became popular after the appearance of L. N. Tolstoy’s drama “The Living Corpse” (1912). The hero of the drama, Protasov, talking about his family life, says: “My wife was an ideal woman... But what can I tell you? There was no zest - you know, there is zest in kvass? - there was no game in our lives. And I needed to forget. And without the game you won’t forget...”

Lead by the nose
Apparently, trained bears were very popular, because this expression was also associated with fairground entertainment. Gypsies led bears by a ring threaded through their noses. And they forced them, the poor fellows, to do various tricks, deceiving them with the promise of a handout.

Sharpen the laces
Lyasy (balusters) are turned figured posts of railings at the porch. Only a true master could make such beauty. Probably, at first, “sharpening balusters” meant conducting an elegant, fancy, ornate (like balusters) conversation. But in our time, the number of people skilled in conducting such a conversation became fewer and fewer. So this expression came to mean empty chatter.

a swan song
The expression is used to mean: the last manifestation of talent. Based on the belief that swans sing before death, it arose in ancient times. Evidence of this is found in one of Aesop’s fables (6th century BC): “They say that swans sing before they die.”

Flying Dutchman
A Dutch legend has preserved the story of a sailor who vowed, in a strong storm, to round the cape that blocked his path, even if it took him forever. Because of his pride, he was doomed to forever rush on a ship on a raging sea, never landing on the shore. This legend obviously arose in the age of great discoveries. It is possible that its historical basis was the expedition of Vasco da Gama (1469-1524), who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1497. In the 17th century this legend was associated with several Dutch captains, which is reflected in its name.

Seize the moment
The expression apparently goes back to Horace (“carpe diem” - “seize the day”, “take advantage of the day”).

The lion's share
The expression goes back to the fable of the ancient Greek fabulist Aesop “The Lion, the Fox and the Donkey”, the plot of which - the division of prey among the animals - was later used by Phaedrus, La Fontaine and other fabulists.

The Moor has done his job, the Moor can leave
Quote from the drama by F. Schiller (1759 - 1805) “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” (1783). This phrase (d.3, iv.4) is uttered by the Moor, who turned out to be unnecessary after he helped Count Fisco organize a rebellion of the Republicans against the tyrant of Genoa, Doge Doria. This phrase has become a saying characterizing a cynical attitude towards a person whose services are no longer needed.

Manna from heaven
According to the Bible, manna is the food that God sent to the Jews every morning from heaven when they walked through the desert to the promised land (Exodus 16, 14-16 and 31).

Disservice
The expression arose from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear” (1808).

Honeymoon
The idea that the happiness of the first stage of marriage quickly gives way to the bitterness of disappointment, figuratively expressed in eastern folklore, was used by Voltaire for his philosophical novel “Zadig, or Fate” (1747), in the 3rd chapter of which he writes: “Zadig experienced that The first month of marriage, as described in the book of Zend, is the honeymoon, and the second is the wormwood month.”

Young people love us everywhere
Quote from “Song of the Motherland” in the film “Circus” (1936), text by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach, music by I. O. Dunaevsky.

Silent means consent
Expression of Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303) in one of his messages, included in canon law (a set of decrees of church authority). This expression goes back to Sophocles (496-406 BC), in whose tragedy “The Trachinian Women” it is said: “Don’t you understand that by silence you agree with the accuser?”

Torments of Tantalus
In Greek mythology, Tantalus, the king of Phrygia (also called the king of Lydia), was the favorite of the gods, who often invited him to their feasts. But, proud of his position, he offended the gods, for which he was severely punished. According to Homer (“Odyssey”), his punishment was that, cast down into Tartarus (hell), he forever experiences unbearable pangs of thirst and hunger; he stands up to his neck in water, but the water recedes from him as soon as he bows his head to drink; branches with luxurious fruits hang over him, but as soon as he stretches out his hands to them, the branches deviate. This is where the expression “torment of Tantalus” arose, meaning: unbearable torment due to the inability to achieve the desired goal, despite its proximity.

On the seventh sky
The expression, meaning the highest degree of joy, happiness, goes back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC), who in his essay “On Heaven” explains the structure of the vault of heaven. He believed that the sky consists of seven motionless crystal spheres on which the stars and planets are established. The seven heavens are mentioned in various places in the Quran: for example, it is said that the Quran itself was brought by an angel from the seventh heaven.

I don't want to study, I want to get married
Words by Mitrofanushka from D. I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (1783), no. 3, yavl. 7.

New is well forgotten old
In 1824, the memoirs of milliner Marie Antoinette Mademoiselle Bertin were published in France, in which she said these words about the queen’s old dress that she had updated (in reality, her memoirs are fake - their author is Jacques Pesce). This idea was perceived as new only because it had been well forgotten. Already Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) said that “there is no new custom that is not old.” This quote from Chaucer was popularized by Walter Scott's book The Folk Songs of Southern Scotland.

Nick down
In this expression, the word “nose” has nothing to do with the organ of smell. A “nose” was the name given to a memorial plaque, or a note tag. In the distant past, illiterate people always carried such tablets and sticks with them, with the help of which all kinds of notes or notches were made as memories.

Break a leg
This expression arose among hunters and was based on the superstitious idea that with a direct wish (both down and feather), the results of a hunt can be jinxed. In the language of hunters, feather means bird, and down means animals. In ancient times, a hunter going on a hunt received this parting word, the “translation” of which looks something like this: “Let your arrows fly past the target, let the snares and traps you set remain empty, just like the trapping pit!” To which the earner, in order not to jinx it either, replied: “To hell!” And both were confident that the evil spirits, invisibly present during this dialogue, would be satisfied and leave behind, and would not plot intrigues during the hunt.

Beat your head
What are “baklushi”, who “beats” them and when? For a long time, artisans have been making spoons, cups and other utensils from wood. To carve a spoon, it was necessary to chop off a block of wood from a log. Apprentices were entrusted with preparing the bucks: it was an easy, trivial task that did not require any special skill. Preparing such chocks was called “beating the lumps.” From here, from the mockery of the masters at the auxiliary workers - “baklushechnik”, our saying came from.

About the dead it's either good or nothing
The expression often quoted in Latin: “De mortuis nil nisi bene” or “De mortuis aut bene aut nihil” seems to go back to the work of Diogenes Laertius (3rd century AD): “Life, teaching and opinions famous philosophers”, which contains the saying of one of the “seven wise men” - Chilon (VI century BC): “Do not slander the dead.”

Oh holy simplicity!
This expression is attributed to the leader of the Czech national movement, Jan Hus (1369-1415). Sentenced by a church council as a heretic to be burned, he allegedly uttered these words at the stake when he saw that some old woman (according to another version, a peasant woman) in simple-minded religious zeal threw the brushwood she had brought into the fire. However, Hus's biographers, based on reports of eyewitnesses to his death, deny the fact that he uttered this phrase. The church writer Turanius Rufinus (c. 345-410), in his continuation of Eusebius's History of the Church, reports that the expression “holy simplicity” was uttered at the first Council of Nicaea (325) by one of the theologians. This expression is often used in Latin: “O sancta simplicitas!”

An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
An expression from the Bible, the formula for the law of retribution: “A fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth: as he has injured a person’s body, so must he do it” (Leviticus 24:20; about the same - Exodus 21: 24; Deuteronomy 19, 21).

From great to funny one step
This phrase was often repeated by Napoleon during his flight from Russia in December 1812 to his ambassador in Warsaw, de Pradt, who spoke about it in the book “History of the Embassy to the Grand Duchy of Warsaw” (1816). Its primary source is the expression of the French writer Jean-François Marmontel (1723-1799) in the fifth volume of his works (1787): “In general, the funny comes into contact with the great.”

The language will take you to Kyiv
In 999, a certain Kiev resident Nikita Shchekomyaka got lost in the endless, then Russian, steppe and ended up among the Polovtsians. When the Polovtsians asked him: Where are you from, Nikita? He answered that he was from the rich and beautiful city of Kyiv, and described the wealth and beauty of his native city to the nomads in such a way that the Polovtsian Khan Nunchak attached Nikita by the tongue to the tail of his horse, and the Polovtsians went to fight and plunder Kyiv. This is how Nikita Shchekomyaka got home with the help of his tongue.

Sharomyzhniki
1812 When the French burned Moscow and were left in Russia without food, they came to Russian villages and asked for food She rami, like give it to me. So the Russians began to call them that. (one of the hypotheses).

Bastard
This is an idiomatic phrase. There is a river called Voloch, when the fishermen came with their catch, they said ours and Voloch came. There are several other tomological meanings of this word. To drag - to collect, to drag. This word came from them. But it became abusive not long ago. This is the merit of 70 years in the CPSU.

Know all the ins and outs
The expression is associated with an ancient torture in which needles or nails were driven under the fingernails of the accused to extract a confession.

Oh, you are heavy, Monomakh’s hat!
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s tragedy “Boris Godunov”, scene “The Royal Chambers” (1831), monologue of Boris (Monomakh in Greek is a martial artist; a nickname that was associated with the names of some Byzantine emperors. In ancient Rus', this nickname was assigned to the Grand Duke Vladimir (beginning of the 12th century), from whom the Moscow kings traced their origin. Monomakh's cap is the crown with which the Moscow kings were crowned kings, a symbol of royal power). The above quote characterizes a difficult situation.

