06.04.2022
Proverbs that have become catchphrases. Sayings, catchphrases, quotes
And Vaska listens and eats
Quote from the fable by I. A. Krylov (1769–1844) “The Cat and the Cook” (1813). Used when talking about a person who is deaf to reproaches and, despite any admonitions, continues to do his job.
And you, friends, no matter how you sit down,
You're not fit to be a musician
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “Quartet” (1811). Used in relation to a poorly performing team, in which things are not going well because there is no unity, agreement, professionalism, competence, or a clear understanding of each person’s own and common task.
And the casket just opened
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Casket” (1808). A certain “mechanical sage” tried to open the casket and was looking for the special secret of its lock. But since there was no secret, he did not find it and “left the box behind.”
But I couldn’t figure out how to open it,
And the casket simply opened.
This phrase is used when talking about some matter, an issue in the resolution of which there was no need to look for a complex solution, since there is a simple one.
And he, the rebellious one, asks for a storm,
As if there is peace in the storms!
Quote from the poem by M. Yu. Lermontov (1814–1841) “Sail” (1841).
Who are the judges?
Quote from the comedy by A. S. Griboedov (1795–1829) “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Chatsky:
Who are the judges? - In ancient times
Their enmity towards a free life is irreconcilable,
Judgments are drawn from forgotten newspapers
The times of the Ochakovskys and the conquest of Crimea.
The phrase is used to emphasize contempt for the opinions of authorities who are no better than those whom they are trying to teach, blame, criticize, etc.
And happiness was so possible
So close!
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” by A. S. Pushkin (1799–1837), ch. 8 (1832).
Administrative delight
Words from the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky (1821–1881) “Demons” (1871). An ironic expression meaning intoxication with power.
Ay, Moska! know she's strong
What barks at an elephant
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Elephant and the Pug” (1808). It is used when we are talking about someone’s senseless attacks on someone who is obviously superior to his “enemy” (critic, detractor, aggressor, etc.).
Alexander the Great is a hero, but why break the chairs?
Quote from the comedy “The Inspector General” (1836) by N.V. Gogol (1809–1852), the words of the Governor about the teacher: “He is a learned head - this is obvious, and he has picked up a lot of information, but he only explains with such fervor that he does not remember himself. I listened to him once: well, for now I was talking about the Assyrians and Babylonians - nothing yet, but when I got to Alexander the Great, I can’t tell you what happened to him. I thought it was a fire, by God! He ran away from the pulpit and, with all his strength, grabbed the chair on the floor. It is, of course, Alexander the Great, a hero, but why break the chairs?” The phrase is used when someone goes overboard.
Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna
The heroes of N. V. Gogol's story “Old World Landowners” (1835), elderly spouses, kind and naive inhabitants, leading a calm, measured, serene life, limited by purely economic concerns. Their names have become household names for people of this type.
Oh my god! What will Princess Marya Aleksevna say?
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), Famusov’s words with which the play ends. Used to denote cowardly dependence on walking, sanctimonious morality.
Ah, evil tongues are worse than a pistol
Quote from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Molchalin.
B
Bah! all familiar faces
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Famusov:
Bah! All familiar faces!
Daughter, Sofya Pavlovna! disgraceful!
Shameless! Where! with whom!
Neither give nor take, she
Like her mother, the deceased wife.
It happened that I was with my better half
A little apart - somewhere with a man!
The phrase is used to express surprise at an unexpected meeting with someone.
Grandma said in two
This is how they say that it is unknown whether it will come true. The expression is formed by truncation of the proverb “Grandma said in two: either it rains or snows, either it will happen or it won’t.”
Bazarov. Bazarovschina
By the name of Bazarov, the hero of the famous novel by I. S. Turgenev (1818–1883) "Fathers and Sons" (1862). Bazarov is a representative of part of the Russian raznochinnoe students of the 60s. XIX century, which at that time was keen on Western European materialist philosophy in its simplified, primitive interpretation.
Hence “Bazarovism” is a collective name, meaning all the extremes of this kind of worldview, namely passion for the natural sciences, crude materialism, emphasized pragmatism of behavior, rejection of traditional art and generally accepted rules of behavior.
The madness of the brave is the wisdom of life!
We sing a song to the madness of the brave
Quote from “Song of the Falcon” (1898) by M. Gorky (1868–1936).
Beat your head
The expression is used to mean: to spend time idly, to do trifles, to idle. Baklusha - a piece of wood processed for dressing various items(spoons, cups, etc.). In handicraft production, it's like cutting off logs from logs to make wooden crafts. The figurative meaning is explained by the fact that making baklush was considered by the people to be an easy task that did not require effort or skill.
Beat with your forehead
The word “chelo” in Old Russian means “forehead”. In Ancient Rus', they hit the floor with their “brow,” that is, their forehead, falling before nobles and kings in prostrations. This was called “bowing with great custom” and expressed the utmost respect. This is where the expression “beat with the forehead” came from, meaning: to turn to the authorities with a request, to petition. In written requests - “petitions” - they wrote: “And for this, your servant Ivashko beats you with his brow...” Even later, the words “beat him with his brow” began to simply mean: “welcome.”
Bet
Means: to argue about something. In Rus', a pledge was called a pledge, as well as a bet, a bet on a win, or the bet itself. To fight meant “to bet, to argue.”
Blessed is he who believes, he is warm in the world!
Quote from the comedy by A. S. Griboyedov "Grief from the mind" (1824), Chatsky's words. The expression is used to refer to overly, unreasonably gullible people or those who are too deluded by their rosy plans and hopes.
Shoe a flea
The expression became popular after the appearance of the story “Lefty” by N. S. Leskov (1831–1895) (1881), which was created on the basis of a folk joke: “The British made a flea out of steel, but our Tula people shod it and sent it back to them.” Used in the meaning: to show extraordinary ingenuity in some matter, skill, subtle skill.
Petrel
After the appearance of “Song of the Petrel” in print (1901) In M. Gorky's literature, the petrel became a symbol of the coming revolutionary storm.
There was a case near Poltava
This expression is the first line of a poem by I. E. Molchanov (1809–1881), published in the 40–50s of the 19th century. and became a popular song. This is how they talk about some incident jokingly or boastfully.
You can be a smart person
And think about the beauty of your nails
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin. Quoted as a response to accusations of being too concerned about one’s appearance.
IN
You can't go anywhere in the carriage of the past
Quote from M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” (1902), words by Satin. Instead of “nowhere,” “far” is often quoted.
To Moscow, to Moscow, to Moscow!
In the play “Three Sisters” (1901) by A.P. Chekhov (1860–1904), this phrase is repeated with longing by the sisters, suffocating in the mud of provincial life, but not having the will to get out of it. This phrase is used to describe fruitless dreams.
In some kingdom, not in our state
The traditional beginning of many Russian folk tales. Used to mean: somewhere, unknown where.
There is no truth in my feet
Now used as a playful invitation to sit down. There are several possible origins for this phrase:
- According to the first version, the combination is due to the fact that in the XV–XVIII centuries. in Rus', debtors were severely punished, beaten with iron rods on their bare legs, seeking repayment of the debt, i.e., “truth,” but such punishment could not force those who did not have money to repay the debt;
- according to the second version, the expression arose due to the fact that the landowner, having discovered that something was missing, gathered the peasants and forced them to stand until the culprit was named;
- the third version reveals a connection between the expression and pravezh (cruel punishment for non-payment of debts). If the debtor fled from the law, they said that there was no truth at his feet, that is, it was impossible to get out of the debt; With the abolition of the law, the meaning of the saying changed.
You can't harness it to one cart
Horse and trembling doe
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Poltava” (1829).
Everything in a person should be beautiful: his face, his clothes, his soul, his thoughts.
Quote from A.P. Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” (1897); These words are spoken by Doctor Astrov. Often only the first half of a sentence is quoted.
The great, powerful, truthful and free Russian language
Quote from the prose poem by I. S. Turgenev “Russian Language” (1882).
Lord of Doom
An expression from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “To the Sea” (1825), in which the poet called Napoleon and Byron “rulers of thoughts.” In literary speech it is applied to great people whose activities had a strong influence on the minds of their contemporaries.
Power of darkness
The expression, which became a figurative definition of ignorance and cultural backwardness, became popular after the appearance of the drama by L. N. Tolstoy (1828–1910) “The Power of Darkness, or The Claw Gets Stuck - The Whole Bird is Lost” (1886).
You, Darling, look good in all your outfits
Quote from the poem by I. F. Bogdanovich (1743–1803) “Darling” (1778):
You, Darling, look good in all your outfits:
In the image of which queen are you dressed?
Are you sitting like a shepherdess near the hut,
You are a wonder of the world in everyone.
This line is better known thanks to A.S. Pushkin, who used it as an epigraph to his story “The Young Lady-Peasant” from the cycle “Belkin’s Tales”. It is used humorously and ironically as a ready-made compliment in response to women’s requests to evaluate a new dress, hairstyle, etc.
In all Ivanovo
The expression “at the top of Ivanovo (shout, scream)” is used to mean: very loudly, with all your might. Ivanovskaya is the name of the square in the Moscow Kremlin on which the Ivan the Great Bell Tower stands. There are several versions of the origin of this expression:
- on Ivanovskaya Square, sometimes the royal decrees were read publicly, in a loud voice (in the entire Ivanovskaya Square). Hence the figurative meaning of the expression;
- clerks were also sometimes punished on Ivanovskaya Square. They were beaten mercilessly with whips and batogs, causing them to scream throughout Ivanovskaya Square.
Troublemaker
This is the title of the novel (1940) by L. V. Solovyov (1898–1962) about Khoja Nasreddin, the hero of folk jokes among Azerbaijanis, Tajiks, Armenians, peoples North Caucasus, Persians and Turks. The expression “troublemaker” has become popular as a figurative description of people rebelling against indifference, bureaucracy, and various manifestations of social injustice.
The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea.
Horses eat oats and hay
Quote from A.P. Chekhov’s story “Literature Teacher” (1894). These phrases are repeated in his dying delirium by history and geography teacher Ippolit Ippolitovich, who all his life expressed only well-known, indisputable truths. Used to mean: well-known banal statements.
In borrowed plumes
The expression arose from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Crow” (1825). The crow, having tucked its tail into peacock feathers, went for a walk, confident that she was Pavam's sister and that everyone would look at her. But the Peahens plucked the Crow so that not even her own feathers remained on her. The crow rushed to her people, but they did not recognize her. “A crow in peacock feathers” - they say about a person who arrogates to himself other people’s merits, unsuccessfully tries to play a high role that is unusual for him, and therefore finds himself in a comical situation.
Getting into trouble
The expression is used to mean: to be in an unpleasant, awkward or disadvantageous position due to one’s oversight or ignorance. The adverb “in a mess” was formed as a result of the fusion of elements in the combination “in a mess.” Prosak is a spinning mill, a rope machine on which ropes were spun in the old days. It consisted of a complex network of ropes that stretched from the spinning wheel to the sled, where they were twisted. The camp was usually located on the street and occupied a significant space. For a spinner to get his clothes, hair or beard into a hole, that is, into a rope mill, meant, at best, to be seriously injured and tear his clothes, and at worst, to lose his life.
Vralman
The protagonist of the comedy by D. I. Fonvizin (1744/1745-1792) “The Minor” (1782), an ignorant German, a former coachman, one of the teachers of the landowner’s son, the minor Mitrofanushka. His surname, composed of the Russian “liar” and the German “Mann” (man), which fully characterizes him, became a common name for a braggart and liar.
Seriously and for a long time
Expression by V. I. Lenin (1870–1924) from a report at the IX All-Russian Congress of Soviets. About the new economic policy V.I. Lenin said: “...we are pursuing this policy seriously and for a long time, but, of course, as has already been correctly noted, not forever.”
Everything will pass like smoke from white apple trees
Quote from the poem by S. A. Yesenin (1895–1925) “I don’t regret, I don’t call, I don’t cry...” (1922):
I do not regret, do not call, do not cry,
Everything will pass like smoke from white apple trees.
Withered in gold,
I won't be young anymore.
It is quoted as consolation, as advice to approach life calmly, philosophically, since everything passes - both good and bad.
Everything is mixed up in the Oblonskys' house
Quote from L.N. Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina” (1875): “Everything was mixed up in the Oblonskys’ house. The wife found out that her husband was in a relationship with a French governess who was in their house, and announced to her husband that she could not live with him in the same house... The wife did not leave her room, the husband was not at home for the third day. The children ran around the house as if lost; the Englishwoman quarreled with the housekeeper and wrote a note to a friend, asking her to find a new place for her; the cook left the yard yesterday during lunch; the black cook and coachman asked for payment.” The quote is used as a figurative definition of confusion, confusion.
Everything is fine, beautiful marquise
Quote from the poem (1936) by A. I. Bezymensky (1898–1973) “Everything is fine” (French folk song). The Marquise, who has been away for fifteen days, calls her estate on the phone and asks one of the servants: “Well, how are things going with you?” He answers:
Everything is fine, beautiful marquise,
Things are going well and life is easy
Not a single sad surprise
Except for a trifle!So... nonsense...
An empty matter...
Your mare has died!
Everything is fine, everything is fine.
The coachman answered the marquise’s question: “How did this death happen?” – answers:
What's wrong with the mare:
Empty business!
She and the stable burned down!
But otherwise, beautiful marquise,
Everything is fine, everything is fine.
But otherwise,
beautiful marquise,
Everything is fine, everything is fine!
All this would be funny
If only it weren't so sad
Quote from the poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “A. O. Smirnova" (1840):
I want to tell you a lot without you,
I want to listen to you in front of you...
What to do?.. With unskillful speech
I can’t occupy your mind...
All this would be funny
If only it weren't so sad.
It is used as a commentary on an outwardly tragicomic, funny, but essentially very serious, alarming situation.
Wash dirty linen in public
Used to mean: to disclose troubles, quarrels that concern only a narrow circle of people. The expression is usually used with negation, as a call not to disclose the details of such quarrels (there is no need to wash dirty linen in public). It is associated with the ancient custom of not taking garbage out of the hut, but burning it (for example, in a stove), since an evil person could supposedly send trouble to the owner of the hut by uttering special words over the garbage.
G
Galloping across Europe
This is the title of the travel essays of the poet A. A. Zharov (1904–1984), reflecting the cursory impressions he took from his trip to Western Europe (1928). The title is explained by the fact that Zharov and his companions, the poets I. Utkin and A. Bezymensky, were forced to greatly reduce their stay in Czechoslovakia and Austria at the request of the police.
M. Gorky, in his article “On the Benefits of Literacy” (1928), used Zharov’s expression “galloping across Europe,” but to address some authors of frivolous essays about life abroad, who provide readers with incorrect information. The expression is used as a definition of superficial observations in general.
