Phrases and their meanings. Catch phrases and their meaning. Blood with milk

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 01:54

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 02:32

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 02:35

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 02:37

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 03:13

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 03:15

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

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 03:16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 03:17

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

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

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

29 November 2012, 03:32

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goof

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

Latest Chinese Warning

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

hang dogs

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

quiet glanders

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

Big boss

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

Case burnt out

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

Leave in English

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

Blue blood

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

And a no brainer

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

Wash the bones

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

The highlight of the program

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

Not by washing, so by skating

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

Seven Fridays in a week

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

Scapegoat

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

Master (doctor) of sour cabbage soup

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

Not at ease

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

Eat a pood of salt

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

cut off hunk

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

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

pears hang around

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

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

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

Information taken from various sources on the web

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Liked: 1 user

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

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

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

Word usage examples phrase in the context

phrase