Plato is my friend but the truth is dearer
The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) in his essay “Phaedo” attributes to Socrates the words “Following me, think less about Socrates, and more about the truth.” Aristotle, in his work “Nicomachean Ethics,” polemicizing with Plato and referring to him, writes: “Even though friends and truth are dear to me, duty commands me to give preference to truth.” Luther (1483-1546) says: “Plato is my friend, Socrates is my friend, but truth should be preferred” (“On the Enslaved Will,” 1525). The expression “Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas” - “Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer”, was formulated by Cervantes in the 2nd part, ch. 51 novels "Don Quixote" (1615).

Dancing to someone else's tune
The expression is used to mean: to act not according to one’s own will, but according to the will of another. Goes back to the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC), who in the 1st book of his “History” says: when the Persian king Cyrus conquered the Medes, the Greeks of Asia Minor, whom he had previously tried in vain to win over to his side, expressed their readiness obey him, but under certain conditions. Then Cyrus told them the following fable: “One flute player, seeing fish in the sea, began to play the flute, expecting them to come out to him on land. Having lost his hope, he took a net, threw it in and pulled out many fish. Seeing the fish struggling in the nets, he said to them: “Stop dancing; when I played the flute, you didn’t want to come out and dance.” This fable is attributed to Aesop (VI century BC).

After the rain on Thursday
The Rusichi - the most ancient ancestors of the Russians - honored among their gods the main god - the god of thunder and lightning Perun. One of the days of the week was dedicated to him - Thursday (it is interesting that among the ancient Romans Thursday was also dedicated to the Latin Perun - Jupiter). Prayers were offered to Perun for rain during the drought. It was believed that he should be especially willing to fulfill requests on “his day” - Thursday. And since these prayers often remained in vain, the saying “After the rain on Thursday” began to be applied to everything that is unknown when it will come true.

Get into trouble
In dialects, a binder is a fish trap woven from branches. And, as in any trap, being in it is not a pleasant thing. Beluga roar

Beluga roar
He's as dumb as a fish - you've known that for a long time. And suddenly a beluga roars? It turns out that we are not talking about the beluga, but the beluga whale, which is the name of the polar dolphin. He really roars very loudly.

Success is never blamed
These words are attributed to Catherine II, who allegedly expressed herself this way when A.V. Suvorov was put on trial by military court for the assault on Turtukai in 1773, undertaken by him contrary to the orders of Field Marshal Rumyantsev. However, the story about Suvorov’s arbitrary actions and about putting him on trial is refuted by serious researchers.

Know yourself
According to the legend reported by Plato in the dialogue “Protagoras”, the seven sages of ancient Greece (Thales, Pittacus, Bias, Solon, Cleobulus, Myson and Chilo), meeting together in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, wrote: “Know yourself.” The idea of ​​knowing oneself was explained and disseminated by Socrates. This expression is often used in its Latin form: nosce te ipsum.

Rare bird
This expression (Latin rara avis) meaning “rare creature” is first found in the satires of Roman poets, for example, in Juvenal (mid-1st century - after 127 AD): “A rare bird on earth, sort of like black Swan".

Born to crawl cannot fly
Quote from “Song of the Falcon” by M. Gorky.

Smoke rocker
In old Rus', huts were often heated in a black way: the smoke did not escape through a chimney (there was none at all), but through a special window or door. And they predicted the weather by the shape of the smoke. The smoke comes in a column - it will be clear, dragging - towards fog, rain, a rocker - towards the wind, bad weather, or even a storm.

Not appropriate
This is a very old sign: only the animal that the brownie likes will live both in the house and in the yard. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll get sick, get sick, or run away. What to do - not good!

Hair on end
But what kind of rack is this? It turns out that standing on end means standing at attention, on your fingertips. That is, when a person gets scared, his hair seems to stand on tiptoes on his head.

Get into trouble
Rozhon is a sharp pole. And in some Russian provinces this is what they called four-pronged pitchforks. Indeed, you can’t really trample on them!

From the ship to the ball
Expression from “Eugene Onegin” by A. S. Pushkin, chapter 8, stanza 13 (1832):

And travel for him,
Like everyone else in the world, I'm tired of it,
He returned and hit
Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball.

This expression characterizes an unexpected, sharp change in situation or circumstances.

Combine business with pleasure
An expression from “The Art of Poetry” by Horace, who says about the poet: “He is worthy of all approval who combines the pleasant with the useful.”

Wash your hands
Used to mean: to avoid responsibility for something. It arose from the Gospel: Pilate washed his hands before the crowd, giving Jesus to them for execution, and said: “I am not guilty of the blood of this righteous man” (Matt. 27:24). The ritual washing of hands, which serves as evidence of the non-involvement of the person washing in anything, is described in the Bible (Deuteronomy 21:6-7).

Weak spot
It arose from the myth about the only vulnerable spot on the hero’s body: Achilles’ heel, a spot on Siegfried’s back, etc. Used in the meaning: the weak side of a person, deeds.

Fortune. Wheel of Fortune
Fortuna is the goddess of blind chance, happiness and misfortune in Roman mythology. She was depicted blindfolded, standing on a ball or wheel (emphasizing her constant changeability), and holding a steering wheel in one hand and a cornucopia in the other. The rudder indicated that fortune controls a person's destiny.

Upside down
Loitering - in many Russian provinces this word meant walking. So, upside down is just walking upside down, upside down.

Grated kalach
By the way, in fact there was such a type of bread - grated kalach. The dough for it was crushed, kneaded, and grated for a very long time, which is why the kalach turned out to be unusually fluffy. And there was also a proverb - don’t grate, don’t crush, there won’t be a kalach. That is, trials and tribulations teach a person. The expression comes from a proverb, and not from the name of the bread.

Bring to light
Once upon a time they said to bring fish to clean water. And if it’s a fish, then everything is clear: in thickets of reeds or where snags are drowning in silt, a fish caught on a hook can easily break the fishing line and leave. And in clear water, above a clean bottom - let him try. So it is with an exposed swindler: if all the circumstances are clear, he will not escape retribution.

And there is a hole in the old woman
And what kind of gap (mistake, oversight by Ozhegov and Efremova) is this, a gap (i.e. flaw, defect) or what? The meaning, therefore, is this: And a person wise by experience can make mistakes. Interpretation from the lips of an expert in ancient Russian literature: And on an old woman there is a blow of Porukha (Ukrainian zh. coll.-dec. 1 - Harm, destruction, damage; 2 - Trouble). In a specific sense, porukha (other Russian) is rape. Those. everything is possible.

He who laughs last laughs best
The expression belongs to the French writer Jean-Pierre Florian (1755-1794), who used it in the fable “Two Peasants and a Cloud.”

End justifies the means
The idea of ​​this expression, which is the basis of Jesuit morality, was borrowed by them from the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679).

Man is a wolf to man
An expression from the “Donkey Comedy” by the ancient Roman writer Plautus (c. 254-184 BC).

Augean stables
In Greek mythology, the Augean stables are the vast stables of Augeas, the king of Elis, which were not cleaned for many years. They were cleansed in one day by the hero Hercules (Hercules): he directed a river through the stables, the waters of which carried away all the manure. This myth was first reported by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC). The expression “Augean stables” that arose from this is used to denote a very dirty room, as well as severe neglect, litter, disorder in matters that require great effort to eliminate them; it became winged in ancient times (Seneca, Satire on the death of Emperor Claudius; Lucian, Alexander).

Ariadne's thread
An expression meaning: a guiding thread, a guiding thought, a way to help get out of a difficult situation, to solve a difficult issue. It arose from the Greek myths about the Athenian hero Theseus, who killed the Minotaur, a monstrous half-bull, half-man. At the request of the Cretan king Minos, the Athenians were obliged to send seven young men and seven girls to Crete every year to be devoured by the Minotaur, who lived in a labyrinth built for him, from which no one could leave. Theseus was helped to accomplish this dangerous feat by the daughter of the Cretan king, Ariadne, who fell in love with him. Secretly from her father, she gave him a sharp sword and a ball of thread. When Theseus and the young men and women doomed to be torn to pieces were taken into the labyrinth. Theseus tied the end of the thread at the entrance and walked through the intricate passages, gradually unwinding the ball. Having killed the Minotaur, Theseus found the way back from the labyrinth along a thread and brought out all the doomed from there (Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8, 172; Heroids, 10, 103).

Achilles' heel
In Greek mythology, Achilles (Achilles) is one of the strongest and bravest heroes; it is sung in Homer's Iliad. A post-Homeric myth, transmitted by the Roman writer Hyginus, reports that Achilles’ mother, the sea goddess Thetis, in order to make her son’s body invulnerable, dipped him in the sacred river Styx; while dipping, she held him by the heel, which was not touched by the water, so the heel remained Achilles’s only vulnerable spot, where he was mortally wounded by Paris’s arrow. The expression “Achilles’ (or Achilles’) heel that arose from this is used in the meaning: a weak side, a vulnerable spot of something.

Barrel Danaid
The Danaids in Greek mythology are the fifty daughters of King Danaus of Libya, with whom his brother Egypt, the king of Egypt, was at enmity. The fifty sons of Egypt, pursuing Danaus, who fled from Libya to Argolis, forced the fugitive to give them his fifty daughters as wives. On their very first wedding night, the Danaids, at the request of their father, killed their husbands. Only one of them decided to disobey her father. For the crime committed, forty-nine Danaids were, after their death, condemned by the gods to forever fill a bottomless barrel with water in the underground kingdom of Hades. This is where the expression “barrel of Danaids” arose, used to mean: constant fruitless labor, as well as a container that can never be filled. The myth of the Danaids was first described by the Roman writer Hyginus (Fables, 168), but the image of a bottomless vessel was found among the ancient Greeks earlier. Lucian was the first to use the expression "barrel of Danaids."