Hamburg account
In 1928 A collection of literary critical articles, notes and essays by V. Shklovsky (1893–1984) entitled “The Hamburg Account” was published. The meaning of this name is explained in a brief programmatic article that opens the collection: “The Hamburg account is an extremely important concept. All wrestlers, when they fight, cheat and lie down on their shoulder blades on the orders of the entrepreneur. Once a year, wrestlers gather in a Hamburg tavern. They fight behind closed doors and curtained windows. Long, ugly and hard. Here the true classes of fighters are established, so as not to get shortchanged. The Hamburg account is necessary in literature." In conclusion, the article names several famous contemporary writers who, in the author’s opinion, do not stand up to the Hamburg count. Subsequently, Shklovsky recognized this article as “cocky” and incorrect. But the expression “Hamburg account” then became popular, initially in the literary community, as a definition of the assessment of any work of literature or art without discounts and concessions, and then became more widespread and began to be used in the assessment of certain social phenomena.
Hero of our time
The title of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov (1840), possibly inspired by “The Knight of Our Time” by N. M. Karamzin. Allegorically: a person whose thoughts and deeds most fully express the spirit of modernity. The expression is used in a positive sense or ironically, in accordance with the personality of the person to whom it is applied.
The hero is not my novel
Chatsky
But Skalozub? What a treat!
Stands up for the army,
And with the straightness of the waist,
In face and voice - a hero...
Sophia
Not my novel.
The expression is used to mean: not to my taste.
Burn the hearts of people with the verb
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Prophet” (1828).
Used in the meaning: ardently, passionately preach, teach.
Eye, speed, pressure
Aphorism of the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov. With these words, in his “Science of Conquering” (written in 1796, first edition 1806) he defined the “three arts of war.”
A stupid penguin timidly hides its fat body in the rocks
Quote from “Song of the Petrel” (1901) by M. Gorky.
Rotten liberalism
An expression by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (1826–1889) from the satirical essay (1875) “The Lords of Silence” (from the series “In the midst of moderation and accuracy”), which became synonymous with unprincipledness, conciliation, connivance.
Hunger is not a thing
This is what they say about severe hunger, forcing one to take some kind of action. These words are part of an extended expression written down back in the 17th century: hunger is not an aunt’s, he won’t slip a pie, i.e., an aunt (godfather, mother-in-law) will help in difficult cases, feed you nourishingly and tasty food, but hunger can only push you to do many unwanted things. actions.
Woe from mind
The title of the comedy by A. S. Griboyedov.
D
Was there a boy?
One of the episodes of M. Gorky’s novel “The Life of Klim Samgin” (1927) 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 a catchphrase, as a figurative expression of extreme doubt about something.
Yes, but things are still there
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “Swan, Pike and Cancer” (1814). Used to mean: things don’t move, they stand still, and fruitless conversations take place around them.
The lady is nice in every way
An expression from N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842): “Whatever name you come up with, there will certainly be in some corner of our state, - the good thing is great, - someone wearing it, and he will certainly get angry ... and therefore Let's call the lady to whom the guest came, as she legally acquired, for, of course, she spared nothing to become amiable to the last degree, although, of course, through the amiability, oh, what a nimble agility of a woman's character crept in! and although sometimes in every nice word there was a pin sticking out of it..."
Give oak
Used to mean “to die.” There are two versions of the origin of this expression:
- The phrase arose on Russian soil and is associated with the verb zadubet - “to cool down, lose sensitivity, become hard.”
- The expression originated in the south of Russia. It can be assumed that the dead were buried under the oak tree.
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 misfortune happens every day. The expression is applied to losers with whom some kind of misfortune constantly occurs.
Noble Nest
The title of the novel by I. S. Turgenev (1859), which became synonymous noble estate. This expression was used by Turgenev even earlier, in the story “My Neighbor Radilov” (1847).
Things of days gone by
Legends of deep antiquity
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1820), which is a close translation of the verses of one of Ossian’s poems, created by the English writer James Macpherson (1736–1796) and attributed by him to this legendary ancient Celtic bard. Allegorically about long-standing and unreliable events that few people remember.
In the bag
When they say “it’s in the bag,” it means: everything is in order, everything ended well. The origin of this expression is sometimes explained by the fact that in the time of Ivan the Terrible, some court cases were decided by lot, and lots were drawn from the judge’s hat. There are other explanations for the origin of the expression. Some researchers argue that clerks and clerks (they were the ones who dealt with all kinds of litigation), when dealing with court cases, used their hats to receive bribes, and if the size of the bribe suited the clerk, then “it was in the bag.”
The work of helping drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves
The satirical novel “Twelve Chairs” (1927) by I. Ilf (1897–1937) and E. Petrov (1902–1942) mentions a poster with such an absurd slogan hung in a club at an evening of the Water Rescue Society. This slogan began to be used, sometimes in a slightly modified version, as a humorous aphorism about self-help.
Time for business and time for fun
In 1656, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629–1676), the “Book of the Constable: the New Code and Order of the Falconer’s Way” was compiled, that is, a collection of rules for falconry, a favorite pastime of that time. At the end of the preface, Alexey Mikhailovich made a handwritten note: “The prelogue is bookish or his own; This parable is spiritual and physical; “Don’t forget truth and justice and merciful love and military formation: it’s time for business and fun.” The words of the postscript have become an expression that is often interpreted not quite correctly, understanding the word “time” as the larger part, and the word “hour” as the smaller part, as a result of which the expression itself is changed: “it’s time for business, but it’s time for fun.” But the king did not even think about giving only an hour out of his whole time to fun. These words express the idea that there is a time for everything - both business and fun.
Demyanova's ear
The expression is used in the meaning: forced excessive treats against the wishes of the person being treated; generally anything persistently proposed. It arose from I. A. Krylov’s fable “Demyan’s Ear” (1813). Neighbor Demyan treated neighbor Foku’s fish soup so much that he
No matter how much I loved the fish soup, it’s such a disaster,
Grabbing in his arms
Sash and hat,
Hurry home without memory -
And from that time on, I never set foot near Demyan.
Derzhimorda
The character of N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” (1836), a rude police servant who, according to Gorodnichy, “for the sake of order, puts lights under everyone’s eyes, both those who are right and those who are guilty.” His name entered literary speech with the meaning: a rude guardian of order, blindly carrying out orders from above.
Catch up and overtake
The expression arose from V. I. Lenin’s article “The Impending Catastrophe and How to Deal with It” (1917). In this article, V.I. Lenin wrote: “The revolution did what in a few months Russia, in its own way, political the formation has caught up with the advanced countries. But this is not enough. War is inexorable, it poses the question with merciless sharpness: either perish, or catch up with the advanced countries and overtake them as well. economically". The same slogan - “catch up and overtake America!” – was put forward again in the 1960s. First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N. S. Khrushchev (1894–1971). Quoted as a call to win a competition (usually economic) with someone. Used both literally and ironically.
Dr. Aibolit
The hero of the fairy tale by K. I. Chukovsky (1882–1969) “Aibolit” (1929). The name of the “good doctor” Aibolit began to be used (at first by children) as a playfully affectionate name for a doctor.
Domostroy
“Domostroy” is a monument of Russian literature of the 16th century, which is a set of everyday rules and moral teachings. These rules, set out in more than sixty chapters, were based on a firmly developed worldview that had developed under the influence of the church. “Domostroy” teaches “how to believe,” “how to honor the king,” “how to live with wives and children and household members,” and normalizes home life and household management. The ideal of any economy, according to Domostroi, is hoarding, which should help to acquire wealth, which is achievable only under the condition of the autocracy of the head of the family. The husband, according to Domostroy, is the head of the family, the master of his wife, and Domostroy indicates in detail in what cases he must beat his wife, etc. Hence the word “Domostroy” means: a conservative way of family life, a morality that affirms slavish woman's position.
Fight like Sidorov's goat
Used in the meaning: to flog, beat someone strongly, cruelly and mercilessly. The name Sidor among the people was often associated with the idea of an evil or grumpy person, and a goat, according to popular ideas, is an animal with a harmful character.
Darling
The heroine of the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov (1899), an ingenuous woman who changes her interests and views as her lovers change, through whose eyes she looks at life. The image of Chekhov's “darling” also characterizes people who change their beliefs and views depending on who is influencing them at a given time.
Breathing on your last breath
This is what they say about a thin, weak, sickly-looking person who does not have long to live. The expression is based on the religious symbolism of the word “incense”. In the church, incense is burned (they rock a vessel containing smoking incense). This rite is performed, in particular, before the dead or dying.
E
There is life in the old dog yet
Quote from N.V. Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba” (1842). Allegorically about the ability to do a lot more; about good health, good health, or the great potential of a person who is capable of many significant things, although those around him no longer expect this from him.
There is something to despair about
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824). Chatsky, interrupting Repetilov’s lies, tells him:
Listen, lie, but know when to stop;
There is something to despair about.
There is ecstasy in battle,
And the dark abyss on the edge
Quote from the dramatic scene of A. S. Pushkin “A Feast during the Plague” (1832), song of the chairman of the feast. Used as a formula to justify unnecessarily risky behavior.
AND
Alive Smoking Room
An expression from a folk children's song sung when playing "Smoking Room". The players sit in a circle and pass each other a burning splinter with the refrain: “The Smoking Room is alive, alive, thin legs, short soul.” The one in whose hands the torch goes out leaves the circle. This is where the expression “the Smoking Room is alive” came from, used as a playful exclamation when referring to the ongoing activities of insignificant people, as well as the continuous activities of someone in difficult conditions.
Living water
In Russian folk tales there is magical water that revives the dead and gives heroic strength.
Live and let others live
The first line of the poem by G. R. Derzhavin (1743–1816) “On the Birth of Queen Gremislava” (1798):
Live and let others live,
But not at the expense of another;
Always be happy with yours
Don't touch anything else:
Here is the rule, the path is straight
For the happiness of each and everyone.
Derzhavin is the author of this poetic formula, but not the very thought contained in it, which has long existed as a proverb in different languages. Its French version was also widely known in Russia - “Vivons et laissons vivre les autres”. The authorship of this idea is unknown. But in any case, its Russian translation became an aphorism thanks to G.R. Derzhavin.
By Queen Gremislava the poet means the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. According to legend, the expression “live and let others live” was her favorite saying.
Allegorically: a call to be attentive to the interests of other people, to seek a compromise with them, a certain formula of coexistence that suits everyone.
Living Dead
The expression became widespread after the appearance of the drama “The Living Corpse” (1911) by L. N. Tolstoy, the hero of which, Fedya Protasov, feigning suicide, hides from his wife and people of his circle and lives among the dregs of society, being in his own eyes a “living corpse” . Now the expression “living corpse” is used in the sense of: a degraded person, morally devastated, as well as in general something deadened that has outlived its usefulness.
3
Out of reach
The expression belongs to Admiral F.V. Dubasov (1845–1912), known for the brutal suppression of the Moscow armed uprising. In his “victorious” report to Nicholas II dated December 22, 1905, Dubasov wrote: “Retreating, the rebels, on the one hand, tried and managed to quickly remove the elected leaders beyond the reach of, on the other hand, they left scattered, but the most irreconcilable and embittered fighters... I cannot recognize the rebellious movement as completely suppressed.”
Far away.
Far away [thirtieth] kingdom
An expression often found in Russian folk tales with the meaning: far away, in an unknown distance.
Forget yourself and fall asleep!
Quote from the poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “I go out alone on the road”:
I don't expect anything from life,
And I don’t regret the past at all;
I'm looking for freedom and peace!
I would like to forget myself and fall asleep!
Shabby look
This expression appeared under Peter I (1672–1725). Zatrapeznikov is the name of a merchant whose factory produced very coarse and low-quality fabric. Since then, this has been said about a sloppily dressed person.
Abstruse language. Zaum
Terms created by the poet and futurism theorist A.E. Kruchenykh. In the “Declaration of the Word as Such” (1913), the essence of “zaumi” is defined as follows: “Thought and speech do not keep pace with the experience of the inspired, therefore the artist is free to express himself not only common language... but also personal... not having a specific meaning... abstruse. On the basis of this far-fetched false theory, futurist poets created words devoid of any substantive and semantic meaning; they wrote, for example, the following poems: “Serzha melepeta was overshadowed by ok rizum meleva alik.” Therefore, the terms “abstruse” and “abstruse language” began to be used to mean: a language incomprehensible to the broad masses, generally nonsense.
Hello, young, unfamiliar tribe!
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Once again I visited / That corner of the earth...” (1835):
Hello tribe
Young, unfamiliar! not me
I will see your mighty late age,
When you outgrow my friends
And you will cover their old head
From the eyes of a passerby...
It is used as a humorous and solemn greeting addressed to youth and young colleagues.
Green grapes
The expression came into wide circulation after the appearance of I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes” (1808). The fox, who cannot reach the high-hanging bunches of grapes, says:
He looks good,
Yes it is green - there are no ripe berries,
You'll set your teeth on edge right away.
Used to denote imaginary contempt for something that cannot be achieved.
Hot spot
An expression from an Orthodox funeral prayer (“...in a place of peace, in a place of peace...”). This is how heaven is called in texts in Church Slavonic. The figurative meaning of this expression is “a cheerful place” or “a satisfying place” (such a place in old Russia could be a tavern). Over time, this expression acquired a negative connotation - a place where they indulge in revelry and debauchery.
AND
And the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words of Chatsky, who returned from his trip. Recalling old Muscovites with sarcasm, he says:
I am destined to see them again!
Will you get tired of living with them, and in whom you won’t find any stains?
When you wander, you return home,
And the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us.
Griboyedov’s last phrase is a not entirely accurate quote from G. R. Derzhavin’s poem “The Harp” (1798):
Good news about our side is dear to us:
Fatherland and smoke is sweet and pleasant to us.
Derzhavin’s phrase came into wide circulation, of course, as a quote from Griboyedov’s comedy. Allegorically about love, affection for one’s fatherland, when even the smallest signs of one’s own, dear one cause joy and tenderness.
And live in a hurry and feel in a hurry
Quote from the poem by P. A. Vyazemsky (1792–1878) “The First Snow” (1822). Taken by A. S. Pushkin as an epigraph to the 1st chapter of “Eugene Onegin.” Allegorically: 1. About a person who, although he is in a hurry, cannot complete anything. 2. About someone who strives to take as much as possible from life, to enjoy everything, without particularly thinking about the price that will have to be paid for it.
And it’s boring, and sad, and there’s no one to give a hand to
Quote from M. Yu. Lermontov’s poem “Both Boring and Sad” (1840):
And it’s boring, and sad, and there’s no one to give a hand to
In a moment of spiritual adversity...
Desires! What benefit is there to wish for in vain and forever?
And the years pass - all the best years...
Allegorically about loneliness, the absence of loved ones.
And again the battle!
Rest only in our dreams
Quote from the poem by A. A. Blok (1880–1921) “On the Kulikovo Field” (1909). Allegorically about the determination to fight further to achieve the goal.
And the one who walks through life singing,
He will never disappear anywhere
Chorus of the popular march from the film “Jolly Fellows” (1934), lyrics by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach (1898–1949), music by I. O. Dunaevsky (1900–1955).
Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforov
Characters from “The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich” (1834) by N. V. Gogol. The names of these two Mirgorod inhabitants have become household names for people who constantly quarrel with each other, synonymous with squabbles and gossip.
Ivan Nepomniachtchi
IN In Tsarist Russia, captured escaped convicts, hiding their past, hid their real first and last names, called themselves Ivans and said that they did not remember their relationship; the police recorded them as “not remembering their kinship,” hence their nickname “Ivan Nepomniachtchi.”
I'm coming at you
Prince Svyatoslav, starting the war, announced to the enemy in advance: “I want to go against you.” N. M. Karamzin (1766–1826), relaying the chronicle legend, cites Svyatoslav’s phrase in the form: “I’m coming at you!” The phrase became popular in the editorial office: “I’m coming to you.” Used in the meaning: I intend to enter into confrontation, argument, dispute, etc.
A spark will ignite a flame
Quote from a poem by the Decembrist poet A. I. Odoevsky (1802–1839), written in Siberia in response to the poetic message of A. S. Pushkin (1826), addressed to the Decembrists exiled to hard labor (“In the depths of the Siberian ores / Keep proud patience ...").
Allegorically about faith in success, the victory of one’s business, despite its difficult beginning.
For the love of art
An expression from the vaudeville of D. T. Lensky (1805–1860) “Lev Gurych Sinichkin” (1839). One of the vaudeville characters, Count Zefirov, is after pretty actresses, playing the patron of the arts who patronizes the local troupe. His favorite expression, which he repeats every minute: “For the love of art.”
Used in the meaning: out of love for the work itself, occupation, without any selfish goals.
From a beautiful distance
An expression from N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842): “Rus! Rus! I see you from my wonderful, beautiful distance, I see you” (almost the entire 1st volume of “Dead Souls” was written by Gogol abroad). It is quoted as a playfully ironic designation of a place where a person is freed from ordinary worries, difficulties, and problems.
A hut on chicken legs
In Russian folk tales, Baba Yaga lives in such a hut. This figurative name comes from those wooden log houses that in the old days, in order to protect them from rotting, were placed on stumps with the roots cut off.
Highlight
The expression arose from a popular proverb: “Kvass is not dear, but the zest in kvass is dear.” It 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 playing you won’t be forgotten...” Used in the meaning: something that gives a special taste, attractiveness to something (a dish, a story, a person, etc.).
TO
Kazan orphan
This is the name given to a person who pretends to be unhappy, offended, helpless in order to evoke the sympathy of compassionate people. With this expression during the time of Ivan the Terrible (1530–1584) they jokingly called the Tatar princes who converted to Christianity after the conquest of Kazan and sought honors at the royal court. In their petitions they often called themselves orphans. Another option is also possible: after the conquest of Kazan, many beggars appeared who pretended to be victims of the war and said that their parents died during the siege of Kazan.
Like a squirrel in a wheel
An expression from I. A. Krylov’s fable “Squirrel” (1833):
Look at another businessman:
He fusses, rushes about, everyone marvels at him:
He seems to be breaking out of his skin,
Yes, but everything doesn’t move forward,
Like a squirrel in a wheel.
The expression is used to mean: constantly fussing, fussing without visible results.
No matter what happens
Words of teacher Belikov from A.P. Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case” (1898). Quoted as the definition of cowardice, alarmism.
How did you come to live like this?
Quote from a poem N. A. Nekrasova (1821–1878) "Poor and elegant" (1861):
Let’s call her over and ask her:
“How did you come to live like this?..”
Used to express bewilderment and regret about the troubles that befell a person.
Like under every leaf
The table and the house were ready
Quote from the fable “The Dragonfly and the Ant” (1808) by I. A. Krylov. The expression is given to characterize easily, effortlessly achieved material security.
Like water off a duck's back
Due to the fatty lubricant of the feathers, water easily rolls off the goose. This observation led to the appearance of this expression. It is used to denote a person who is indifferent to everything, doesn’t care about everything.
How beautiful, how fresh the roses were...
This line is from the poem “Roses” by I. P. Myatlev (1796–1844). It is used when they sadly remember something joyful, bright, but long past.
Capital to acquire and innocence to maintain
An expression popularized by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin (“Letters to Auntie” (1882), “Little Things in Life” (1887), “Mon Repos Shelter” (1879), etc.). Used in the meaning: to satisfy one’s selfish interests, while trying to maintain the reputation of a disinterested person, an altruist.
Karamazovism
A word that came into widespread use after the publication of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov” (1879–1880). This word denotes the extreme degree of moral irresponsibility and cynicism (“everything is allowed”), which constitute the essence of the worldview and morals of the main characters.
Karataev.
Karataevshchina
Platon Karataev is one of the heroes of L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace” (1865–1869). His humility and meekly gentle attitude towards any manifestation of evil (“non-resistance to evil”) expresses, according to Tolstoy, the essence of the Russian peasantry, genuine folk wisdom.
Kiseynaya young lady [girl]
Apparently, for the first time this expression entered literary speech from the novel by N. G. Pomyalovsky (1835–1863) “Pittish Happiness” (1861). Used to mean: a cutesy, pampered girl with a limited outlook.
Knock out a wedge with a wedge
It means “to get rid of something (bad, difficult) by acting as if it does not exist, or by resorting to exactly what caused it.” The expression is associated with wood splitting, in which logs are split by driving a wedge into a crack made with an ax. If the wedge gets stuck in the wood without splitting it, then you can knock it out (and at the same time split the log) only with a second, thicker wedge.
Kolomenskaya verst
This is the name given to long and thin people. In the 17th century, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, on the “pillar” road (that is, a road with mileposts) between Moscow and the royal summer residence in the village of Kolomenskoye, distances were re-measured and “versts” were installed - especially high mileposts, from which and this expression started.
Who can live well in Rus'?
The title of the poem by N. A. Nekrasov, the first chapter of which was published in 1866. Seven peasants, having argued about
Who has fun?
Freely in Rus', -
they decide not to return home until they find an answer to this question, and walk around Rus' in search of “who can live well in Rus'.” Quoted as a humorous and ironic commentary on all kinds of sociological studies, surveys, their results, etc.
Kondrashka had enough
This is what they say if someone suddenly died or passed away (about apoplexy, paralysis). There are several versions of the origin of the turnover:
- the phraseological unit goes back to the name of Kondraty Bulavin, the leader of the popular uprising on the Don in 1707;
- Kondrashka is a euphemistic name for death, serious illness, paralysis, characteristic of popular superstition.
Ends in the water
The expression is associated with the name of Ivan the Terrible. Repressions against the population under this tsar sometimes took on such a scale that they embarrassed even Ivan himself. In such cases, in order to hide the true scale of the executions, people who died from torture were secretly thrown into the river. Hiding the loose ends means covering up the traces of the crime.
The horse didn't lie
Used to mean: nothing has been done yet, the work is still far from starting. The origin of the turnover is associated with the habit of horses to wallow before allowing a collar or saddle to be put on, which delayed work.
Box
Character from N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842): “... one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures, losses... and meanwhile they gradually collect money in colorful bags placed in dresser drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty rubles into another, quarters into a third, although from the outside it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except linen, night blouses, skeins of thread, and a torn cloak, which can then turn into a dress if the old one will somehow burn out while baking holiday cakes with all sorts of yarn, or it will wear out on its own. But the dress will not burn or fray on its own; the old woman is thrifty, and the cloak is destined to lie for a long time in a ripped state, and then, according to the spiritual will, go to the niece of her grand-sister along with all other rubbish.” The name Korobochka has become synonymous with a person who lives by petty interests, a petty skopid.
Blood with milk
This is what they say about a ruddy, healthy person. An expression from Russian folklore, which combines folk ideas about the beauty of color: red as blood and white as milk. In Rus', a white face and blush on the cheeks have long been considered a sign of beauty, which was evidence of good health.
The cuckoo praises the rooster
Because he praises the cuckoo
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Cuckoo and the Rooster” (1841):
Why, without fear of sin,
Does the cuckoo praise the rooster?
Because he praises the cuckoo.
L
Extraordinary lightness in thoughts
The words of the boastful Khlestakov in N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” (1836): “However, there are many of mine: The Marriage of Figaro, Robert the Devil, Norma. I don’t even remember the names; And it all happened by chance: I didn’t want to write, but the theater management said: “Please, brother, write something.” I think to myself: “If you please, brother!” And then in one evening, it seems, he wrote everything, astonishing everyone. I have an extraordinary lightness in my thoughts.”
Get into trouble
It means: in rage and blindness, to go against common sense to obvious death, to “run into” trouble. “Rozhnom” in the Old Russian language (and now in local dialects) was the name for a pointed stake. When hunting a bear, daredevils put a sharp stake in front of them when they went at it. Having run into trouble, the bear died. The expression “to fight against the prick” or, conversely, “you can’t trample against the prick” has the same origin. Hence the “don’t care” in the sense: there is nothing.
Extra people.
Extra person
From “The Diary of an Extra Man” (1850) by I. S. Turgenev. The image of the “superfluous man” was very popular in Russian literature of the 19th century. as a type of nobleman who, in the current socio-political conditions, does not find a place for himself in life, cannot self-realize and suffers from this, languishing in inactivity. The very interpretation of the “superfluous person” - precisely as a very specific social type - served for many authors of those years as a form of indirect, non-political protest against the prevailing living conditions in Russia.
Usually the expression is used in relation to people who are in some way similar to these heroes of Russian classical literature.
A ray of light in a dark kingdom
The title of the article (1860) by N. A. Dobrolyubov (1836–1861), dedicated to the drama “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky (1823–1886). Dobrolyubov views the suicide of the heroine of the drama, Katerina, as a protest against the tyranny and tyranny of the “dark kingdom.” This protest is passive, but it indicates that the oppressed masses are already awakening to the consciousness of their natural rights, that the time of slavish obedience is passing. That’s why Dobrolyubov called Katerina “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Allegorically: a joyful, bright phenomenon (a kind, pleasant person) in some difficult, depressing situation.
Less is more
Title of the article (1923) by V.I. Lenin. The phrase is a symbol of the priority of quality over quantity.
Love for all ages
Quote from the poem “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin. Used as a playfully ironic commentary on the passionate, youthful feelings of an elderly man.
Ogress Ellochka
“William Shakespeare’s dictionary, according to researchers, is 12,000 words. The dictionary of a black man from the cannibal tribe “Mumbo-Yumbo” is 300 words.
Ellochka Shchukina easily and freely made do with thirty.”
This is how Chapter XXII, Part II “Ellochka the Ogress” begins in the novel by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov “The Twelve Chairs” (1928).
In the vocabulary of the bourgeois Ellochka, words such as “famous”, “darkness”, “creep”, “guy”, “taxo”, etc., serve to express all her wretched feelings and thoughts. Her name has become a household name for people who pepper their meager speech with made-up words and vulgarisms.
Sharpen the laces
The expression “to sharpen your lasses” means “to chat nonsense, to engage in frivolous, pointless conversation.” The expression comes from a simple ancient work - the manufacture of balusters: turned posts for railings. Lyasy - presumably the same as balusters, balusters. A baluster was a turner who made balusters (in a figurative sense - a joker, funny man, joker). The baluster craft was considered fun and easy, not requiring special concentration and giving the master the opportunity to sing, joke, and chat with others.
M
Manilov. Manilovschina
Manilov is one of the heroes of N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842), a landowner, cloyingly sweet in his treatment of his family and guests, a sentimental, fruitless dreamer.
Disservice
The expression arose from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear” (1808). Used to mean: an inept, awkward service that brings harm or trouble instead of help.
Dead Souls
The title of the poem by N.V. Gogol, main character in which Chichikov, for speculative purposes, buys “dead souls” from landowners, who, according to documents, were listed as alive before the next census. The expression has become popular in its meaning: people fictitiously registered somewhere, as well as people “dead in spirit.”
Philistine happiness
Title of the story (1861) by N. G. Pomyalovsky. Used to mean: life without high goals, aspirations, filled with small, everyday worries, acquisitions, etc.
A million torments
Chatsky’s words in A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824):
Yes, there is no urine: a million torments
Breasts from friendly vices,
Feet from shuffling, ears from exclamations,
And worse than my head from all sorts of trifles.
The expression became popular thanks to the widely known article “A Million Torments” (1872) by writer Ivan Goncharov (1812–1891), who reinterpreted Griboyedov’s expression in it in the spirit of his time - spiritual, moral torment.
It is used humorously and ironically: in relation to all kinds of nervous, long, varied efforts, as well as to heavy thoughts and doubts regarding some important matter.
Pass us away more than all sorrows
And lordly anger and lordly love
Quote from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit”, words from the maid Lisa. Allegorically: it is better to stay away from the special attention of people on whom you depend, since there is only one step from their love to their hatred.
Mitrofan
The main character of the comedy “The Minor” (1782) by D. I. Fonvizin is a stupid landowner’s son, a spoiled minor, a lazy person, incapable of learning. His name became a household name for people of this type.
I don't care about your gift
Dear your love
An expression from the Russian folk song “On the Pavement Street”:
Oh, my darling is good,
Chernobrov, soul, handsome,
He brought me a gift,
Dear gift,
A gold ring from the hand.
Your gift is not dear to me, -
Dear is your love.
I don't want to wear a ring
I want to love my friend like that.
The meaning of the expression: what is important is not the cost and sophistication of the gift, but the feelings that it is intended to express.
My universities
The title of an autobiographical story (1923) by M. Gorky; He calls the school of life he went through universities.
The expression is often used by replacing the word “my” with another that suits the occasion.
Young everywhere at we are dear
Quote from “Song of the Motherland” in the film “Circus” (1936), text by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach, music by I. O. Dunaevsky. It is used both literally and ironically, depending on the situation.
Milk rivers and jelly banks
An expression from a Russian folk tale. Used as a figurative definition of a carefree, free life.
Molchalin. Silence
Molchalin is a character in A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), a type of careerist, obsequious and modest before his superiors; He defines his virtues in two words: “moderation and accuracy.” His name and the word “silence” that arose from it became synonymous with careerism and servility.
Moscow... so much in this sound
For the Russian heart it has merged!
How much resonated with him!
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin. Expresses admiration for the capital of Russia, the historical and national characteristics of Moscow, and its appearance.
We all learned a little,
Something and somehow
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin. Used when talking about amateurism, shallow, superficial knowledge in any area.
We cannot wait for favors from nature; taking them from her is our task
The expression belongs to the Soviet biologist-geneticist breeder I.V. Michurin (1855–1935), who in practice, on a large scale, showed the possibility of changing the hereditary forms of organisms, adapting them to human needs. Quoted ironically about the absurd, objectively harmful plans for the interests of humanity to “conquer” nature. The phrase is a symbol of consumer attitude towards nature.
We plowed
Quote from the fable by I. I. Dmitriev (1760–1837) “The Fly” (1803):
The ox with the plow trudged through his labors to rest,
And the Fly sat on his horns,
And they met Mukha on the way.