Age of Astraea
In Greek mythology, Astraea is the goddess of justice. 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, she has been shining in the constellation of the Zodiac. The expression “age of Astraea” is used to mean: a happy time.

Libation [worship] of Bacchus [Bacchus]
Bacchus (Bacchus) - in Roman mythology - the god of wine and fun. The ancient Romans had a libation ritual when making sacrifices to the gods, which consisted of pouring wine from a cup in honor of the god. This is where the humorous expression “libation to Bacchus” arose, used to mean: drinking. The name of this ancient Roman god is also used in other humorous expressions about drunkenness: “worship Bacchus,” “serve Bacchus.”

Hercules. Herculean labor [feat]. Pillars of Hercules [pillars]
Hercules (Hercules) is a hero of Greek myths (“Iliad”, 14, 323; “Odyssey”, II, 266), gifted with extraordinary physical strength; he performed twelve labors - he killed the monstrous Lernaean Hydra, cleaned the stables of Augeas, and so on. On the opposite shores of Europe and Africa, near the Strait of Gibraltar, he erected the “Pillars of Hercules (pillars).” This is how the rocks of Gibraltar and Jebel Musa were called in the ancient world. 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 the legendary Greek hero became a common noun for a person with great physical strength. The expression “Herculean labor, feat” used when talking about something that requires extraordinary effort.

Hercules at the crossroads
The expression arose from the speech of the Greek sophist Prodicus (5th century BC), known only in the presentation of Xenophon “Memoirs of Socrates”, 2, 1, 21-33). In this speech, Prodicus told an allegory he had composed about the young man Hercules (Hercules), who sat at a crossroads and reflected on the path of life that he had to choose. Two women approached him: Effeminacy, who painted him a life full of pleasures and luxury, and Virtue, who showed him the difficult path to glory. The expression “Hercules at the crossroads” is applied to a person who finds it difficult to choose between two decisions.

Hymen. Bonds [chains] of Hymen
In Ancient Greece, the word “hymen” meant both a wedding song and the deity of marriage, sanctified by religion and law, in contrast to Eros, the god of free love. Allegorically, “Hymen”, “Bounds of Hymen” - marriage, matrimony.

Sword of Damocles
The expression originated from an ancient Greek legend told by Cicero in his essay “Tusculan Conversations”. Damocles, one of the close associates of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius the Elder (432-367 BC), 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 a sharp sword hanging above his head from a horsehair. Dionysius explained that this is an emblem 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 impending, threatening danger.

Greek gift. Trojan horse
The expression is used to mean: insidious gifts that bring with them death for those who receive them. Originated from Greek legends about the Trojan War. The Danaans, after a long and unsuccessful siege of Troy, resorted to cunning: they built a huge wooden horse, left it near the walls of Troy, and pretended to sail away from the shore of the Troas. Priest Laocoon, 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, hiding inside the horse, came out, killed the guards, opened the city gates, let in their comrades who had returned on ships, and thus took possession of Troy (“Odyssey” by Homer, 8, 493 et ​​seq.; “Aeneid” by Virgil, 2, 15 et seq. .). Virgil’s hemistich “I am afraid of the Danaans, even those who bring gifts,” often quoted in Latin (“Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes”), has become a proverb. This is where the expression “Trojan horse” arose, used to mean: a secret, insidious plan.

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, to the future, old - back, to the past. The resulting expression “two-faced Janus” or simply “Janus” means: a two-faced person.

The Golden Fleece. Argonauts
Ancient Greek myths say that the hero Jason went to Colchis (the eastern coast of the Black Sea) to mine the golden fleece (golden wool of a ram), which was guarded by a dragon and bulls that spewed flames from their mouths. Jason built the ship "Argo" (fast), after which the participants in this, according to legend, the first long-distance voyage of antiquity were called Argonauts. With the help of the sorceress Medea, Jason, having overcome all obstacles, successfully took possession of the Golden Fleece. The first to expound this myth was the poet Pindar (518-442 BC). The golden fleece is the name given to gold, the wealth that one strives to acquire; Argonauts - brave sailors, adventurers.

Cassandra
According to Homer (Iliad, 13, 365), Cassandra is the daughter of the Trojan king Priam. Apollo gave her the gift of divination. But when she rejected his love, he instilled in everyone distrust of her prophecies, although they always came true; Thus, she warned the Trojans in vain that the wooden horse they brought into the city would bring them death (Virgil and Aeneid, 2, 246) (see Gifts of the Danaans). The name Cassandra has become a household name for a person who warns of danger, but who is not believed.

Castor and Pollux
In Greek mythology, Castor and Polydeuces (Roman Pollux) are the sons of Zeus and Leda, twins. In the Odyssey (II, 298) they are spoken of as the children of Leda and Tyndareus, the son of the Spartan king. According to another version of the myth, Castor's father is Tyndareus, and Pollux's father is Zeus, therefore the first, born of a mortal, is mortal, and the second is immortal. When Castor was killed, Pollux began to beg Zeus to give him the opportunity to die. But Zeus offered him a choice: either to stay forever on Olympus without his brother, or to spend one day with his brother on Olympus, the other in Hades. Pollux chose the latter. Their names became synonymous with two inseparable friends.

Summer. Sink into oblivion
In Greek mythology, Lethe is the river of oblivion in Hades, the underworld; the souls of the dead, upon arrival in the underworld, drank water from it and forgot their entire past life (Hesiod, Theogony; Virgil, Aeneid, 6). The name of the river became a symbol of oblivion; The expression “sink into oblivion” that arose from this is used in the meaning: to disappear forever, to be forgotten.

Mars. Son of Mars. Champ de Mars
In Roman mythology, Mars is the god of war. Figuratively: a military, belligerent person. The expression “son of Mars” is used in the same meaning; the expression “Mars’s Field” meaning: battlefield. Also in ancient Rome, one of the parts of the city on the left bank of the Tiber, intended for military and gymnastic exercises, was called. In Paris, this name goes to the square in the western part of the city, which originally served for military parades. In St. Petersburg, this was the name of the square between the Summer Garden and the barracks of the Life Guards of the Pavlovsky Regiment, where large military parades were held under Nicholas I and later.

Between Scylla and Charybdis
According to the legends of the ancient Greeks, two monsters lived on the coastal rocks on both sides of the Strait of Messina: Scylla and Charybdis, who devoured sailors. Scylla,
...barking incessantly,
With a piercing squeal, like the squeal of a young puppy,
The monster echoes throughout the surrounding area. approach her
It’s scary not only for people, but also for the most immortal...
Not a single sailor could pass her unharmed
With an easy ship to pass: all toothy mouths open,
She kidnaps six people from the ship at a time...
Closer you will see another rock...
The whole sea under that rock is terribly disturbed by Charybdis,
Consuming three times a day and spewing out three times a day
Black moisture. Don't you dare come closer when it's absorbing:
Poseidon himself will not save you from certain death...
(“Odyssey” of Homer, 12, 85-124. Translation by V. A. Zhukovsky.)
The expression that arose from this “between Scylla and Charybdis” is used in the sense of being between two hostile forces, in a position where danger threatens from both sides.

Minerva [Pallas], emerging from the head of Jupiter [Zeus]
Minerva - in Roman mythology, the goddess of wisdom, patroness of the sciences and arts, identified with the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, who, according to myths, was born from the head of Jupiter (his Greek parallel is Zeus), emerging from there fully armed - in armor, a helmet, and a sword in hand. Therefore, when they talk about someone or something that supposedly appeared immediately completely complete, this appearance is compared with Minerva emerging from the head of Jupiter, or with Pallas emerging from the head of Zeus (Hesiod, Theogony; Pindar, Olympian Odes, 7, 35).

Morpheus. Embrace of Morpheus
In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the son of the god Hypnos, the winged god of dreams. His name is synonymous with sleep.

Torments of Tantalus
In Greek mythology, Tantalus, king of Phrygia (also called king of Lydia), was the favorite of the gods, who often invited him to their feasts. But, proud of his position, he offended the gods, for which he was severely punished. According to Homer (Odyssey, II, 582-592), his punishment was that, cast into Tartarus (hell), he forever experiences the unbearable pangs of thirst and hunger; he stands up to his neck in water, but the water recedes from him as soon as he bows his head to drink; branches with luxurious fruits hang over him, but as soon as he stretches out his hands to them, the branches deviate. This is where the expression “torment of Tantalus” arose, meaning: unbearable torment due to the inability to achieve the desired goal, despite its proximity

Narcissus
In Greek mythology, he is a handsome young man, the son of the river god Cephisus and the nymph Leiriopa. One day Narcissus, who had never loved anyone, bent over a stream and, seeing his face in it, fell in love with himself and died of melancholy; his body turned into a flower (Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3, 339-510). His name has become a household name for a person who admires himself, who is narcissistic. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin called the Narcissists of his contemporary liberal talkers, in love with their own eloquence, those “sowers of progress” who, for insignificant reasons, argued with the government bureaucracy, covering it up with chatter about the “holy cause”, the “bright future” etc. their personal interests (“The New Narcissist, or In Love with Himself.” “Signs of the Times”).

Start with Leda's eggs
In Greek mythology, Leda, the daughter of Festius, king of Aetolia, amazed Zeus with her beauty, who appeared to her in the form of a swan. The fruit of their union was Helen (Iliad, 3, 426; Odyssey, II, 298). According to the later version of this myth, Helen was born from one egg of Leda, and her brothers, the twins Castor and Pollux, from another (Ovid, Heroides, 17, 55; Horace, Satires, 2, 1, 26). Having subsequently married Menelaus, Helen was kidnapped by Paris and thus turned out to be the culprit of the Greek campaign against Troy. The expression “to begin with the eggs of Leda” goes back to Horace (65-8 BC), who (“On the Art of Poetry”) praises Homer for the fact that he does not begin his story about the Trojan War ab ovo - not from the egg (of course the myth of Leda), not from the very beginning, but immediately introduces the listener in medias res - into the middle of things, into the very essence of the matter. It should be added to this that the expression “ab ovo” among the Romans was proverbial; in its entirety: “ab ovo usque ad mala” - from beginning to end; literally: from egg to fruit (Roman dinner began with eggs and ended with fruit).

Nectar and ambrosia
In Greek mythology, nectar is a drink, ambrosia (ambrosia) is the food of the gods, giving them immortality (“Odyssey”, 5, 91-94). Figuratively: an unusually tasty drink, an exquisite dish; supreme pleasure.

Olympus. Olympians. Olympic bliss, grandeur, tranquility
Olympus is a mountain in Greece, where, as told in Greek myths, the gods lived (Homer, Iliad, 8, 456). For later writers (Sophocles, Aristotle, Virgil), Olympus is the vault of heaven inhabited by the gods. The Olympians are immortal gods; figuratively - people who always maintain the majestic solemnity of their appearance and imperturbable calm of spirit; This is also the name given to arrogant and inaccessible people. This is where a number of expressions arose: “literary Olympus”, “musical Olympus” - a group of recognized poets, writers, and musicians. Sometimes these expressions are used ironically, jokingly. “Olympic bliss” is the highest degree of bliss; “Olympic grandeur” - solemnity in manners, in all appearance; “Olympic calm” - calm, undisturbed by anything.

Panic fear
The expression is used in the meaning: unaccountable, sudden, strong fear, covering many people, causing confusion. It arose from the Greek myths about Pan, the god of forests and fields. According to myths, Pan brings sudden and unaccountable terror to people, especially to travelers in remote and secluded places, as well as to troops who flee from this. This is where the word “panic” comes from.

Parnassus
In Greek mythology, Parnassus is a mountain in Thessaly, the seat of Apollo and the Muses. In a figurative meaning: a collection of poets, the poetry of a people. "Parnassus Sisters" - muses.

Pegasus
In Greek mythology - the winged horse of Zeus; under the blow of his hoof, the source of Hypocrene was formed on Mount Helicon, inspiring poets (Hesiod, Theogony; Ovid, Metamorphoses, 5). Symbol of poetic inspiration.

Pygmalion and Galatea
The ancient Greek myth about the famous sculptor Pygmalion says that he openly expressed his contempt for women. The goddess Aphrodite, angered by this, forced him to fall in love with the statue of the young girl Galatea, which he himself created, and doomed him to the torment of unrequited love. Pygmalion's passion, however, turned out to be so strong that it breathed life into the statue. The revived Galatea became his wife. Based on this myth, Pygmalion figuratively began to be called a person who, with the power of his feelings, the direction of his will, contributes to the rebirth of another (see, for example, Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion”), as well as a lover who meets the cold indifference of his beloved woman.

Prometheus. Promethean fire
Prometheus in Greek mythology is one of the Titans; he stole fire from the sky and taught people how to use it, thereby undermining faith in the power of the gods. For this, the angry Zeus ordered Hephaestus (the god of fire and blacksmithing) to chain Prometheus to a rock; An eagle flying in every day tormented the liver of the chained titan (Hesiod, Theogony; Aeschylus, Bound Prometheus). The expression “Promethean fire”, which arose on the basis of this myth, is used to mean: a sacred fire burning in a person’s soul, an unquenchable desire to achieve high goals in science, art, and social work. The image of Prometheus is a symbol of human dignity and greatness.

Penelope's work
The expression originated from Homer's Odyssey (2, 94-109). Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, remained faithful to him during her many years of separation from him, despite the advances of her suitors; she said that she was postponing a new marriage until the day when she finished weaving a coffin cover for her father-in-law, the elder Laertes; She spent the whole day weaving, and at night she unraveled everything she had woven during the day and set to work again. The expression is used in the meaning: wife’s fidelity; never-ending work.

Sphinx. Sphinx riddle
In Greek mythology, the Sphinx is a monster with the face and breasts of a woman, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird, who lived on a rock near Thebes; The Sphinx lay in wait for travelers and asked them riddles; He killed those who were unable to solve them. When the Theban king Oedipus solved the riddles given to him, the monster took his own life (Hesiod, Theogony). This is where the word “sphinx” got its meaning: something incomprehensible, mysterious; “Sphinx riddle” - something unsolvable.

Sisyphus' work. Sisyphean work
The expression is used to mean: hard, endless and fruitless work. Originated from Greek mythology. The Corinthian king Sisyphus, for insulting the gods, was sentenced by Zeus to eternal torment in Hades: he had to roll a huge stone up a mountain, which, having reached the top, rolled down again. For the first time the expression “Sisyphean labor” is found in the elegy (2, 17) of the Roman poet Proportion (1st century BC)

Titans
In Greek mythology, the children of Uranus (heaven) and Gaia (earth), rebelled against the Olympian gods, for which they were cast into Tartarus (Hesiod, Theogony). Metaphorically, human titans, distinguished by strength, gigantic power of mind, geniuses; titanic - huge, grandiose.

Philemon and Baucis
In the ancient Greek legend, processed by Ovid (Metamorphoses, 8, 610 et al.), there is a couple of modest elderly spouses who cordially received Jupiter and Mercury, who came to them in the form of weary travelers. When the gods, angry that the rest of the inhabitants of the area did not show them hospitality, flooded it, the hut of Philemon and Baucis, which remained undamaged, was turned into a temple, and the couple became priests. According to their wishes, they died at the same time - the gods turned Philemon into an oak tree, and Baucis into a linden tree. Hence Philemon and Baucis became synonymous with the inseparable pair of old spouses.

Fortune. Wheel of Fortune
Fortuna is the goddess of blind chance, happiness and misfortune in Roman mythology. She was depicted blindfolded, standing on a ball or wheel and holding a steering wheel in one hand and a cornucopia in the other. The rudder indicated that fortune controls a person’s destiny, the cornucopia - the well-being, the abundance that it can give, and the ball or wheel emphasized its constant variability. Her name and the expression “wheel of fortune” are used to mean: chance, blind happiness.

Fury
In Roman mythology - each of the three goddesses of vengeance (in Greek myth. - Erinyes). Aeschylus, who brought the Erinyes onto the stage, depicted them as disgusting old women with snakes for hair, with bloodshot eyes, protruding tongues and bared teeth. A symbol of vengeance, figuratively an angry angry woman.

Chimera
In Greek mythology, a fire-breathing monster, described in various ways. Homer in the Iliad (6, 180) reports that it has the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. Hesiod in Theogony states that the chimera has three heads (lion, goat, dragon). Allegorically, a chimera is something unreal, the fruit of an idea.

Cerberus
In Greek mythology, a three-headed dog guarding the entrance to the underworld (Hades). It was first described in the “Theogony” of the ancient Greek poet Hesiod; Virgil speaks about her (“Aeneid”, 6), etc. Hence the word “Cerberus” (Latin form; Greek Kerber) is used figuratively in the meaning: a fierce, vigilant guardian, and also an evil dog.

Circe
Circe (Latin form; Greek Kirke) - according to Homer, an insidious sorceress. The Odysseus (10, 337-501) tells how, with the help of a magic drink, she turned Odysseus’s companions into pigs. Odysseus, to whom Hermes gave a magical plant, defeated her spell, and she invited him to share her love. Having forced Circe to swear that she was not plotting anything bad against him and would return his companions to human form, Odysseus bowed to her proposal. Her name became synonymous with a dangerous beauty, an insidious seductress.

Apple of discord
This expression means: the subject, the cause of a dispute, enmity, was first used by the Roman historian Justin (2nd century AD). It is based on a Greek myth. The goddess of discord, Eris, rolled a golden apple with the inscription: “To the most beautiful” between the guests at the wedding feast. Among the guests were the goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, who argued about which of them should receive the apple. Their dispute was resolved by Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, by awarding the apple to Aphrodite. In gratitude, Aphrodite helped Paris kidnap Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, which caused the Trojan War.

Pandora's Box
An expression that means: the source of misfortune, great disasters; arose from the poem “Works and Days” by the Greek poet Hesiod, which tells that people once lived without knowing any misfortunes, illnesses or old age, until Prometheus stole fire from the gods; for this, the angry Zeus sent a beautiful woman to earth - Pandora; she received from Zeus a casket in which all human misfortunes were locked. Spurred on by curiosity, Pandora opened the casket and scattered all the misfortunes.

Tenth Muse
Ancient mythology counted nine muses (goddesses - patronesses of the sciences and arts). The ancient Greek poet Hesiod in “Theogony” (“Genealogy of the Gods”, 77) for the first time in the sources that have reached us names their names. The delimitation of the fields of science and art (lyric poetry, history, comedy, tragedy, dance, love poetry, hymns, astronomy and epic) and their assignment to certain muses was made in a later era (3rd - 1st centuries BC) .).
The expression “tenth muse” denotes any area of ​​art that mainly emerged again and was not included in the canonical list: in the 18th century. that's what criticism was called in the middle of the 19th century. in Germany - variety theater, in our time - cinema, radio, television, etc.

Golden Rain
This image arose from the Greek myth of Zeus, who, captivated by the beauty of Danae, the daughter of the Argive king Acrisius, appeared to her in the form of golden rain, after which her son Perseus was born.
Danaë, showered with a shower of gold coins, is depicted in the paintings of many Renaissance artists (Titian, Correggio, Van Dyck, etc.). The expression is used to mean: big money. Figuratively, “golden shower” is the name for easily obtained wealth.