“Where are you from, sister?” – this was the question.
And she, raising her nose,
In response he says to her: “Where from?” –
We were plowing!”
The quote is used to characterize people who want to show that they took an active part in some work, although in reality their role was insignificant and they attribute to themselves the merits of others.
We were born to make a fairy tale come true
Quote from the poem by P. D. German (1894–1952) “Everything Higher,” dedicated to Soviet pilots:
We were born to make a fairy tale come true,
Overcome space and space.
The mind gave us steel arms - wings,
And instead of a heart there is a fiery motor...
The poem set to music gained wide popularity, and its first line became famous. Used ironically in relation to discredited socialist doctrines and political slogans. Also used as humorous self-praise.
N
To grandfather's village
In A. P. Chekhov’s story “Vanka” (1886), a nine-year-old peasant boy, Vanka Zhukov, brought from the village to Moscow and apprenticed to a shoemaker, writes a letter to his grandfather. “Vanka folded the covered sheet of paper into four and put it in an envelope he had bought the day before for a penny... After thinking a little, he dipped his pen and wrote the address: “To grandfather’s village.” Then he scratched himself, thought and added: “To Konstantin Makarych.” The expression “to grandfather’s village” is used jokingly when talking about an inaccurate address or its absence.
At the bottom
“At the Bottom” is the title of M. Gorky’s play, first staged at the Moscow Art Theater on December 18, 1902. The first edition of the play, published the same year in Munich, was entitled “At the Bottom of Life.” According to I. A. Bunin, Leonid Andreev advised Gorky to give the play the title “At the Bottom” instead of “At the Bottom of Life”.
These expressions are used when talking about the lowest rung of the social ladder, about the actual “dropping out” of normal life.
At the dawn of foggy youth
Quote from the poem “Separation” (1840) by A. V. Koltsov (1809–1842), set to music by A. Gurilev (1803–1858) and other composers. Used to mean: once upon a time, a long time ago.
Cuts the soles as you go
The expression originated from a Russian folk tale about thieves. The old thief agreed to take a young guy as his comrade, but with a persuasion: “I’ll take it... if you steal eggs from under a wild duck, you’ll steal them so that she won’t hear and won’t fly from the nest.” - “What a curiosity!” – the guy answered. So they set off together, found a duck’s nest and crawled towards it on their belly. While the uncle (thief) was still creeping up, the guy had already taken all the eggs from the nest, and so cunningly that the bird did not even move a feather; Yes, not only did he pick out the eggs, but in passing he cut out the soles of the old thief’s boots. “Well, Vanka, there’s nothing to teach you, you’re a great master yourself!” This is how they jokingly talk about a cunning, cunning person, capable of fraudulent tricks.
The song helps us build and live
Quote from the “March of the Cheerful Guys”, words by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach, music by I. O. Dunaevsky from the film “Merry Guys” (1934).
The people are silent
The tragedy of A. S. Pushkin “Boris Godunov” (1831) ends with the following scene: boyar Masalsky, one of the murderers of Boris Godunov’s widow and her son, announces to the people: “People! Maria Godunova and her son Theodore poisoned themselves. We saw their dead bodies. (The people are silent in horror.) Why are you silent? Shout: long live Tsar Dimitri Ivanovich! (The people are silent.)"
The last remark, having become a catchphrase, is used when it comes to: 1. About the resigned obedience of the people to the authorities, about the lack of desire, will, and courage to defend their interests. 2. About the silence of those present when discussing an important issue.
Our regiment has arrived
An expression from the ancient “game” song “And we sowed millet,” known in many versions. This expression, as a rule, is used to mean: there have been more people like us (in some respect).
Doesn't dance
The expression is used to mean: it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out as it should. It originated from N. V. Gogol’s story “The Enchanted Place” (1832). The old grandfather, tipsy, started dancing, “went to kick horseradish all over the smooth place that was near the cucumber bed. However, I had only just reached halfway and wanted to take a walk and throw some of my things into the whirlwind with my feet - my legs wouldn’t rise, and that’s all!.. I accelerated again, reached the middle - it wouldn’t take me! whatever you do: it doesn’t take it, and it doesn’t take it! Legs like wooden steel. “Look, this is a devilish place! Look, a satanic obsession!..” He set off again and began scratching fractionally, finely, to look at; to the middle - no! doesn’t dance, that’s all!”
Don't tempt me unnecessarily
Quote from a poem by E. A. Baratynsky (1800–1844) "Disbelief" (1821), set to music by M. I. Glinka (1825):
Don't tempt me unnecessarily
The return of your tenderness.
Alien to the disappointed
All the illusions of former days!
Ironically about your lack of faith in someone’s promises, assurances, etc.
It didn't fit in
This is how in the old days they talked about “movable property” (especially domestic animals), the acquisition of which ended in failure (the dishes broke, the horse died, etc.).
This expression is associated with the belief in brownies, who, according to our distant ancestors, were in charge of the entire “house and yard” and were their secret masters. Then “it didn’t fit in” meant: the brownie didn’t like it.
Nowadays the expression “out of place” is used in the sense of “inopportunely, not to one’s liking.”
Without further ado
An expression from A. S. Pushkin’s tragedy “Boris Godunov” (1831), scene “Night. Cell in the Chudov Monastery”, words of the chronicler Pimen:
Describe without further ado,
All that you will witness in life.
The expression is used to mean: no frills, simple.
Inspiration is not for sale
But you can sell the manuscript
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Conversation between a bookseller and a poet” (1825). Used to mean: the commercial interest of the artist does not contradict the freedom of his creativity.
Slurping not salty
The origin of this expression is due to the fact that salt in Rus' was an expensive and difficult to obtain product. The owner always salted the food: the one he loved and respected received more salt, but the humble visitor sometimes received no salt at all. Today, “having eaten without salt” means “having been deceived in one’s expectations, not achieving what one wanted, having met with a bad reception.”
I don't want to study, I want to get married
The words of Mitrofanushka from the comedy “The Minor” (1782) by D. I. Fonvizin: “The hour of my will has come: I don’t want to study, I want to get married.” Quoted as an ironic commentary on the sentiments of idle, lazy, narrow-minded teenagers interested only in entertainment.
The sky is in diamonds
An expression from A. P. Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” (1897). Sonya, consoling Uncle Vanya, tired and exhausted by life, says: “We will rest! We will hear the angels, we will see the whole sky in diamonds, we will see how all the evil on earth, all our suffering will drown in mercy, which will fill the whole world, and our life will become quiet, gentle, sweet, like a caress.”
The phrase is usually used humorously and ironically as a symbol of unattainable harmony, peace, happiness, and fulfillment of desires.
Break a leg
This expression was originally used as a “spell” designed to deceive evil spirits. This is how they advised those going hunting; it was believed that by directly wishing good luck one could “jinx” the prey. Rude answer: “To hell with it!” should have further protected the hunter.
No one will embrace the immensity
Aphorism from “Fruits of Thoughts” (1854) by Kozma Prutkov.
Nothing is new [eternal] under the moon
From the poem “Experienced Solomon’s Wisdom, or Selected Thoughts from Ecclesiastes” (1797) by N. M. Karamzin:
There's nothing new under the sun:
What is, has been, will forever be.
And before, blood flowed like a river,
And before, a man cried...
In the first line, Karamzin used a popular Latin expression, well known in Russia both in the Russian translation and in the original language: Nil novi sub luna - nothing new under the sun.
Karamzin’s work itself is a poetic imitation of the famous biblical text: “What was, that will be; and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. There is something about which they say: “Look, this is new,” but This it was already in the centuries that came before us..."
Nozdrev. Nozdrevshchina
One of the heroes of N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842): “Everyone has had to meet a lot of such people. They are called broken little ones... In their faces you can always see something open, direct, and daring. They soon get to know each other, and before you know it, they’re already saying “you.” They will make friendship, it seems, forever; but it almost always happens that the friend will fight with them that same evening at a friendly party. They are always talkers, carousers, reckless people, prominent people... The closer someone got along with him, he was the more likely to make trouble for everyone: he spread a tall tale, more stupid than which it is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a trade deal, and did not at all consider himself your enemy... Maybe they will call him beaten character, they will say that now Nozdryov is no longer there. Alas! those who speak like this will be unjust. Nozdryov will not leave the world for a long time. He’s everywhere between us and maybe he’s just wearing a different caftan.” His name became synonymous with an empty talker, a gossip, a petty swindler; the word “nozdrevshchina” is synonymous with chatter and boasting.
ABOUT
Oh my friend, Arkady Nikolaich, don’t speak beautifully
An expression from I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” (1862): “Look,” Arkady suddenly said, “a dry maple leaf has come off and is falling to the ground; its movements are completely similar to the flight of a butterfly. Isn't it strange? The saddest and deadest is similar to the most cheerful and alive.” - “Oh, my friend, Arkady Nikolaich! - exclaimed Bazarov. “I ask you one thing: don’t speak beautifully.” Bazarov's phrase characterizes excessive eloquence where simplicity and logical sobriety of judgment are required.
Oblomov. Oblomovism
Oblomov - the hero of the novel of the same name (1859) I. A. Goncharova (1812–1891), a landowner living a sleepy, lazy, inactive life, filled with idle dreams. His friend Stolz, a businessman and practitioner, calls this life “Oblomovism.”
The expressions “Oblomov”, “Oblomovshchina”, the popularity of which was greatly promoted by N. A. Dobrolyubov’s article “What is Oblomovshchina?” (1859), have become synonymous with mental laziness, inactivity, and a passive attitude towards life.
Formed
In L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina” (1875), the valet uses this word to encourage his master, Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky, who is upset by a quarrel with his wife. This word, used in the sense of “everything will be settled,” which became popular after the appearance of Tolstoy’s novel, was undoubtedly heard by him somewhere. He used it in one of his letters to his wife back in 1866, convincing her not to worry about various everyday troubles. His wife repeated his words in a response letter: “Probably all this will work out.”
An ordinary story
The title of the novel (1847) by I. A. Goncharov, which shows the life path of an enthusiastic provincial dreamer who turned into a calculating careerist official in St. Petersburg. The expression “ordinary story” characterizes stereotyped everyday or psychological situations.
Window to Europe
An expression from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman” (1834):
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...
In the first note to the poem, A. S. Pushkin considered it important to respect the copyright for the expression “window to Europe” and wrote: “Algarotti said somewhere: “Petersbourg est la fenetre par laquelle la Russie regarde en Europe,” that is, “Petersburg “This is the window through which Russia looks at Europe.”
Grandmother still has horns and legs
A not entirely accurate quote from a song by an unknown author that has appeared in songbooks since 1855:
Once upon a time there lived a gray goat with my grandmother,
Fuck! that's how! little gray goat!
Grandma loved the goat very much...
The goat decided to take a walk in the forest...
Gray wolves attacked the goat...
The gray wolves ate the goat...
They left grandma's horns and legs.
Used humorously and ironically about someone who has suffered a severe defeat, failure, etc.
Ostap Bender.
Great schemer
In the satirical novels by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov “The Twelve Chairs” (1928) and “The Golden Calf” (1931), the main character Ostap Bender, a clever swindler who commits a series of fraudulent tricks, is ironically called the Great Schemer. His name and nickname, the Great Schemer, are applied to people of this type.
From Romulus to the present day
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin. It is used ironically as a characteristic of a long story about something started from afar, as well as as a definition of something that has existed for a long time (Romulus is the mythical founder of Rome).
From young nails
The expression is found in many monuments of ancient Russian literature, for example, in the “Epistle of Nicephorus, Metropolitan of Kyiv, Vel. Prince Volodymyr" (XII century): "Cleanse from the young nails" and in "The Tale of Uliyaniya of Murom": "Love God from the young nails." Used to mean: from childhood, from a young age.
My breath stole from my throat with joy
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Crow and the Fox” (1808).
Where are you from, beautiful child?
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s drama “The Mermaid” (1837), with these words the prince addresses the little mermaid.
The popularity of this quote was contributed by the opera by A. S. Dargomyzhsky (1855), written on the plot of Pushkin’s drama. A quote is almost always given ironically, jokingly, as a question to someone who unexpectedly appears.
Shelve
Used in the meaning: to delay the execution of some matter for indefinite time. There are several options for the origin of phraseological units:
- the expression goes back to the times of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a box for petitions was nailed in front of his palace, these petitions were sorted out by the boyars and clerks, many remained unanswered;
- The most insignificant and unhurried petitions and complaints were put into the long drawer of the desk in the Russian offices.
Fathers and Sons
The title of the novel (1862) by I. S. Turgenev, which became in the 19th century. synonymous with discord between two generations – old and young.
Oh, you are heavy, Monomakh’s hat!
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s tragedy “Boris Godunov” (1831), monologue of Boris. “Monomakh” in Greek means a martial artist; a nickname attached to the names of some Byzantine emperors. In Ancient Rus', this nickname was assigned to the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir (beginning of the 12th century), from whom the Moscow kings traced their origin. Monomakh's cap is the crown with which the Muscovite kings were crowned kings, a symbol of royal power. The above quote characterizes a difficult situation.
Wanderlust
He was overcome with anxiety
Wanderlust
(A very painful property,
Few voluntary cross).
He left his village
Forests and fields solitude...
And he began to wander without a goal.
P
Washing the bones
Used to mean: discuss someone in his absence. The expression goes back to a forgotten rite of reburial: three years after death, the deceased was removed from the grave, the bones were cleaned of decay and buried again. This action was accompanied by memories of the deceased, an assessment of his character, deeds and actions.
Pechorin. Pechorinstvo
The main character of the novel “A Hero of Our Time” (1840) by M. Yu. Lermontov is the embodiment of a social type, characteristic, according to the author, of his time, when deep, strong people could not find a worthy way of self-realization for themselves. The critic V. G. Belinsky wrote about this hero of the post-Decembrist timelessness that he was characterized by “a contradiction between the depth of nature and the pitifulness of actions.”
The name Pechorin has become a household name for the Russian romantic hero of the Byronic type, who is characterized by dissatisfaction with life, skepticism, searching for oneself in this life, suffering from misunderstanding on the part of others and at the same time contempt for them. Hence “Pechorinism” - the desire to imitate Pechorin, to be “interesting”, to play the role of a mysterious, fatal personality.
Feast in Time of Plague
The name of dramatic scenes (1832) by A. S. Pushkin, the basis for which was a scene from the poem “Plague City” by the English poet John Wilson (1816). Used in the meaning: feast, cheerful, carefree life during some public disaster.
The bad soldier is the one who doesn't think of being a general.
In the work of A.F. Pogossky (1816–1874) “Soldier’s Notes” (1855), among the aphorisms modeled on proverbs, there is: “A bad soldier is one who does not think of being a general, and even worse is one who thinks too much that will be with him." In Dahl's dictionary there is a proverb: “A thin soldier who does not hope to be a general” (cf. “Every French soldier carries a marshal’s baton in his knapsack”). It is usually used to encourage, encourage someone in his enterprise, bold plan, idea.