Cyclops. Cyclopean buildings
In Greek mythology, one-eyed giant blacksmiths. The ancient Greek poet Hesiod (8th-7th centuries BC) in “Theogony” (“Genealogy of the Gods”) says that they forged lightning and thunder arrows for Zeus. According to Homer (Odyssey, 9, 475) - one-eyed strongmen, giants, cannibals, cruel and rude, living in caves on the tops of mountains, engaged in cattle breeding. The Cyclopes were credited with building gigantic structures. Hence “Cyclops” is used to mean one-eyed, as well as a blacksmith. “Cyclopean building” is a huge structure.

According to some unnamed abstract

In addition to our will, a lot of sayings that we hear and see (for example, on advertising posters), statements of writers with whom we become acquainted in childhood settle in our memory. Expressions that are short quotes or generally go back to any literary work, as well as sayings belonging to or attributed to historical figures, political, public figures, generally famous people, included in our speech, are called catchphrases and are also studied by phraseology. The expression “winged word” itself goes back to the texts of Homer (“They exchanged winged words quietly among themselves”) and denotes a poetic image - human speech. Subsequently, the phrase became widespread in the science of language.

The sources of winged words are varied. First of all, this is literature; Russian literature is of greatest interest for the Russian language and verbal culture.

For example: I'd be happy to serve, but being served is sickening(Griboyedov); Man in a case(Chekhov); There is no stronger beast than a cat(Krylov); I don't want to study, I want to get married(Fonvizin); Verify harmony with algebra(Pushkin); Wait a little, you can rest too!(Lermontov); Spread your thoughts across the tree(“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”).

Expressions that go back to the works of foreign authors are common. For example, there are many popular words associated with the works of Shakespeare. Wed: She hasn't worn out her shoes yet(“She had not yet worn out the shoes in which she walked behind her husband’s coffin<...>Her treacherous tears The traces have not dried - she is the wife of another” (“Hamlet”); the quote is used to characterize female inconstancy or, in general, a rapid change of beliefs, unprincipledness);

To be or not to be– that is the question("Hamlet");

Horse! Horse! Half a kingdom for a horse!("Richard III");

Much ado about nothing(the title of a comedy that has become a proverb).

Many popular expressions go back to the Bible; they are called biblicalisms. Moreover, they often have a Church Slavonic form (the Church Slavonic language had a huge influence on the development of the Russian literary language).

Wed: hungry and thirsty; prodigal son; in the sweat of his brow; widow's mite; put your fingers into the ulcers; doctor, heal yourself; all sorts of vanity; let this cup pass from me; topic of the day; gnashing of teeth; massacre of the innocents; seek and ye shall find; Foundation stone; scapegoat; white lie; hot spot; beat swords into plowshares; do not throw pearls before swine; there is nowhere to lay your head; poor in spirit; wash your hands and etc.

It is significant that often the modern use of biblicalism diverges from its original (original) meaning. For example, the expression hot spot in the Bible it means a pleasant, abundant place, but in modern language it is used ironically, characterizing a place with a dubious reputation.

The original meaning of biblicalism may be obscured. Yes, the expression topic of the day (on the topic of the day) goes back to a more detailed gospel saying, which was often used in the texts of Russian writers of the 19th century in Church Slavonic form his wickedness prevails throughout the day, which literally means “there is enough for every day’s trouble.”

The composition of catchwords changes and is replenished. Here are examples of expressions that have entered the Russian language over the past 10–20 years:

Faculty of unnecessary things(the title of the novel by Yu. Dombrovsky);

Cold summer of '53(title of the film, script by E. Dubrovsky);

East– it's a delicate matter; Gulchatay! Show your face; caviar again, if only I could buy some bread; It’s a shame for the state; customs gives the go-ahead(from the film “White Sun of the Desert”, script by V. Ezhov and R. Ibragimbekov, director V. Motyl);

Autumn marathon(title of the film, script by A. Volodin);

We're sitting well(words from the same film);

Large giraffe– he knows better(V. Vysotsky);

Socialism with a human face(A. Dubcek);

Squad of my crazy thoughts(O. Gazmanov “Squadron”);

Fell– did push-ups(the phrase is attributed to the “doll” of General A. Lebed in the NTV television program “Dolls”);

Boris, you're wrong; I really want to work!(from the speech of E. Ligachev).

A feature of catchphrases is their speech variation, which is normal for their functioning. Thus, a statement from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” At my age I should not dare to have my own opinion(Molchalin’s words) is used as follows:

The congress and session made active deputies... people who can always dare to have your judgment(“Lit. newspaper”);

Polemical notes on the local press: have your own opinion...("Is it true");

Your judgment?– have!(“Spark”).

A very frequently used expression is the words cut a window to Europe from the introduction to A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”:

And he thought:

From here we will threaten the Swede.

The city will be founded here

To spite an arrogant neighbor.

Nature destined us here

Open a window to Europe,

Stand with a firm foot by the sea.

It is significant that the expression itself is “not quite” Pushkin’s. In the notes to the poem, Pushkin noted that the words belong to the Italian Algarotti: “Petersburg is the window through which Russia looks at Europe.” The expression received life in the language, but already as Pushkin’s. Its “modifications” are very diverse. Most common meaning “about the founding of St. Petersburg, which opened Russia’s path to Western Europe”:

Russia was forced by the course of historical events and the pressing economic demands of that time "cut through" off the coast of the Gulf of Finland “window to Europe” (M. S. Bunin. Bridges of Leningrad).

If Peter the Great cut a window to Europe, then yachtsmen of Peter the Great Bay make their way into the sailing world (M. Petrina. The sail is not alone).

The meaning of the expression is developing and expanding, so it is quite normative to use it when characterizing the foreign policy of Peter I:

With the hands of a carpenter, the king had the imagination and will of a true statesman. Opening a window to Europe, Peter wanted the prosperity of his country. Three hundred years ago, the Netherlands were among the first to say “yes” to Russia and today they answer the same way... (“St. Petersburg Gazette”).

The catchphrase can change while “remaining itself.” Of course, one can say that in this case there is a distortion of Pushkin, but such an assessment seems too categorical; the main judge here remains our linguistic taste, the sense of appropriateness. Wed:

Window open Peter, it was not only window to Europe, it was and window into life (I. Ehrenburg. For a life);

“Crossing himself” and “with God” - the Russian swam out to sea, Andrei Bogolyubsky fled from Kyiv to Suzdal land, and Peter fled from Moscow to St. Petersburg, to meet the Dutch ships and cut a window to the West and the light (V.V. Rozanov. From the assessments of the Russian people);

Peter I looks at the results opening a window to Europe...("Peak hour").

Often a word game arises, based on a literal understanding of the meaning of the words that make up the catchphrase:

The West notices that we are still looking at him, if not through the sight slot, then through hacked Peter the Great window, which has long been glazed over by the image of the enemy (“Interlocutor”);

He didn’t say it, but Kozma Prutkov could have said it: cutting a window to Europe, think about safety precautions, otherwise a building that is not very strong may collapse (“Moscow news”);

The change of situation also played a big role for the young poet. Foreign countries he visited. Not only The “window to Europe” has opened in front of him, but also heavy, shrouded in heat doors Africa and Latin America (V. Inber. Love of thought).

So, stable phrases are used to make speech more figurative, precise, and accurate. And although their use gives our language special expressiveness, we need to treat these means with caution and a sense of proportion. Phraseologisms, proverbs, sayings, and catchwords can be a source of speech errors, so attentiveness and accuracy are necessary, but not excessive, associated with a feeling of speech inferiority, fear of the word.

TASKS

1. Highlight the actual phraseological units and related phenomena. Distribute them into two groups.

How to drink, like two peas in a pod, red as a lobster, cunning as a fox, scream at the top of Ivanovo, strike, come to an agreement, groan, give a lecture, consign to oblivion, fire a shot, put an end to it, just around the corner, good fellow , right hand, silver wedding, apoplexy, credentials, railway, cranium, auricle, gearbox, specific gravity, square, launch pad, center of gravity, Indian summer, guts, know ours, give the green light , despite the fact that, for nothing, in view of the fact that, since, squint your eyes, wasp waist, bosom friend, thick beard, infectious laugh, Fox Nose, Bermuda Triangle.

2. Form variants from the following phraseological units (for example: confusion of mind and so on.).

3. Explain the associations given in the associative dictionaries of the Russian language (the word is called and after it - what appears first in memory). Identify the expression underlying the association.

Kopek → strangle; blood → with milk; forest → cut down; useless → monkey; oil → oil; soap → on an awl; gold → silence; sit down → not in your own sleigh; have → a hundred friends; fire → and sword; stay → on the beans; float → with the flow; show → Kuzka’s mother; muzzle → brick; eagle → high flying; strange → on your mind; seven → span; so → that way; fall → in my eyes; good → sitting; fall → from a cart.

4. Form a variant of the phraseological unit by replacing one of the components.

Seventh water on jelly, wash your face with tears, shake your mustache, a bear stepped on your ear, count the bones, put it on a fishing rod, boil the pot, touch your soul, take you by the throat, down the dog's tail, poke your eyes out, soap your neck.

5. Determine the optional (optional) component of the phraseological unit. What happens to the expression if this component is not used?

No be, no me, no crow; and he doesn’t blow his whistle; can't believe your ears; not a single glance; turn the soul inside out; tremble over every penny; ride your favorite horse; pound water in a mortar; penny price on market day; hold your pocket wider.

6. Change phraseological units so that they sound more modern.

Go to the backyard; let all the bells ring; and the whole song is short-lived; no cola, no yard, no chicken feather; neither fish, nor meat, nor caftan, nor cassock; not all are at home, half have gone; unprecedented words are like water off a duck's back.

7. Name a word that goes back to phraseology and has received independent use; determine its meaning, select synonymous expressions for it.

Go crazy, throw in the rod, repose into the kingdom of heaven, you live well, the bump is out of the blue.

8. Make up sentences with the following phraseological units:

Kolomna verst, grated kalach, put a pig, kill a worm, without a king in the head, swallowed like an arshin, like a gray gelding, fight like Sidorov's goat, cats scratch at the soul, damn it, even the guard screams, no matter how wrong, the cat cried.

9. Correct the highlighted expressions recorded in the media. Explain the reasons for speech inaccuracy.

Me in front of the management of "Radio "Maximum"" gave an ultimatum (“Radio “Maximum””); Everyone thought that Dima and I were a very beautiful couple, everyone was very jealous of us. We were always together, it seemed to me that I couldn’t live a minute without him. But here, how storm out of the blue, Dima was expelled from the institute and drafted into the army (“Kaleidoscope”); This example too pours water on my scales (oral speech); It’s customary here: you become a deputy and you promise a lot of boxes (“Radio “Petersburg””); From this situation I conclude that someone puts in V.V. Putin disservice (S. Stepashin); Finally this puzzle is unraveled : three bandits were detained, not working anywhere, repeatedly convicted of serious crimes (“Mosk. Komsomolets”); The culprit is corruption. Officials are robbing us - the Russian people - day and night... Can a State Duma deputy do at least something about this? It seems to me that a good half of these same deputies themselves - mug in fluff ... (“Nevsky Observer”. Letter from a reader); “Right Cause” has enemies in Irkutsk: this is the second time they have slinging mud at SPS leaders on large-format billboards (“Voter's Digest”); And I also have a question that I scalded by shock (NTV. “Voice of the People”).

10 . Evaluate statements from the modern press. Determine whether the highlighted words and expressions need to be corrected. Make corrections if necessary.

Power is everything alluvial . We must treat this with irony, realizing that a huge amount of incense refers to the position, not the person. And the position is transitory . (“AiF”); The British representative is clearly keen go down in history. But it is known that it is possible to get stuck (“Lit. newspaper”); Much less often and most often through clenched teeth I remember now that the dissident of Soviet times, Solzhenitsyn, remained, in fact, a dissident in today’s Russia (“St. Petersburg Vedomosti”).

11. Determine the strict (dictionary) form hidden behind the highlighted expression. Try to explain the reasons for speech changes and evaluate them.

I'm used to it cut the truth and... I'm not afraid of anything (A.P. Chekhov. Anniversary).

I hate truth-tellers from around the corner... They cut the truth behind your back. Pocket robespierres! (Yu. Bondarev. Relatives).

I hate this arrogant manner speak, No – blurt out the truth. .. It seems like you're telling the truth, you'll hit the truth in the eyes, in the forehead– and you feel highly moral (Yu. Krelin. I want to be loved).

You first they told the truth in a conversation with Dr. Konstantinova, then you cut during interrogations, and now she cut. In my opinion, you are already completely stabbed to death (A. Weiner, G. Weiner. Visit to the Minotaur).

You knock everyone over the head with world categories, on a universal scale. Tell me... how did you get into existence? you state the truth in our most liberal times? In your land of native birches... did you even move your little finger? (Yu. Bondarev. Choice).

Nature decreed that a person should love at a certain period of his life. This period has come, well love to the fullest (A.P. Chekhov).

Beautiful night. There is not a cloud in the sky, but the moon is shining in all Ivanovo (A.P. Chekhov. Letter to A. N. Pletnev).

We have repeatedly attacked the lyrics with hostility, we are looking for precise and naked speech. But poetry is the most bastard thing: There is also not even a kick in the teeth (V.V. Mayakovsky. Jubilee).

Rockets, as they say, are breathing their last breath. The storage period allowed by technical standards has expired. At any moment, shells can explode and lead to a catastrophe that is stunning in its consequences. (V. Tarasov. A crime is being committed).

13. Determine the origin of contamination. For example: pull the burden + eke out a miserable existence = to bear the burden.

"I personally on these cassettes up to the light bulb", - he said. "What means to the light bulb? – Lagunov said sternly. - Select expression" (D. Granin. I'm going into a thunderstorm).

And you are forcing everything, and you are still involved in politics... You need to write good pictures, but your machinations bastard (A. N. Tolstoy. Egor Abazov).

Wasted gunpowder, young man. The story cannot be published. For one police officer for us they will prescribe Kuzka’s mother (K. Paustovsky. Golden Rose).

Our bright hubby, Ilya Antonich, will discuss everything with you and will pay you at least along the coffin boards (K. Fedin. Bonfire).

14. Continue the series of phraseological units that are similar in meaning.

in the blink of an eye, in an instant...

at full speed, at full speed, at full speed...

through thick and thin, ...

doesn't hold a candle...

soul wide open...

the veins are shaking...

cats scratch at my soul...

open your ears...

15 . Complete the expressions and explain them. If possible, give options (replace or change the word). For example: Ariadne... - Ariadne's thread - Ariadne's thread. Explanation: “A way to help get out of a difficult situation.” According to myth, Ariadne, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos, helped the Asrin hero Theseus, who killed the Minotaur (half-bull, half-man), to get out of the labyrinth with the help of a thread attached at the entrance"; Without year... – without a year (year) a week. Explanation: “Very recently, for a short period of time (to be, work, live, etc. somewhere). Often with a hint of disapproval.” Try to give synonymous expressions.

To irritate... ; take the bull...; true story...; in three pines... ; in the neck... ; go ahead... ; wag... ; wolf... ; take it out... ; tremble over each... ; like twice... ; goosebumps run through... ; not from the world...; neither a candle to God, nor...; from basics to... ; invent...; king... ; trough...; attract by... ; from a cannon not...; small demon... ; tear at yourself...; take care as... ; the seventh water on... ; later... ; dot...; register...; that and...; filkina...; Thomas...; lump on... .

16. Using the original word, name several phraseological units that arise in your memory. For example: neck - neck soap, curl your neck; second - second youth, second nature, until the second coming. Explain them. If you have any difficulties, consult a dictionary.

Though... ; enter (enter) ... ; squeeze... ; wolf... ; eye... ; soul... ; seven... ; tooth... ; ear... ; trough... ; play... ; cork... ; skin... ; How... ; penny...; in full (all, all, all)... ; stone... ; Chinese... ; elbow... ; not from the timid... ; head... ; hare... ; leg... ; babble... ; roof... ; ostrich... ; nose... ; voice... ; water... ; Erema... ; Kuzma...; Yuri...; Sidor... ; peas... ; Adam, Eve... ; Moscow... ; Kyiv... ; Monomakh... ; Herostratus....

17. Find popular expressions and determine their origin.

[Title] The Night Before Christmas in 1927 (“Ogonyok”).

Once he reaches known degrees, he automatically begins to “cut” [i.e. e. to interfere in other people’s affairs, to teach] in everything (“Lit. newspaper”).

[Title] Set dinner: treat or punishment? (“Lit. newspaper”).

Who is guilty? What to do? Where to begin? These three “eternal” questions continue to haunt our public today (“Smena”).

This public garden is of civil type -

Freshly cut, light, through,

Everything from the cinema to the shooting range

Subordinate to one idea,

This one, with a fireproof office,

This fake marching path,

Leading to the fountain, which

No one will be able to shut up!

(E. Dyakova)

“Let's compliment each other...” These words should not be understood straightforwardly. Let's argue, but with a feeling of goodwill towards the interlocutor (“Lit. newspaper”).

[Title] The patient is more alive than dead. [In the text] Our medicine is on the road to recovery (“Evening Petersburg”).

And we, imbued with his concern, suddenly felt in the chief forester that person who considers himself responsible for everything... Here it is, a fairy tale of the Russian forest (“Kome, Pravda”).

[Title] Oh, the security gets up early! [In text] On Sunday it will be forty-three years since the formation of the private security service (“Rush Hour”).

LITERATURE FOR DISCUSSION IN THE AUDIENCE

Bobunova M. A. You can’t cut it out with an ax // Russian speech. 1992 No. 5.

Gorlov V.V. Phraseologisms as a means of expressiveness on the pages of a newspaper // Russian language at school. 1992. No. 5–6.

Drovnikova L. N.“There are places to be... personalities” // Russian speech. 1998. No. 2.

Krivenko B.V. Phraseology and newspaper speech // Russian speech. 1993. No. 3.

Mokienko V. M. V Which screw up hit simpleton // Russian speech. 1992. No. 1.

Nefedeva L. I. Powers that be and those in power // Russian speech. 1999. No. 5.

EmirovaA. M. Phraseology of perestroika: themes and semantics // Russian language at school. 1990. No. 3.

Theme: “Winged words”.

Target. To introduce phraseological units, teach them to understand their meaning, and use them correctly in speech. Develop speech, its literacy, expressiveness. Cultivate interest in learning the Russian language.

During the classes

Organizational part.

Speech warm-up.

Break a leg

Early in the morning Well, no worries

Mom is a quonka No feather!

Sent to class in an hour,

Son. Barely alive

Spoke: Cockerel

Don't fight, he's going home.

Don't tease, he barely hobbles

Don't freak out. He's from the schoolyard;

Hurry up, and on it really

It is time. There is neither fluff nor feather.

V. Orlov

Read the title. When do people wish each other “no feathers or feathers”? What do you think the poem is about?