Plyushkin. Plyushkinism
One of the heroes of N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842), a miserly landowner whose stinginess reached the point of mania. His name became a household word for people of this type, and the word “Plyushkinism” became a synonym for morbid stinginess.
At the behest of the pike, at my desire [request]
An expression from a Russian folk tale: a wonderful pike, caught by Emelya, was released by him, for this she made it so that any of his wishes were fulfilled, he only had to say: “By the pike’s command, according to my desire, let this and that be.” -That". Used in the meaning: miraculously, as if by itself.
Success is never blamed
These words are attributed to Catherine II (1729–1796), who allegedly expressed herself this way when A.V. Suvorov was put on trial by military court for the assault on Turtukai in 1773, which he undertook against the orders of Field Marshal Rumyantsev.
However, the story about Suvorov’s arbitrary actions and about his being put on trial is refuted by serious researchers and belongs to the realm of anecdotes.
Verify harmony with algebra
An expression from A. S. Pushkin’s tragedy “Mozart and Salieri” (1832), from Salieri’s monologue:
Craft
I set the foundation for art:
I became a craftsman: fingers
Gave obedient, dry fluency
And loyalty to the ear. Killing the sounds
I tore apart the music like a corpse.
I trusted harmony with algebra.
Then he already dared, experienced in science,
Indulge in the bliss of a creative dream.
Used ironically to refer to the hopeless attempt to judge artistic creativity based only on rationality, to the exclusion of feelings.
The Insidious Truth
Used to mean: the true essence of something. One of the types of torture in Ancient Rus' was that needles, nails or wooden wedges were driven under the fingernails of the interrogated person in order to force him to tell the whole truth. The expression “find out all the ins and outs” is also connected with this.
Wait a bit,
You too will have a rest
Quote from M. Yu. Lermontov’s poem “From Goethe” (1840):
Mountain peaks
They sleep in the darkness of the night;
Quiet Valleys
Full of fresh darkness;
The road is not dusty,
The sheets don't tremble...
Wait a bit,
You too will have a rest.
Signed, off your shoulders
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824). Famusov, in response to the words of his secretary Molchalin that he had brought business papers that required many certificates, says:
I'm afraid, sir, I'm mortally alone,
So that a multitude of them do not accumulate;
If you had given it free rein, it would have settled;
And what matters to me, what doesn’t matter,
My custom is this:
Signed, off your shoulders.
This expression is applied to people who have a superficial, formal attitude to the matter.
After the rain on Thursday
It is believed that this expression is due to the fact that in the old days Thursday was dedicated to Perun, the god of thunder and lightning. Prayers were offered to him for rain, especially during drought. People believed that he should most willingly fulfill requests on “his” day, Thursday. And since these requests often remained unfulfilled, Christians began to be quite skeptical about this deity and, convinced of the futility of such prayers, expressed with this phrase their complete distrust of the god Perun. The expression “after the rain on Thursday” began to be applied to everything unrealizable, to what is unknown when it will come true.
Confound
Used to mean: to confuse, to put in a difficult position. A dead end is still called a “blunt” street, that is, a street or alley that does not have a through passage or passage. In village usage, a dead end meant a corner on the street formed by two wicker fences - wattle fences. Thus, a dead end is something like a trap, making it impossible to either pass or drive forward.
Despicable metal
This expression was widely popularized by I. A. Goncharov’s novel “An Ordinary Story” (1847): “You have an uncle and a friend - do you hear? and if you need service, occupations and despicable metal, feel free to turn to me: you will always find one, and the other, and the third.”
However, the expression was in circulation even before Goncharov’s novel. For example, it is found in “Workshop and Living Room” (1842) by P. Furman and in “Travel Notes of the City of Vedrin” (1843) by A. I. Herzen. Used to mean: money.
Under Tsar Gorokh
An expression used to mean: a very long time ago, in ancient times, “when King Pea fought with mushrooms.”
This habit has been given to us from above:
She is a replacement for happiness
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin.
Come to the header analysis
It means arriving somewhere too late, when everything is already over. According to ancient Russian custom, when entering a room or church, men took off their hats and folded them at the entrance. Every meeting or gathering ended with a sorting of hats. The latecomer came to the dismantling of hats, that is, to the end.
Those who sat down for a meeting
An expression from a poem by V.V. Mayakovsky (1893–1930) entitled “Our Life. For those who have been sitting" (1922). Allegorically about those who like to organize long and unhelpful meetings, conferences, etc.
Delay is like death
In 1711, before the Prut campaign, Peter I sent a letter to the newly established Senate. Thanks to the senators for their activities, he demanded that they continue not to delay with the necessary orders, “before missing time is like dying irrevocably.” S. M. Solovyov in “History of Russia since ancient times” (1851 –1879), quoting the letter of Peter I dated April 8 1711 G., according to the original, quotes his words in the edition: “Before missing the time of death is like irrevocable death.” The words of Peter I gained popularity in a more concise form: “Delay is like death.”
Bird three
An expression from N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842): “Oh, three! bird three, who invented you? to know, you could only have been born among a lively people, in that land that does not like to joke, but has spread out evenly across half the world, and go ahead and count the miles until it hits your eyes. And not a cunning, it seems, road projectile, not grabbed by an iron screw, but hastily equipped and assembled alive by an efficient Yaroslavl man with only an ax and a chisel. The driver is not wearing German boots: he has a beard and mittens, and sits on God knows what; and he stood up and swung, and began to sing - the horses like a whirlwind, the spokes in the wheels mixed into one smooth circle, only the road trembled, and a pedestrian who stopped screamed in fear - and there she rushed, rushed, rushed!.. And you can already see in the distance how something is gathering dust and drilling into the air. Is it not so for you, Rus', that you are rushing along like a brisk, unstoppable troika? The road beneath you smokes, the bridges rattle, everything falls behind and is left behind. The contemplator, amazed by God's miracle, stopped: was this lightning thrown from the sky? What does this terrifying movement mean? and what kind of unknown power is contained in these horses, unknown to the light? Oh, horses, horses, what kind of horses! Are there whirlwinds in your manes? Is there a sensitive ear burning in every vein of yours? They heard a familiar song from above, together and at once tensed their copper breasts and, almost without touching the ground with their hooves, turned into just elongated lines flying through the air, and all inspired by God rushes!.. Rus', where are you rushing? Give an answer. Doesn't give an answer. The bell rings with a wonderful ringing; The air, torn into pieces, thunders and becomes the wind; everything that is on earth flies past, and, looking askance, other peoples and states step aside and give way to it!”
bird tongue
This is how the professor of astronomy at Moscow University D. M. Perevoshchikov (1788–1880) called the scientific and philosophical language of the 1820–1840s, overloaded with terms and formulations that obscure the meaning.
Allegorically: incomprehensible professional jargon, inappropriate in everyday speech, as well as abstruse, artificial, broken language, alien to the rules and norms of the Russian language.
The bullet is a fool, the bayonet is great
Words of the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov (1730–1800) from the manual for combat training of troops, “The Science of Victory,” written by him in 1796.
Pull the wool over someone's eyes
The expression appeared in the 16th century. Nowadays it is used to mean “to create a false impression of one’s capabilities.” However, the original meaning is different: during fist fights, dishonest fighters took with them bags of sand, which they threw in the eyes of their opponents. In 1726, this technique was prohibited by a special decree.
Go all out
Large bells in Ancient Rus' were called “heavy”. The expression “strike all the bells” meant: ring all the bells at once. This is where the popular expression “go to all kinds of troubles” arose, which is used to mean: to go astray from the correct path in life, to begin to uncontrollably indulge in fun, extravagance, and revelry.
There is another version, which claims that “to go all out” meant “to start a lawsuit, a lawsuit; sue someone."
Let the storm blow harder!
Quote from “Song of the Petrel” (1901) by M. Gorky. Allegorically about the desire for cleansing shocks and changes.
A start to life
Title of the film based on the script (1931) by N. Eck (1902–1976) and A. Stolper (1907–1979). The plot of the film is about former street children, and now residents of a children's labor commune, thanks to skillful educators, finding their way in life and becoming worthy members of society.
Allegorically about something that gives a person reason to hope that an eventful, interesting, organized life awaits him ahead.
R
Broken Trough
From “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” (1835) by A. S. Pushkin. The expression is used to mean: loss of a brilliant position, broken hopes.
Cut like a nut
The meaning of “to scold, criticize” arose in this phrase on the basis of the older one - “to do (something) very thoroughly and well.” In its original meaning, the expression appeared in the professional speech of carpenters and cabinetmakers and was due to the fact that making walnut furniture from other types of wood required a lot of work and good knowledge of the business.
Get itchy, shoulder!
Swing your hand!
Quote from A. V. Koltsov’s poem “Mower” (1835):
Get itchy, shoulder!
Swing your hand!..
Buzz, scythe,
Like a swarm of bees!
Moloney, braid,
Sparkle all around!
Make some noise, grass,
Podkoshonnaya…
Ironically about the desire to “cut from the shoulder”, to act imprudently, rashly.
Despite reason, despite the elements
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Chatsky.
Used to mean: contrary to common sense.
Spread your thoughts across the tree
An expression from “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” a monument of Russian literature of the 12th century, first published in 1800: “The prophetic Boyan, if anyone wants to create a song, his thoughts spread across the tree, like a gray fork along the ground, like a crazy eagle under the clouds.” , i.e.: “After all, the prophetic Boyan, if he wanted to compose a song for someone, then his thoughts spread across the tree, like a gray wolf along the ground, like a gray eagle under the clouds.” The expression “thought spread over the tree” received various interpretations among commentators of the Lay. Some consider the word “thought” to be inconsistent with the other two members of the comparison - “a trooper on the ground”, “a crazy eagle under the clouds” - proposing to read “mysiya”, explaining “mys” with the Pskov pronunciation of the word “mouse”; in the Pskov province, even in the 19th century, a squirrel was called a cape. Others do not consider such a replacement necessary, “not seeing the need to bring the symmetry of comparison to the utmost precision.”
Commentators explain the word “tree” as an allegorical tree of wisdom and inspiration: “to spread thoughts along the tree” - to create songs, inspired poetic creations. However, the poetic image of the “Word” of “spreading thoughts along the tree” entered literary speech with a completely different meaning: to go into unnecessary details, distracting from the main idea.
Born to crawl cannot fly
Quote from “Song of the Falcon” by M. Gorky. The final maxim in the fable of I. I. Khemnitser (1745–1784) “The Man and the Cow” coincides with this poetic formula of Gorky. The fable tells how a man, having lost his horse, saddled a cow, which “fell under the rider... no wonder: the cow did not learn to gallop... And therefore it should know: whoever was born to crawl cannot fly.”
Stigma in fluff
An expression from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Fox and the Marmot” (1813). The Fox complains to the Woodchuck that she is suffering in vain and, slandered, was exiled for bribes:
- You know, I was a judge in the chicken coop,
I lost my health and peace in my affairs,
In my labors I didn’t finish eating a bite,
Didn't get enough sleep at night:
And for that I fell into anger;
And everything is based on slander. Well, just think about it:
Who will be right in the world if he listens to slander?
Should I take bribes? Am I going to get mad?
Well, have you seen, I'll go after you,
So that I am involved in this sin?
Think, remember well,
- No, Kumushka; I have often seen
That your stigma is covered in fluff.
The expression is used to mean: to be involved in something criminal, unseemly.
WITH
From the ship to the ball
An expression from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin:
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 situations and circumstances.
With sweetheart paradise and in a hut
Quote from the poem by N. M. Ibragimov (1778–1818) “Russian Song” (“In the evening the maiden is beautiful…”):
Don't look for me, rich man:
You are not dear to my soul.
What do I care about your chambers?
With my dear one, heaven and in the hut!
The meaning of the expression: the main thing in family happiness is not special everyday comfort, but love, mutual understanding, agreement with your loved one.
With the learned air of a connoisseur
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin:
He had a lucky talent
No coercion in conversation
Touch everything lightly
With the learned air of a connoisseur
To remain silent in an important dispute...
With feeling, with sense, with arrangement
Quote from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824):
Don't read like a sexton
And with feeling, with sense, with arrangement.
The legend is fresh, but hard to believe
Quote from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824):
How to compare and see
The present century and the past:
The legend is fresh, but hard to believe.
Northern Palmyra
Palmyra is a city in Syria that arose in the 1st millennium BC. e. In ancient times it was famous for the splendor of its buildings. Northern Palmyra is the figurative name of St. Petersburg.
Homemade truth
An expression by Ostap Bender, the main character of the novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov “The Golden Calf” (1931), used by him to mean: deep folk wisdom (homespun - dressed in homespun, peasant clothes made of coarse undyed homespun cloth).
There is no stronger beast than a cat
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Mouse and the Rat” (1816).
- Neighbor, have you heard a good rumor? –
Running in, the Rat Mouse said:
After all, the cat, they say, fell into the claws of a lion?
Now it’s time for us to relax!
Do not rejoice, my light, -
The Rat says in response to her: -
And don’t hope in vain!
If it reaches their claws,
That is true, the lion will not be alive:
There is no stronger beast than a cat!”
Megillah
The expression arose from a “boring” fairy tale, which is used to tease children who pester them with a request to tell them a fairy tale: “Shall I tell you a fairy tale about a white bull? - Tell. - You tell me, and I’ll tell you, and should I tell you a fairy tale about a white bull? - Tell. - You tell me, and I’ll tell you, how long it will take us, and how long it will last! Should I tell you a fairy tale about a white bull? etc., until one gets tired of asking and the other of answering. The expression is used to mean: endless repetition of the same thing.
Skalozub
The protagonist of A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), a colonel, a representative of the rude army of Tsarist Russia, an ignorant and self-satisfied careerist. His name became synonymous with a rude ignoramus, a martinet.
Scandal in a noble family
Under this name, an anonymous vaudeville was staged in Moscow in 1874, the plot of which was borrowed from the German comedy “Der liebe Onkel” (“Moskovskie Vedomosti”, October 1. 1874 G.). Vaudeville was published, also anonymously, in 1875 in St. Petersburg. The author of Russian vaudeville, and therefore the expression “scandal in a noble family,” is N. I. Kulikov (1815–1891). This vaudeville remained in the theatrical repertoire for a long time, and its name became a catchphrase.
Skotinin
The protagonist of D. I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (1782), a type of ignorant and rude landowner-serf, whose surname characterizes his bestial nature. His name became a household name for people of this type.
Stingy Knight
The hero of the drama of the same name (1836) by A. S. Pushkin, a synonym for a miser, a miser.
They won’t say a word in simplicity, everything is with an antics
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Famusov.
You can't spot the elephant
The expression arose from the fable “The Curious” (1814) by I. A. Krylov. A visitor to the Kunstkamera saw small insects there, but when asked: “Did you see an elephant?” - answers: “I didn’t even notice the elephant.” The expression “not noticing the elephant” is used to mean: not noticing the most important, important thing.