Read the poem.

What did the mother-quo wish for, seeing off her son with the words “neither fluff nor feather”?

Why does the poem end with the words “There is neither fluff nor feather”?

Where are these words used figuratively?

Expressive reading of a poem.

3. Getting to know popular expressions.

Wishing her son “neither fluff nor feather,” the quonka mother used this expression in a figurative meaning and wished good luck to the cockerel. If we take this expression literally, we get a funny (sad) story that the poet described. “Neither fluff nor feather” is a stable expression. It is impossible to replace words in it, change their places, otherwise the meaning will change. This expression, used figuratively, can be replaced with a word similar in meaning.

There are many such stable expressions in the Russian language. They are called catch words (phraseologisms).

Today in class we will talk about phraseological units - catchphrases.

Guys, what popular words do you know?

Try to finish my riddles.

Riddles - folds

More friendly than these two guys

You won't find it in the world.

They usually say about them:

(You can't spill it with water)

They falsify, they confuse words,

They sing...(Some go to the forest, some for firewood)

The guys won't listen to them:

This song makes my ears...(wither).

Your comrade asks furtively

Copy the answers from your notebook.

No need! After all, with this you are a friend

You will do...(A disservice)

Finish the expression. (The one who finishes the phraseological unit explains its meaning).

With nothing to do... (to do)

After...(sleeves)

Nick down)

Bite... (tongue)

Neither alive... (nor dead)

With grief...(in half)

Like snow... (on the head)

Not to the village... (not to the city)

Wipe...(nose)

At any moment)

Per hour...(a teaspoon)

Beat...(baklushi)

Why do we say this? Listening to messages prepared by children.

Beat your head - to do trifles, to idle. In the old days, chocks for making spoons and wooden utensils were called baklushi. Splitting logs into logs (beating logs) was considered a very simple job. Hence the meaning of the expression.

Write from the red line. In the old days, the text was written in one piece, not divided into words and sentences. The chronicler opened the beginning of the story with a large red, intricately painted, beautiful letter, which was written with a slight indentation from the left edge of the page. Such letters can sometimes still be seen in books. The word “red” used to mean the word “beautiful.” The red (beautiful) letter gave life to the expression “write from the red line.”

Stay with your nose -to fail, to be deceived in one's calculations, to be fooled. The nose in this expression has nothing to do with the part of the face. According to ancient custom, the groom brought the bride's parents a Nose, i.e. offering, gift, ransom. If the groom was refused, he was “left with his nose.”

Nick down - remember well and for a long time. In the old days, a “nose” was a name given to a memorial tablet that illiterate people carried with them, making notches on it for memory. A man borrowed something from a rich man. For memory, I made notches on the tablet and split it in half. The poor man took his soul mate and carries it with him, hence the “nose”.

How do they talk about it? Reply with a catchphrase. (A drawing is provided to help).

About the very large cramped conditions in the room. (Apple)

(The apple has nowhere to fall).

About complete silence (Fly)

(You can hear a fly flying)

About a person who is constantly being blamed, responsible for someone else’s misdeeds. (Goat)

(Scapegoat)

About a lucky, happy person. (Shirt)

(Born in a shirt)

About a man who exaggerates everything. (Fly, elephant)

(To make mountains out of molehills)

Some phraseological units include words naming domestic and wild animals. What animal names do you think can be used in these phrases?

Hungry like... (a wolf)

Cunning as... (fox)

Cowardly as... (hare)

Dumb, like... (fish)

Some phrases that became popular were taken from Russian fairy tales. Many of them are familiar to you. What fairy tales did the following expressions come from, for example:

Stand before me like a leaf before the grass. (Sivka – Burka).

To some the roots, and to others the tops. (Man and bear).

The beaten one is lucky. (Fox and wolf).

By magic. (By magic).

Complete the following catchphrases taken from fairy tales:

Go there - I don’t know where,... (bring something, I don’t know what);

Soon the fairy tale will tell...(but it won’t be done soon);

This is all a fairy tale...(the fairy tale will come).

Guess what it is. Name popular expressions with this word. Make up sentences with some of the popular expressions.

- They hang him out of despondency; he is bullied, wondering; they poke him around everywhere, interfering in matters other than their own. (Nose).

(Hang your nose, turn up your nose, stick your nose into someone else’s business, cut your nose, stay with your nose).

Not flowers, but withering; not their hands, but clapping them if they don’t understand something; not laundry, but they are hung out by overly gullible and curious people. (Ears)

(Ears wither, flap ears, hang ears, ears on top of head, hurt ears, don’t behave with ears).

It is in the head of a frivolous, frivolous person; it is advised to look for it in the field when someone has disappeared without a trace; words and money are thrown at him by those who do not value them. (Wind)

(There is wind in your head, look for the wind in the field, throw money, words into the wind; the wind whistles in your pockets, windy head).

They swallow it, stubbornly not wanting to talk about anything, it is well presented by a person who speaks smartly, easily; they pull or tug on him, persistently forcing him to speak out. (Language)

(Swallow the tongue, the tongue is well hung, pull, pull the tongue, hold the tongue behind the teeth, you will break the tongue, the tongue is loose, the tongue itches, the tongue is boneless).

It is pounded in a mortar or carried with a sieve by those who are engaged in useless work; they put it in their mouth when they are silent; Sometimes dishonest people come out of it dry. (Water)

(Pound water in a mortar, carry water with a sieve, put water in your mouth, come out of the water unscathed, you won’t spill it with water, hide the ends in water, muddy the water).

4. Activation of popular expressions in children’s speech.

Make up a story “Fell for the bait”, using the winged words: lick your fingers, hang your ears, eat the dog, in one breath, fool your head, cry in three streams, you can’t say it in a fairy tale, you can’t describe it with a pen.

Beginning: The forester’s son once invited us to his place...

Listen to the essays of several students.

The son of a forester once invited us to his place. He says, let's go and hunt for mushrooms and fish. Let's cook the fish soup - you'll lick your fingers.

Of course, we were delighted, our ears were open and we listened. My brother lost his head so much with happiness. Why! We'll spend the night in the forest, pitch tents, build a fire, and fire a gun. Then he didn’t give me any peace: “Let’s go, let’s go!” They say he is such a master at catching fish, he ate the dog at it.” I don’t know what kind of dogs he ate, but we took the bait. He deceived us.

We agreed to come on Saturday evening. We walked five kilometers in one breath. But our “friend” was not at home. He left, they say, to visit his aunt on Sunday.

He invited us to fish and hunt - we were confused.

“He’s a windbag,” the grandfather was indignant, “he’s always fooling someone.”

My brother has tears in three streams. Of course, I'm not at ease either.

“It’s okay, kids,” the grandfather reassured us, “you’ll come with me.”

And let's go. And they caught fish. And the fire was lit. But there was an ear - I can’t tell it in a fairy tale, I can’t describe it with a pen. Only grandfather didn’t give us a gun. Still small.

What expressions used figuratively did you come across in the text? How do you understand them?

5. Acquaintance with the phraseological dictionary.

6. Lesson summary.

7. Homework assignment.

- Using a dictionary, explain the meaning and origin of the expression “carelessly.” Draw a picture for it. Make up a sentence using the given expression.

We use ancient sayings and various catchphrases in everyday life, sometimes without even knowing the history of the origin of such catchphrases. We all know the meanings of many of these phrases from childhood and use these expressions appropriately; they came to us unnoticed 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 appears 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 the expressions come from?

bosom friend

“Pour over your Adam’s apple” is a rather ancient expression; in ancient times it literally meant “to get drunk”, “to drink a lot of alcohol.” The phraseological unit “bosom friend”, formed since then, is used to this day and means 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 introducing a tax on public toilets. Vespasian showed his son the money received into the treasury from this tax and asked him if the money smelled. The son sniffed and gave a negative answer.

Washing the bones

The expression dates back to ancient times. Some peoples believed that an unrepentant damned sinner, after his death, emerges from 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 person from the grave and wash the bones of the deceased with clean water. Now the expression “washing the bones” means nothing more than dirty gossip about a person, a pseudo-analysis of his character and behavior.

Breathing on its last legs

Christian custom required that the dying were confessed by priests before death, and also that they received communion and burned incense. The expression stuck. Now they say about sick people or poorly functioning devices and equipment: “they are dying.”

Play on your nerves

In ancient times, after doctors discovered the existence of nervous tissue (nerves) in the body, based on their resemblance to the strings of musical instruments, they called nervous tissue in Latin with the word strings: nervus. From that moment on, an expression came about that means annoying actions - “playing on your nerves.”

vulgarity

The word “vulgarity” is originally Russian, the root of which is derived from the verb “went”. Until the 17th century, this word was used in a good, decent meaning. It meant traditional, familiar in the everyday life of people, that is, what is done according to custom and happened, that is, WENT from time immemorial. However, the coming reforms of the Russian Tsar Peter I with their innovations distorted this word, it lost its former respect and began to mean: “uncultured, backward, simple-minded,” etc.

Augean stables

There is a legend according to which King Augeis 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 entrusted with cleaning these stables. He directed the bed of the Althea River into the stables, and the flow of water washed away all the dirt from the stables. Since then, this expression has been applied to polluting something to the extreme.

Scum

The remaining liquid that remained at the bottom along with sediment was previously called scum. All sorts of rabble often hung around taverns and taverns, drinking the cloudy remains of alcohol in glasses behind other visitors, very soon the term scum passed on 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, as opposed to the common people, and they never mixed with the Moors, who entered Spain from Africa. Blue veins stood out clearly on the pale skin of the indigenous Spaniards, which is why they proudly called themselves “blue blood.” Over time, this expression began to denote a sign of aristocracy and passed on to many nations, including ours.