I'd be happy to serve, but being served is sickening
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), the words of Chatsky, who, in response to Famusov’s offer to go to serve, thus defines his attitude towards the service.
It's really not a sin to laugh
Above everything that seems funny
Quote from N. M. Karamzin’s poem “Message to Alexander Alekseevich Pleshcheev” (1796):
Who calls on the muses out of boredom?
And gentle graces, their companions;
Amuses me with poetry and prose
Yourself, family and strangers;
Laughs from the heart
(It’s really not a sin to laugh!)
Above everything that seems funny -
He will get along with the world in peace
And he will not end his days
With sharp iron or poison...
Look at the root!
Aphorism (1854) by Kozma Prutkov.
Sobakevich
One of the heroes of N.V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842), a type of rude landowner.
His name became synonymous with money-grubbing, a rude person who is unkind to everyone, and also a retrograde.
The sun of Russian poetry
A figurative definition of the meaning of the great Russian poet A. S. Pushkin. This expression is from a short notice of the poet’s death, published on January 30, 1837 in No. 5 of “Literary Additions” to “Russian Invalid”: “The sun of our poetry has set! Pushkin died, died in the prime of his life, in the midst of his great career!.. We have no strength to talk about this anymore, and there is no need: every Russian heart knows the full price of this irretrievable loss, and every Russian heart will be torn to pieces. Pushkin! our poet! our joy, our national glory!.. Is it really true that we no longer have Pushkin! You can’t get used to this thought! January 29th 2:45 pm.” The author of this notice was considered to be journalist A. A. Kraevsky, editor of Literary Additions. However, from S.N. Karamzina’s letter to her brother it is clear that in fact the author of this notice is V.F. Odoevsky.
Broke!
The expression became popular after the production (1855) of the comedy by A. V. Sukhovo-Kobylin (1817–1903) “Krechinsky’s Wedding.” This is how the hero of the comedy Krechinsky exclaims when all the frauds he cunningly invented failed and the police came to arrest him.
Sleeveless (work)
This is what they say about carelessly, lazily, haphazardly performed work. In Ancient Rus' they wore outerwear with exorbitantly long sleeves, the unrolled ends of which fell to the knees, or even to the ground. Naturally, without lifting up such sleeves, there was no point in thinking about work. Close to this expression is the second, opposite in meaning and born later: “Work with your sleeves rolled up,” that is, decisively, ardently, with zeal.
Tearing off all kinds of masks
From the article “Leo Tolstoy, as a mirror of the Russian revolution” (1908) by V. I. Lenin. Revealing the “screaming contradictions” in Tolstoy’s work, he wrote: “On the one hand, the most sober realism, tearing off all kinds of masks; on the other hand, the preaching of one of the most vile things in the world, namely: religion, the desire to put in place priests by official position, priests by moral conviction, i.e., the cultivation of the most refined and therefore especially disgusting priesthood.”
Allegorically: accusatory sentiments and corresponding actions.
Picking flowers of pleasure
An expression from N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” (1836), words by Khlestakov: “I love to eat. After all, you live to pick flowers of pleasure.” Used to mean: selfishly, carelessly enjoy the pleasures of life, without thinking about your family or social duty.
Stand before me like a leaf before the grass!
An expression from a Russian folk tale. Ivanushka the Fool calls on his magic horse with a spell: “Sivka-Burka, prophetic Kaurko, stand in front of me like a leaf in front of the grass.” The expression is used to mean: appear instantly!
Concealed
The word was introduced into literary speech by F. M. Dostoevsky. It first appeared in his story “The Double” in 1843, used in the meaning of “to fall silent, to wilt, to hide unnoticed, to hide furtively.”
Fate plays with man
A phrase from the song “The Moscow fire was noisy, the fire was burning,” which is an adaptation of the poem “He” (i.e. Napoleon) by N. S. Sokolov (1850).
Happy is he who has visited this world
In fatal moments
Quote from the poem by F. I. Tyutchev (1803–1873) “Cicero” (1836). In ed. "Tyutchev. Lyrics" (1965): "Blessed is he who visited..."
Happy hours don't watch
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824). This expression can be associated with the words from the drama “Piccolomini” (1800) by Schiller: “Die Uhr schlagt keinem Gliicklihen” (“The clock does not strike for a happy person”).
Sons of Lieutenant Schmidt
The first two chapters of the satirical novel “The Golden Calf” by I. Ilf and E. Petrov (1931) tell about clever swindlers who extract various benefits by posing as the sons of Lieutenant Schmidt, the leader of the revolutionary uprising of sailors in Sevastopol in 1905, who was shot by the verdict of the royal court. The name “sons of Lieutenant Schmidt,” which has become popular, is applied to rogues of this type.
The fuss flared up
The expression “the damp forest caught fire” comes from the proverb “The damp forest caught fire because of a pine tree,” which means that big trouble can arise from a mere trifle.
A plot worthy of Aivazovsky's brush
Quote from A.P. Chekhov’s play “Uncle Vanya” (1897). Telegin pronounces this phrase. In response to the words of the old nanny about Voinitsky’s quarrel with Serebryakov: “Just now they made a noise, there was gunfire - it’s a disgrace,” he remarks: “Yes, a plot worthy of Aivazovsky’s brush.” Before Chekhov, this expression was already found in journalism of the 1860s and 1870s, and in a slightly different form - “worthy of someone’s brush” - it was in use before; for example, in Pushkin, in a note in “Lit. gaz.”, 1830, we read: “The image of Sorvantsov [in “A Conversation with Princess Khaldina” by Fonvizin] is worthy of the brush that painted the Prostakov family.”
T
Table of ranks
This is the name of the list of ranks of the military, civil and court departments, statutory Peter I (1722) about order civil service in Russia. Allegorically: a comparative assessment of merit in a certain field of professional activity.
So he wrote darkly and languidly
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” by A. S. Pushkin (1828), characteristics of the poems by Vladimir Lensky:
So he wrote darkly and languidly,
(What we call romanticism,
Although there is no romanticism here
I don’t see...)
Theater begins with a hanger
An aphorism by one of the founders of the Moscow Art Theater K. S. Stanislavsky (1863–1938). There is no such aphorism in his writings, but oral rumor attributes it to him. A phrase close in thought to this aphorism is found in a letter from K. S. Stanislavsky to the Moscow Art Theater cloakroom workshop dated January 23, 1933. Replying “to a greeting on the day of his seventieth birthday, he wrote: “Our Art Theater differs from many other theaters in that In it, the performance begins from the moment you enter the theater building. You are the first to greet the arriving spectators..."
Dark Kingdom
This is the title of an article (1859) by N. A. Dobrolyubov, dedicated to the analysis of A. N. Ostrovsky’s plays. Speaking about the various types of merchant tyranny depicted by Ostrovsky, Dobrolyubov made a generalization and showed the life of feudal Russia as a “dark kingdom,” “a stinking dungeon,” “a world of dull aching pain, a world of prison, deathly silence.” “Nothing sacred, nothing pure, nothing right in this dark world: the tyranny that dominates it, wild, insane, wrong, has driven away all consciousness of honor and right... And they cannot exist where human dignity has been thrown into dust and brazenly trampled by tyrants, personal freedom, faith in love and happiness and the sanctity of honest work.” The expression “dark kingdom,” after the appearance of Dobrolyubov’s article, began to mean not only the world of tyrant merchants or a dark and inert environment in general, but became a symbol of autocratic-serf Russia (see A ray of light in the dark kingdom).
Timurovets
The hero of the story by Arkady Gaidar (pseudonym of A.P. Golikov, 1904–1941) “Timur and his team” (1940), the pioneer Timur decides, together with the team of his peers assembled by him, to take care of the families of soldiers who went to the Red Army. The story of Gaidar, who managed to see the extraordinary in everyday life, gave birth to social movement Timurites, who in their behavior emulate the brave, active, honest and generous Timur. The hero of the story became a model for numerous young patriots who helped the Motherland during the difficult years of the Great Patriotic War.
Peck on the tongue
Pip is a small horny tubercle on the tip of a bird's tongue that helps them peck food. The growth of this tubercle may be a sign of illness. Painful, hard pimples can also appear on a person's tongue; They were also called tipuns and considered a sign of deceit. From these observations and superstitions an incantatory formula was born: “Tip on your tongue!” Its main meaning was: “You are a liar: let a pip appear on your tongue!” Now the meaning of this spell has changed somewhat. “Tip your tongue!” - an ironic wish to the one who expressed an unkind thought, predicted something unpleasant.
The darkness of low truths is dearer to me
The deception that exalts us
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Hero” (1831).
U
In the middle of nowhere
The expression means: very far away, somewhere in the wilderness. Kulichki is a modified dialect word kulizhki (from kulig) meaning “forest clearings; places burned, cut down and adapted for cultivation, as well as islands in the swamp.” Kulizhki were, as a rule, far from villages and villages, hence the meaning of the expression: “in the middle of nowhere” - very far, no one knows where.
Terrible century, terrible hearts
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s drama “The Miserly Knight” (1836). Sometimes it is quoted inaccurately: instead of “terrible” - “iron”.
Mind, honor and conscience of our era
From the article “Political Blackmail” (1917) by V.I. Lenin, in which he characterizes his party (the Bolsheviks) this way. Speaking against the Russian press of a different, non-Bolshevik orientation, calling its journalists “blackmailers” and “slanderers,” V. I. Lenin wrote: “We will be steadfast in branding blackmailers. We will be adamant in examining the slightest doubts in the court of class-conscious workers, in the court of our party; we believe in it, in it we see the mind, honor and conscience of our era...”
Quoted ironically about a party that claims leadership, special moral qualities, special knowledge.
Uma ward
The word “chamber” in Old Russian meant a large room in a stone building. Then it began to be applied to various institutions located in such vast buildings: the Armory Chamber, the Chamber of Facets... All sorts of meetings usually took place in the chambers, the boyars “thought about the sovereign’s Duma” in them. This is where the expression “mind chamber” arose, depicting a person equal in intelligence to a whole collection of sages. Later, however, it acquired an ironic meaning: now they say this more often about fools than about smart people.
Moderation and accuracy
With these words in A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), Molchalin defines his two virtues.
Humiliated and insulted
The title of the novel (1861) by F. M. Dostoevsky. The expression is used as a description of people who suffer from the arbitrariness of officials, the powerful, from difficult living conditions, etc.
A helpful fool is more dangerous than an enemy
An expression from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear” (1808):
Although the service is dear to us in need,
But not everyone knows how to tackle it:
God forbid you contact a fool!
A helpful fool is more dangerous than an enemy.
Study, study and study
A slogan that arose from V. I. Lenin’s article “Less is better” (1923): “We must at all costs set ourselves the task of updating our state apparatus: firstly, to study, secondly, to study and thirdly, to study and then make sure that science in our country does not remain a dead letter or a fashionable phrase (and this, to be honest, happens especially often in our country), so that science really enters into flesh and blood, turns into an integral element of everyday life completely and truly."
F
Famusov
The protagonist of A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), an important Moscow gentleman holding the post of “manager in a government place,” a bureaucrat-careerist, obsequious to those above him and arrogant towards his subordinates. Some commentators explained his surname as derived from the Latin word fama (rumor); others explain its origin from English word famous (famous, famous). This name has become a household name for people of this type.
Physicists and lyricists
An expression contrasting the importance of physicists-scientists working in the field of exact sciences with the importance of poets arose from the so-titled poem by B. Slutsky, published in the Literary Gazette on October 13, 1959.
Filka's certificate
The author of this expression is considered to be Tsar Ivan IV, popularly nicknamed the Terrible for his mass executions and murders. To strengthen his power, Ivan the Terrible introduced oprichnina, which terrified all of Rus'. In this regard, Moscow Metropolitan Philip, in his numerous messages to the Tsar - letters - sought to convince Grozny to dissolve the oprichnina. Grozny contemptuously called the obstinate Metropolitan Filka, and his letters - Filka letters. For his bold denunciations of Ivan the Terrible and his guardsmen, Metropolitan Philip was imprisoned in the Tverskoy Monastery, where he was strangled by Malyuta Skuratov. The expression “filkina’s letter” has taken root among the people. At first they simply talked about documents that had no legal force. And now it also means “ignorant, poorly drafted document.”
Frenchman from Bordeaux
An expression from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Chatsky:
In that room there is an insignificant meeting:
The Frenchman from Bordeaux, pushing his chest,
Gathered around him a kind of evening
And he told how he was preparing for the journey
To Russia, to the barbarians, with fear and tears...
Used ironically to address some arrogant, boastful foreigners.
X
Khlestakov, Khlestakovism
The hero of N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” (1836) is a liar and a braggart. His name became a household name; “Khlestakovism”, “Khlestakovism” is a shameless, boastful lie.
Walking through torments [ordeals]
The expression goes back to the ancient Christian belief in the souls of dead sinners going through torments, or “ordeals,” for forty days, when demons subject them to all sorts of tortures.
In the Soviet press this expression became especially popular after the appearance of A. N. Tolstoy’s (1882/83-1945) trilogy “Walking through Torment” (1920–1941) from the era of the Civil War, which tells about the painful ideological quest of its heroes and the difficult trials that befell them. Denotes difficult, varied life trials that befell someone one after another.
Economic man
The title of an essay by M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin from the series “Little Things in Life” (1886). In the person of the “economic peasant,” Saltykov depicts the type of “honest,” “reasonable” middle peasant whose only goal in life is to create personal prosperity.
Although the eye can see, the tooth is numb
Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes” (1808). Already in the middle of the 19th century. this expression was considered a folk proverb and was included in collections of Russian folklore.
At least there's a stake on your head
This is what they say about a stubborn, unpersuasible or indifferent person. To cut a stake means to sharpen a stick (stake) with an axe. The hardness and strength of the head of a stubborn person is emphasized.
Textbook gloss
An expression from V. V. Mayakovsky’s poem “Anniversary” (1924), written for the 125th anniversary of Pushkin’s birth; in this poem, addressing Pushkin, the poet says:
I love you, but alive, not a mummy,
They brought a textbook gloss.
In my opinion, during your lifetime, I think, you also raged.
African!
This expression characterizes the “varnishing” of reality, its embellished image.
C
Princess Nesmeyana
In a Russian folk tale, Princess Nesmeyana is the royal daughter who “never smiled, never laughed, as if her heart was not happy about anything.” This is figuratively called a quiet person, a shy person.
H
What do you want?
This is how M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin named the newspaper “New Time”, which became famous in the 70s and 80s of the 19th century. with its political corruption, unprincipledness and adaptability to the political elite (articles “In an environment of moderation and accuracy”, “The Silent Lord”, “All year round”, etc.). This is a common phrase with which lackeys addressed their masters when awaiting orders.
Man in a case
Title of the story (1898) by A.P. Chekhov.
The main character is the provincial teacher Belikov, who is afraid of any innovations, actions not permitted by the “boss,” as well as reality in general. Hence his favorite expression: “No matter what happens...”. And, as the author writes, Belikov “had a constant and irresistible desire to surround himself with a shell, to create for himself, so to speak, a case that would seclude him and protect him from external influences.”
The author himself began to use this expression as a common noun. In a letter to his sister M.P. Chekhova, he wrote (November 19, 1899): “The November winds are blowing furiously, whistling, tearing roofs. I sleep in a hat, in shoes, under two blankets, with the shutters closed - a man in a case.”
Playfully and ironically: a person who is afraid of bad weather, drafts, unpleasant external influences.
Man - that sounds proud
An expression from M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” (1902), Satin’s words: “Man! It's great! It sounds... proud! Human! You have to respect the person."
The darker the night, the brighter the stars
Quote from a poem by A. N. Maykov (1821–1897), from a cycle of the 80s of the 19th century. "From Apollodorus the Gnostic":
Don't say there is no salvation
Why are you exhausted in sorrow:
The darker the night, the brighter the stars...
Why are you laughing?
You're laughing at yourself!
Quote from N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” (1836), the words of the Mayor: “Look... look how the mayor is fooled... Not only will you become a laughing stock, but there will be a clicker, a paper maker, who will insert you into the comedy. That's what's offensive! Rank and title will not be spared, and everyone will bare their teeth and clap their hands. Why are you laughing? You’re laughing at yourself!”
Chichikov
The hero of N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” (1842), a nosy careerist, sycophant, swindler and money-grubber, outwardly “pleasant”, “decent and worthy person”. His name has become a household name for people of this type.
Reading is the best learning
What to do?
The title of the socio-political novel (1863) by N. G. Chernyshevsky (1828–1889). The novel treats the problems of socialism, the emancipation of women, identifies types of “new people” - revolutionary leaders, and expresses the dream of a happy life in a communist society.
What does the coming day have in store for me?
Quote from the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” (1831) by A. S. Pushkin. This phrase gained wide popularity thanks to P. I. Tchaikovsky’s opera (1878) - Lensky’s aria (“Where, where have you gone, the golden days of my spring...”).
What kind of commission, creator,
To be a father to an adult daughter!
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Famusov. (The word “commission” here means: troubles, difficulties.)
What we have, we don’t keep, having lost it, we cry
An aphorism from “The Fruits of Thoughts” (1854) by Kozma Prutkov, who repeated the name of the vaudeville (1844) by S. Solovyov.
Whatever happens will be nice
Quote from the poem by A. S. Pushkin “If life deceives you” (1825).
What is good and what is bad
The title of a poem for children (1925) by V. V. Mayakovsky.
Sh
Walked into a room, ended up in another
Quote from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824); Famusov, finding Molchalin near Sophia’s room, angrily asks him: “You are here, sir, why?” Sophia, justifying Molchalin’s presence, says to Famusov:
I can’t explain your anger in any way.
He lives in the house here, what a great misfortune!
I walked into the room and ended up in another.
Shemyakin court
The expression is used in the meaning: wrong, unfair trial; arose from an old Russian satirical story about the Shemyakina court, which exposed the arbitrariness and selfishness of the feudal court. This story, dedicated to the personality of Prince Dmitry Shemyaka (died in 1453), enjoyed wide popularity; it is preserved in many manuscripts of the 17th and 18th centuries. and served as a subject for popular prints and books.
Inside out
Used to mean: quite the opposite, inside out. “Shivorot” in Muscovite Rus' was the name given to the embroidered collar of boyar clothing, one of the signs of a nobleman’s dignity. In the days of Ivan the Terrible, a boyar who had been subjected to royal wrath and disgrace was often seated on a skinny nag with his back forward, and his clothes were also put on him inside out, topsy-turvy, that is, vice versa. In this form, the disgraced boyar was taken throughout the city, to the whistling and hooting of the street crowd. Now these words are also often used in connection with clothing, meaning to put something on inside out, but their meaning has become much broader. Topsy-turvy, that is, not at all like that, on the contrary, you can tell some story and generally act contrary to generally accepted rules.
My native country is wide
The first line of the chorus of “Songs about the Motherland” from the film “Circus” (1936), words by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach, music by I. O. Dunaevsky.
Let's make noise, brother, make noise
Quote from A. S. Griboedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824), words by Repetilov.
I
I don't know any other country like this
Where a person breathes so freely
Lines from the chorus of “Songs about the Motherland” from the film “Circus” (1936), text by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach, music by I. O. Dunaevsky.
I'm going, I'm going, I'm not whistling,
And when I get there, I won’t let you down
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1820), canto III.
I erected a monument to myself, not made by hands,
The folk path to it will not be overgrown
Quote from A. S. Pushkin’s poem “Monument” (1836). The poem goes back to the ode of the Roman poet Horace, from which Pushkin took the epigraph: “Exegi monumentum” (“I erected a monument”). From Pushkin’s poem the expression “monument not made by hands” arose, used to mean: a grateful memory of someone’s deeds.
I am a king - I am a slave, I am a worm – I'm God
Quote from G. R. Derzhavin’s ode “God”, (1784).
The language of native aspens
An expression from an epigram (1884) by I. S. Turgenev to N. X. Ketcher (1809–1886), a translator of Shakespeare, whose translations are distinguished by their exceptional closeness to the original, which often harms poetry:
Here is another luminary of the world!
Catcher, friend of sparkling wines;
He performed Shakespeare for us
In the language of native aspens.
The expression is used ironically in reference to clumsy translations from foreign languages into Russian.
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Olga Ushakova
Proverbs, sayings and popular expressions
Preface
Reading a collection of proverbs is one of my favorite things - not activities, but pleasures.
L. N. Tolstoy
Dear friends!
Here is a collection of Russian proverbs and sayings. Do you know how they differ from each other? The answer is very simple. As folk wisdom says:
A saying is a flower, a proverb is a berry.
The fact is that a saying is by no means always a whole phrase, a complete sentence - often it is just a hint:
Keep your eyes open (about vigilance).
There are not enough screws (about stupidity).
Written on the water with a pitchfork (about uncertainty).
At least weave ropes out of it (about a weak character).
You can't take it with your bare hands (about the evasive).
Weaves lace with his tongue (about a chatterbox, about a talker).
Carries water with a sieve (about stupid).
A saying can be a wish, a dream:
Get rid of it, bad life, get attached to the good one.
Every dog has his day.
Very popular personal sayings:
Every Masha has her own habits.
Every Fedorka has his own excuses.
Fedot, but not the same one.
Meli, Emelya, is your week (about a chatterbox).
Eh, Erema, you should stay at home!
Yawn-yawn, go to Fedot, from Fedot to Yakov, from Yakov to everyone.
There are even historical sayings:
He died like a Swede near Poltava! (Memory of the Battle of Poltava in 1709, when Peter I defeated the troops of the Swedish king Charles XII.)
Empty, as if Mamai had passed. (Memories of the Tatar invasion; Mamai is a Tatar khan, ruler of the Golden Horde, known for his devastating raids on Rus'.)
A proverb is a complete sentence - short and always moralizing; This is a teaching, expressed either directly or indirectly:
Finished the job - go for a walk safely.
A mind is good, but two are better.
A bargain is a bargain.
The word is not a sparrow, if it flies out you won’t catch it (about prudence).
If you're afraid of wolves, don't go into the forest (about cowardice).
They beat a wolf not because he is gray, but because he ate a sheep (that is, not for a bad appearance, but for bad deeds).
The cat loves the fish, but I don’t want to get into the water.
N.V. Gogol wrote about Russian proverbs like this: “Our proverbs are more significant than the proverbs of all other peoples... They reflect many of our properties; they contain everything: mockery, ridicule, reproach - in a word, everything that stirs and tugs at the living... All great people, from Pushkin to Suvorov and Peter, were in awe of our proverbs.”
We find these “pearls of folk speech” in the works of many Russian writers. A. N. Ostrovsky, for example, used proverbs and sayings in the titles of his plays:
“Poverty is not a vice”, “Whatever you go for, you will find”, “Simplicity is enough for every wise man”, “Don’t get into your own sleigh”, “It’s not all about Maslenitsa (there will be Lent)”, “The heart is not a stone” " and others.
The work of I. A. Krylov is closely connected with proverbial wisdom and imagery. The lines of many of his fables have long been included in everyday speech, becoming proverbs, sayings and catchphrases:
Ay, Moska! know that she is strong, that she barks at the Elephant!
Tearing through a pile of dung, the Rooster found a grain of pearl.
Lines from Krylov’s fables, in which “cheerful cunning of the mind, mockery and a picturesque way of expressing” (A.S. Pushkin), this book ends.
RUSSIAN PROVERBS AND SAYINGS
Accuracy
Where there is neatness, there is neatness.
He who is neat is pleasant to people.
Boasting
You can hear a ringing, but what's the point in it?
Don't shout about yourself - let others talk about you at least quietly.
Lay an egg and then cluck.
Don't say "gop" until you jump. The bear threatened, but fell into the hole. Boast not about what you can do, but about what you have already done.
Having achieved small successes, don’t cackle about it.
Small words can drown a big deal.
A braggart is more harmful than a moth.
Trouble
Trouble has come, open the gate.
You'll soon get into trouble, but you won't survive soon.
It's not a problem to fall, but it's not a problem to get up.
Food doesn’t even come to mind when trouble is in front of your eyes.
Better bread and water than cake and disaster.
Lucky, as a drowned man.
The trouble is like flowing water: it comes and then subsides.
A head on your shoulders is no big deal.
There are two cures for every misfortune: time and silence.
You will not get to know your friend without trouble.
I’ll take away someone else’s trouble with my hands, but I won’t apply my mind to mine.
Idleness
A small deed is better than a big idleness.
There is no heavier burden than idleness.
I went to do something and came back with idleness.
To live without anything is only to smoke the sky.
People are for business, but fools are for idleness.
And the lying stone becomes overgrown with moss.
No water flows under a lying stone.
Thrift
Thrift is not stinginess.
The chicken pecks one grain at a time, but lives well. Penny by penny - the family will survive. Every penny is added to the account: a penny saved saves a ruble.
What you save today will be useful tomorrow. He lives needlessly who saves money.
Conversation
Conversation will find a neighbor.
In a smart conversation you can gain your wits, but in a stupid conversation you lose yours.
Let's sit side by side and talk well. Talk less, listen more. Listen with your ear, not your belly.
There is no shame in remaining silent if you have nothing to say.
Carelessness
Sleep is sweet for the careless.
Why worry - the ceiling is not falling above us yet.
And he doesn’t blow in his mustache, and he doesn’t lead with his ear.
The trouble for him is like water off a duck's back.
Useless
Pour from empty to empty.
Pound water in a mortar.
No matter how the frog pouts, it’s still far from the ox.
Cluelessness
He's a smart man, but there's no point in him. He sits and blinks his eyes.
He’s talking about Yerema, and he’s talking about Foma.
You can't cook porridge with it.
I didn't find any firewood in the forest.
To teach a stupid person is to just work for yourself. And it’s ready, but stupid.
spinelessness
Not a person, but a wet chicken.
He won't kill a mosquito even in his sleep.
You can even get ropes out of it.
He is like a bag: whatever he puts in, he carries. He who is like a steamed turnip himself gives in to others blindly.
Talkativeness
The mill grinds - there will be flour, the tongue grinds - there will be trouble.
The mill is empty and grinds without wind.
Braid to the waist, tongue to the knees.
If you blurt out, you won’t turn it back.
The chatterbox is talkative, but unclean in his hands.
A short mind has a long tongue.
Lips and teeth are two fences, but I can’t hold back.
The smaller the heart, the longer the tongue.
Talking too much will only harm yourself.
Eat more and talk less.
The chatter is red and colorful, but empty.
A chicken is not a bird, a lazy person is not a person, a chatterbox is not a worker.
Like a magpie with a tail, so is a chatterbox with a tongue.
It’s better not to say it than to say it again.
He sharpens his lasses and fools people.
The day passes until the evening, but there is nothing to listen to.
He talked like three boxes.
The words are thick, but the head is empty.
In words he is quick, but in reality there is no argument.
A big talker is a bad worker.
Don't be quick with your words, be quick with your actions.
A sharp tongue is a gift, a long tongue is a punishment.
A donkey is recognized by its ears, a bear by its claws, and a chatterbox by its speech.
He's about the size of an inch, and the words are about the size of a pot.
Keep your mouth shut with talkers.
You speak in secret, but it will come out all over the world.
A smart person is silent when a chatterbox grumbles.
A smart person listens more than he talks.
The chatterbox has no urgent matters.
The tongue will do no good to a chatterbox.
What he knows, he will say everything, and what he doesn’t know, he will also say.
You let it out like a sparrow, but it will grow up like a cow.
Grinding your tongue is not chopping wood: your back won’t hurt.
The fighter's hands itch, the talker's tongue itch.
Speaking without thinking is like shooting without aiming.
Know how to say, know how to remain silent.
Faith
Whoever lied yesterday will not be believed tomorrow.
Trust not force, but truth.
Believe your own eyes more than the words of others.
What you don't see, you don't believe.
I believe the cat and the hedgehog, but I’ll wait for you.
Fun
At least naked, but cheerful.
Cheerful and alone is not boring.
He who knows how to have fun is not afraid of grief.
A cheerful head lives carelessly.
Fun is salvation from all troubles.
In a happy hour, death is not scary.
Life is fun for a cheerful person.
Some are cheerful, and some are hanging their noses.
Appearance and essence
All that glitters is not gold.
It's cute on the outside, but rotten on the inside.
Judge not by appearance, but by deeds.
Don't judge a watermelon by its rind, or a person by its dress.
It's not about the title, but about the content.
Don't be pretty, but be useful.
Outside there is beauty, inside there is emptiness.
It looks good, but when you bite through it, your mouth twists.
The tree is crooked, but the apples are sweet.
The mirror is not to blame if the face is crooked.
The nose has grown across the river.
This nose has grown up in the open air.
Mouth to ears, even sew the strings.
Will
Iron will is not everyone's destiny.
Lots of desires, but little will.
Strong in skin, but weak in nature.
Don't be hasty, but be persistent.
Theft
No matter how much a thief steals, there will be an answer.
The thief thinks that everyone in the world is a thieve.
Indulging a thief is like stealing yourself.
The thief's hat is on fire.
What you have gained through untruth will not be used for future use.
The jug got into the habit of walking on water, and there he laid his head (to be empty).
No matter how much you twist the rope, there will be an end.
Upbringing
A person without education is a body without a soul. Without attention, a tree does not rise.
He who is without supervision from the cradle is out of work all his life.
The child is like dough: just as you knead it, it grows.
A true pointer is not a fist, but a caress.
I led her by the hand and got a white hand.
Those who could not take with affection will not take with severity.
Children are punished with shame, not punishment.
Beatings torment, but do not teach.
A silent reproach is heavier than what is said.
Unreasonable guardianship is worse than homelessness.
Too many cooks spoil the broth (i.e. unattended).
You can't raise a puppy without strictness.
Let the children have their way, you yourself will be in captivity.