Reach the handle

In Rus', rolls of bread were always baked with a handle, so that it was convenient to carry the rolls. The handle was then broken off and thrown away for hygiene purposes. The broken handles were picked up and eaten by beggars and dogs. The expression means to become extremely poor, to go down, to become impoverished.

Scapegoat

The ancient Jewish rite consisted of the fact that on the day of 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 gathered to play in the evenings by candlelight. Sometimes the bets made and the winner's winnings were negligible, so much so that even the candles that burned during the game did not pay for it. This is how this expression appeared.

Add the first number

In the old days, students were often flogged at school, sometimes even without any misconduct on their part, simply as a preventive measure. The mentor could show diligence in educational work and sometimes the students suffered greatly. Such students could be released from whipping until the first day of the next month.

Beat your head

In the old days, logs cut off from logs were called baklushas. These were the blanks for wooden utensils. Making wooden utensils did not require any special skills or effort. This matter was considered very easy. From that time on, it became a custom to “knuckle down” (do nothing).

If we don't wash, we'll just ride

In the old days, women in villages literally “rolled” their laundry after washing using 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). Nowadays we say “by washing, by skiing,” which means achieving a cherished goal by any means.

In the bag

In the old days, messengers who delivered mail to recipients sewed very valuable important papers, or “deeds,” into the lining of their caps or hats, in order to thus hide important documents from prying eyes and not attract the attention of robbers. This is where the expression “it’s in the bag,” which is still popular to this day, 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 hearing, 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 clothier had drifted into the wrong direction, interrupted him with the words: “Let's go back to our sheep.” Since then, the expression has become popular.

To contribute

In Ancient Greece there was a mite (small coin) in circulation. In the Gospel parable, a poor widow donated her last two mites for the construction of the temple. Hence the expression “do your bit.”

Versta Kolomenskaya

In the 17th century, by order of the then reigning Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, 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 a custom to call very tall and thin people “Verst Kolomenskaya”.

Chasing a long ruble

In the 13th century in Rus', the monetary and weight unit was the hryvnia, which was divided into 4 parts (“ruble”). Heavier than the others, the remainder of the ingot was called the “long ruble.” The expression “chasing a long ruble” means easy and good income.

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 the same with the second, third, fourth, etc. As a result, he was left with one and only duck, which ate all 19 of its friends. The note was posted with the aim of mocking the gullibility of readers. Since then, it has become a custom to call false news nothing more than “newspaper ducks.”

Laundering of money

The origins of the expression go to America, at the beginning of the 20th century. Al Capone found it difficult to spend his ill-gotten gains because he was constantly under the watchful eye of the intelligence 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 that had very low prices. Therefore, it was difficult for the police to track the actual number of clients; it became possible to write down absolutely any income of laundries. This is where the now popular expression “money laundering” comes from. The number of laundries since that time 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, wanting to receive good, rich gifts, pretended to be seriously affected by the war.

Inside out

Where did this popular expression come from, which is used when a person has dressed or done something incorrectly? During the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Rus', an embroidered collar was a sign of the dignity of one or another nobleman, and this collar was called “shivorot”. If such a worthy boyar or nobleman in any way angered the tsar or was subjected to royal disgrace, he was, according to custom, seated backwards on a skinny nag, having first turned his clothes inside out. Since then, the expression “topsy-turvy” has been established, which means “on the contrary, wrong.”

From under the stick

The expression “under the stick” takes its roots from circus acts in which trainers force animals to jump over a stick. This phraseological turn has been used since the 19th century. It means that a person is forced to work, forced to do some action or behavior that 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.

One teaspoon per hour

This catchphrase appeared in quite distant times thanks to pharmacists. In those difficult times, pharmacists themselves prepared mixtures, medicinal ointments and infusions for many diseases. According to the rules that have existed since then, each bottle of the medicinal mixture must contain instructions (recipe) for the use of this medicine. Back then they measured things not in drops, as they mostly do now, but in teaspoons. For example, 1 teaspoon per glass of water. In those days, such medications had to be taken strictly by the hour, and 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 some 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 machine for weaving ropes and twisting ropes. It had a very complex design and twisted the strands so strongly that clothing, hair or beard getting caught in its mechanism could even cost a person his life. This expression originally even had a specific meaning, literally - “accidentally falling into twisted ropes.”

Typically, this expression implies being embarrassed, going nuts, getting into an unpleasant situation, disgracing yourself in some way, getting into a puddle, screwing up, as they say these days, losing face in the dirt.

Freebies and for free

Where did the word "freebie" come from?

Our ancestors called a freebie the top of a boot. Typically, the bottom of the boot (the head) wore out much faster than the top of the muffler. Therefore, to save money, enterprising “cold shoemakers” sewed a new head to the boot. Such updated boots, one might say - sewn on “for free” - were much cheaper than their new counterparts.

Nick down

The expression “hack on the nose” came to us from ancient times. Previously, among our ancestors, the term “nose” meant writing boards that were used as ancient notepads - all kinds of notes were made on them, or it would be more correct to say even notches for memory. It was from those times that the expression “hack on the nose” appeared. If they borrowed money, they wrote the debt on such tablets and gave it to the creditor as promissory notes. And if the debt was not repaid, the creditor was “left with his 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, royalty rode beautiful white horses in honor of special holidays, and the most highly respected knights rode horses of the same color in tournaments. From that time on, the expression about princes on white horses came about, because a stately white horse was considered a symbol of greatness, as well as beauty and glory.

Far away

Where is this located? In ancient Slavic fairy tales, this expression of distance “far away lands” occurs very often. It means that the object is very far away. The roots of the expression go back to the times of Kievan Rus. At that time there were decimal and nine numeral systems. So, according to the nine-fold system, which was based on the number 9, the maximum scale for the standards of a fairy tale, which increases everything threefold, the number distant was taken, that is, three times nine. This is where this expression comes from...

I'm coming at you

What does the expression “I’m coming to you” mean? This expression has been known since the times of Kievan Rus. The Grand Duke and Bright Warrior Svyatoslav, before a military campaign, always sent the warning message “I’m coming at you!” to enemy lands, which meant an attack, an attack - I’m coming at you. During the times of Kievan Rus, our ancestors called “you” specifically to their enemies, and not to honor strangers and older people.

It was a matter of honor to warn the enemy about an attack. The code of military honor and the ancient traditions of the Slavic-Aryans also included a prohibition to shoot or attack with weapons an unarmed or unequally powerful 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 human soul was located in the dimple in the neck between the collarbones.
According to custom, money was kept in the same place on the chest. Therefore, they said and still say about the poor man that he “has nothing behind his soul.”

Sewn with white threads

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

Seven spans in the forehead

By the way, this expression does not speak of a person’s very high intelligence, as we usually believe. This is an expression about age. Yes Yes. A span is an ancient Russian measure of length, which is equal to 17.78 cm in terms of centimeters (the international unit of measurement of length). 7 spans in the forehead is a person’s height, it is equal to 124 cm, usually children grew to this mark by the age of 7. At this time, children were given names and began to be taught (boys - male craft, girls - 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 were simply called “child”.

In search of Eldorado

El Dorado (translated from Spanish as 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 a place where you can quickly get rich.

Karachun has arrived

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

About the dead it's either good or nothing

The implication is that the dead are spoken of either well or not at all. This expression has come down to the present day in a rather seriously modified form from the depths of centuries. In ancient times this expression sounded like this: “Either good things are said about the dead, or nothing but the truth.”. This is a fairly well-known saying of the ancient Greek politician and poet Chilon from Sparta (VI century BC), and the historian Diogenes Laertius (III century AD) tells about it in his essay “The Life, Teaching and Opinions of Illustrious Philosophers” . Thus, the truncated 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 drives someone to the point of insanity. The meaning of the expression is to stir up strong emotions, to bring someone into a state of extreme irritation or even complete loss of self-control. Where and how did this turn of phrase come from? It's simple. When a metal is gradually heated, it becomes red, but when it is further heated to a very high temperature, the metal becomes white. Heat it up, that is, warm it up. Heating is essentially very intense heating, hence the expression.

All roads lead to Rome

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

Woman of Balzac's age

How old are women of Balzac's age? Honore de Balzac, a famous French writer of the 19th century, wrote the novel “A Woman of Thirty,” which became quite popular. Therefore, “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 held her son by the heel so as not to drop him, it was this part of Achilles’ body that remained vulnerable. The Trojan Paris hit Achilles in the heel with an arrow, causing the hero to die...

Modern anatomy calls the tendon above the calcaneus in humans “Achilles.” Since ancient times, the very expression “Achilles’ heel” has meant a person’s weak and vulnerable spot.

Dot all the I's

Where did this rather popular expression come from? Probably from the Middle Ages, from the copyists of books in those days.

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

By the way, this saying has a continuation and completely sounds like this: “Dot the i’s and cross the t’s.” But the second part didn’t catch on with us.

Tantalum flour

What does the expression mean "to experience tantalum torments"? Tantalus - according to ancient Greek mythology, the king of Sipila in Phrygia, who, for an insult to the gods, was overthrown 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 the trees and the branches with fruits were very close - you just had to reach out. However, as soon as Tantalus tried to pick the fruit or drink water, the branch deviated from him to the side, and the water flowed away. Tantalum torment means the inability to get what you want, which is very close.

Stalemate situation

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. The result is a draw. The expression “stalemate” may well mean the impossibility of any action on both sides, perhaps even in some way meaning the situation is hopeless.