They learn both for better and worse from a young age.
What is on the mind of an adult is on the tongue of a child.
A good example is worth a hundred words.
The wealth of parents is a spoiler for children.
What you teach a child to do is what you will get from him.
I fed the snake on my neck.
He who does not control himself will not guide others to reason.
Seasons
Came winter- you won’t get away with it.
Winter scares spring, but it still melts.
The stronger the winter, the sooner spring.
No matter how angry winter is, it will submit to spring.
Prepare a cart in winter and a sleigh in summer.
Summer works for winter, and winter for summer.
Winter builds summer: winter warmth - summer cold.
Winter is snowy - summer is rainy.
Winter is frosty - summer is hot.
The sun is warm in summer and freezing in winter.
Winter is not summer, she’s wearing a fur coat.
Winter has a big mouth.
In the winter cold everyone is young.
Take care of your nose in severe frost.
Winter freezes the idler.
In winter, ice is not valued.
A winter day - a sparrow's hop.
How you celebrate the New Year is how you will live it.
New Year - a turn towards spring.
On New Year's Day the day will increase by a rabbit's leap.
Rook on the mountain - spring outside.
Spring is red and hungry.
Spring is red with flowers, and autumn is red with pies.
In the spring it bakes on top and freezes below.
In spring you can hear the grass growing.
Spring and autumn – there are eight weather conditions per day.
In spring - a bucket of water, a spoonful of dirt; in the fall - a spoonful of water, a bucket of dirt.
Prepare the sleigh in the spring and the wheels in the fall.
It's spring time - I ate from the yard.
In the spring, if you fall behind for an hour, you won’t catch up during the day.
Spring day feeds you all year long.
If you don't sweat in the spring, you won't stay warm in the winter.
Hope for spring, and save firewood.
If you miss a day in the spring, you won’t get it back in a year.
He who sleeps in spring cries in winter.
Know by the color that it’s heading towards summer.
In summer Every bush will let you spend the night.
In the summer, dawn meets dawn.
Summer for the peasant - father and mother.
A summer day feeds the year.
Don’t pray for a long summer, pray for a warm summer.
Summer is bad when there is no sun.
Sitting at home in the summer means not having bread in the winter.
What you collect in the summer, you will find on the table in the winter.
What is born in the summer will be useful in the winter.
Summer is stormy - winter with snowstorms.
Summer is dry and hot – winter is little snow and frosty.
Rainy summer is worse than autumn.
Autumn- eight changes.
Autumn is coming and the rain is coming.
Spring rain grows, autumn rain rots.
Autumn rain is sown finely, but lasts a long time.
Spring is red, but hungry; autumn is rainy, but satisfying.
In autumn, the sparrow has a feast.
Autumn is long, winter is long.
In autumn bad weather there are seven weathers in the yard: it sows, it blows, it twists, it stirs, it roars, it pours from above and sweeps from below.
Wet summer and warm autumn mean a long winter.
The first snow, although pure, will deceive - winter will never become overnight.
The summer has passed, the autumn has passed, and now it’s snow on one’s head.
Winter found me in a summer sundress.
Time
Anyone who wastes time in vain does not notice how old he is.
If you lose a minute, you will lose an hour.
A minute saves an hour.
The century is long, and the hour is precious.
You're an hour late, you won't get it back in a year.
Day and night - a day away.
And at the very have a long day there is an end.
The day is long, but the century is short.
Every thing has its age.
Everything has its time. Time doesn't wait.
Arrogance
I passed and didn’t notice, drove by and didn’t look.
Don't look too high, you'll spoil your eyes.
Don't raise your nose higher than your head.
It's not worth a penny, but it looks like a ruble.
He flew high and landed in a chicken coop.
The bird flew above its flight.
Eyes
Eyes are the mirror of the soul.
What is not in the thoughts will not be in the eyes.
Don't believe your ears, but believe your eyes.
Radiant eyes, but unclean thoughts.
The eyes are turquoise, and the soul is soot.
Anger
A cruel word will give birth to anger.
A humble word tames anger.
Ahead is anger, and behind it is reason.
A hot person is as dangerous as boiling water.
Damn hot, but it soon cooled down.
Head
The head is the beginning of everything.
The smarter the head, the easier it is on the shoulders.
A bad head gives no rest to your legs.
It’s thick on the head, but empty in the head.
An empty head is all rubbish.
Hunger and satiety
When you're full you're happy, but when you're hungry you're downcast.
For the well-fed, learning is a joy; for the hungry, it is a hindrance.
A hungry belly is profoundly deaf.
Hunger is not an aunt, she won’t slip you a pie.
The well-fed one has a walk on his mind, and the hungry one has lunch on his mind.
The well-fed cannot understand the hungry.
Fight the cold while it’s warm, and fight hunger while you’re full.
You won't get enough of beauty.
Sorrow and joy
Grief is like hollow water: it will flood everything and then go away.
Cry, grief comes out in tears.
For some, grief is torment, and for others, learning.
If you endure grief, you will learn to live.
Crying won't help your grief.
Light grief is talkative, heavy grief is silent.
Keep joy in your pocket, and grief on your lasso.
Joy is not a fellow traveler.
Onion grief (i.e. minor sorrows that do not deserve tears).
Together, grief is easier to bear.
And the grief of others weighs heavily on the soul.
Guests
Glad not glad, but say: “You are welcome!”
Greet your guest not with flattery, but with honor.
When you go to visit, bring a handful of gifts.
The doors are wide open for a rare guest.
The welcome guest does not wait for the call.
And by chance, by the way.
To a welcome guest - warm greetings, to an uninvited guest - the owner of the house is not there.
Lots of guests, lots of news.
The guest stays a little, but sees a lot.
Away - not at home: the will is not your own.
The guest is not a guide to the owner.
The guest is happy - the owner is happy.
The owner is cheerful - and the guests are happy.
Guests are not seated at an empty table.
He knew how to call, he knew how to treat.
The richer you are, the happier you are.
Don't invite guests if there are no bones.
As are the friends, so are the pies.
Those who come late find nothing.
Whoever is late drinks water.
Not even a spoon can protect an uninvited guest.
An uninvited guest is worse than a Tatar.
You come uninvited, you leave tattered.
I want to go visit, but no one invites me.
He calls, but doesn’t give an address.
They called the guests to the full yard, and they themselves left the house.
Dear guests, are you tired of your hosts?
Certificate
Learning to read and write is always useful.
Those who are good at reading and writing will not fail.
Without a diploma is like without a candle in the dark.
Literacy is a second language.
Alphabet - the wisdom of the step.
First az and beeches (i.e. A and B), and then there is science.
Literacy is not a disease; it does not take away years.
A spoon is needed to slurp soup, and literacy is needed to gain knowledge.
He looks at the book and sees nothing.
I wrote it like a chicken fermented.
Case
A tree is recognized by its fruit, and a man by his deed.
Every deed is illuminated with love.
The day until the evening is boring (long) if there is nothing to do.
Time for business, time for fun.
Don't judge by clothes, look by deeds.
Actions are stronger than words.
Soon the fairy tale is told, but not soon the deed is done.
Things don’t happen on their own—they need to be driven.
Leading a business is not about weaving bast shoes.
Don’t take on your own business, and don’t be lazy about yours.
The case is not a mosquito: you can’t brush it aside.
Jumping from business to business is like taking an example from a squirrel.
Put off idleness, don't put off doing things.
Attention! This is an introductory fragment of the book.
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Phraseology is adjacent sayings, proverbs, popular expressions, literary quotes. They have a great impact on the reader, since they are actually someone else's speech. “Someone else’s words, even if they remotely and incompletely express your thought, act as a revelation or as a long-searched and found formula” (L. Ginzburg). In texts they are most often used in titles, epigraphs, beginnings and endings of the entire text or its fragments:
1) sayings– sayings of an edifying nature, understood in their literal meaning: steam does not ache the bones; in cramped conditions, but not offended, afraid of grief - there is no happiness in sight;
2) proverbs- sayings of an edifying nature, having both direct and figurative meaning: the well-fed does not understand the hungry, keep your pocket wider; Some have thin soup, and some have small pearls.
Their use is subject to the same requirements as for the use of phraseological units: compliance with form, meaning, stylistic coloring. The power of their influence lies in the fact that they reflect the centuries-old experience of the people and therefore among them one can find completely opposite meanings. Wed: don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today And work is not a wolf - He won’t run into the forest. To support your position, you can always find a suitable proverb or saying and thereby strengthen your statement with reference to popular opinion. The weakness of proverbs and sayings is their open edification and frequent repetition. Therefore, for success in achieving results, it is necessary, firstly, to measure, and secondly, untired, originality of proverbs and sayings;
3) idioms– these are extracts from folklore and literary texts, as well as (less often) journalistic and scientific ones, capable of functioning outside of their text. Often native speakers do not know the author of the catchphrase and the text in which it was first used, but in special dictionaries they are indicated: Born to crawl, cannot fly (M. Gorky); And the smoke of the fatherland is sweet and pleasant to us (Griboyedov). They are used as a means of influencing the addressee through the power of cultural authority. The expressive capabilities of winged words are great, since in terms of the range of expressed assessments (from irony to pathos) they are superior to proverbs and sayings, which are edifying in their orientation. In the text they occupy the same place as proverbs and sayings: title, epigraph, beginnings and endings of the entire text or its fragments.
But when handling popular words, greater caution is required than when handling proverbs and sayings. No matter how a popular expression is torn away from its source, its connection with it (semantic and stylistic) remains and must be taken into account, otherwise an error occurs. Thus, in a text presenting a historical sketch of morals, the catchphrase is incorrectly used nice in every way : The father chose a groom for his daughter, not poor, well-mannered and learned, in general, pleasant in every way. In Gogol, this expression refers to a woman and sounds more than ironic. In this text it is more correct to use worthy in all respects.
Another example: an extremely common catchphrase Man is created for happiness, like a bird is created for flight. usually used in optimistic texts, which is a serious mistake. This catchphrase belongs to Korolenko, whose story “Paradox” features an unfortunate disabled person from birth, without arms, who earns food for his family and himself by writing sayings and aphorisms, and invents them for the children - the heroes of the story. In his mouth, in the situation in which these words appeared, the saying sounds tragic, refuting itself, asserting the impossibility or, in any case, the dubiousness of happiness for a person.
4) quotes- these are sayings (sustained or one-time), the authorship of which is somehow specified. The source of the quotation can be specified exactly ( as Pushkin wrote, Catherine II etc.), approximately ( as the poet said etc.) and ( for very famous quotes ) is not indicated at all, but the quotation is punctuationally and graphically designed ( font, quotes ). The power of quotes is enormous. What works here is the very content of the quote, often rhythmically and linguistically refined, and the personality of the author of the quote. This is the advantage of quotes over catchphrases. But a catchphrase can become a quotation if its author is indicated. The absence of an indication of the author in a quotation that is not a catchphrase creates a special type of trusting relationship of cultural equality (sometimes imaginary) between the subject of speech and the addressee. In addition, a quotation has the effect of connecting two texts through it (the source text and the text reproducing it), entering into various semantic relationships (specifications, polemics, clarification, development, etc.). Most errors are associated with this side of the use of quotes and quoted catchphrases. For example, the combination the people are silent. It is cited when the idea of the passivity of the people, their indifference to some problems and pressing issues is affirmed. But in Pushkin this phrase does not speak of passivity, but of the people’s active rejection of what is being imposed on them. See the end of the tragedy "Boris Godunov":
Masala: People! Maria Godunova and her son Fyodor poisoned themselves (The people are silent in horror.) Why are you silent?
Shout: Long live Tsar Dimitri Ivanovich!
The people are silent.
The authorship of the most common catchphrases can be established using the dictionary “Winged Words” by N.S. and M.G. Ashukins. Quotes and popular expressions from Pushkin’s works can always be clarified using the Dictionary of Pushkin’s Language (see appendix at the end of the book).
An error of a substantive, conceptual or expressive type can occur when the quotation is incomplete or when the quotation is broken. A quotation can be broken if it is so well known that it is easily restored by the addressee and does not contain anything that contradicts the author’s position (otherwise we are dealing with a distortion of the quotation). A quotation that is not given in full must be especially carefully punctuated (see Chapter XXXII).
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Introduction
1. The concept of proverbs, sayings and catchwords
2. Use of proverbs, sayings and catchwords in speech
Conclusion
List of used literature
Introduction
In modern times, our speech is characterized by ever new turns of phrase, which are used by almost every person. But at the same time, the meaning of proverbs and sayings that Russian people use remains the same. They allow us to clearly emphasize the meaning of what was said. Such expressions are actively used by many people, while their social status, their place of work is not particularly important.
The use of proverbs and sayings in speech can decorate it, and also speaks of a person who periodically uses them as literate and educated.
In our speech, we use not only proverbs and sayings, but also popular expressions that are very similar to them: short quotes, figurative expressions, and sayings of historical figures included in our speech from literary sources.
This paper examines the functions that proverbs and sayings perform in speech and the relevance of their use. Examples from works of Russian literature are given.
1. Conceptproverbs,sayingAndwingedwords
Russians proverbs And sayings - accurate expressions, created Russians by the people A Also translated from ancient written sources And borrowed from works literature, V short form expressing wise thoughts. Many Russian proverbs consist of two proportionate, rhyming parts. Proverbs, as a rule, have a literal and figurative meaning (morality). There are often several versions of proverbs with the same moral (moral invariant). Proverbs differ from sayings in having a higher general meaning. The most ancient works of Russian writing that have reached us, containing proverbs, date back to the 12th century.
Winged words - sustainable phraseological units figurative or aphoristic character, entered V vocabulary from historical or literary sources And received wide spreading thanks to his expressiveness. They study phraseology.
The sources of popular expressions can be myths, folklore, literature, journalism, memoirs, and speeches of famous people. These can be quotes or figurative expressions that appear based on them. This is, for example, the biblical “forbidden fruit.” Such expressions could have long ago lost touch with the source and in every era be used in relation to current events.
For example, “stupidity” (M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin), “Who are the judges?” (A.S. Griboyedov), “Hercules”. "Oblomov." “I came, I saw, I conquered” (Julius Caesar), “A proverb” (Bible), “Appetite comes with eating” (F. Rabelais), “Administrative delight” (F.M. Dostoevsky), “From great to funny one step" (Napoleon). Among the catchwords there are those that are not genuine quotes from any source, but figurative expressions created on its basis, conveying a generalized meaning in a metaphorical form, for example, “forbidden fruit” (from biblical mythology), “Potemkin villages” (from memoirs of the 18th century); they have long lost contact with the source and are reinterpreted in each historical period in accordance with socio-historical reality.
2. UsageVspeechesproverbs,sayingAndwingedwords
Proverbs and sayings express the truth, verified by the centuries-old history of the people and the experience of many generations. “What a luxury, what a meaning, what a point in every saying of ours! What gold!” - this is what A.S. said about Russian proverbs. Pushkin. “It’s not without reason that the proverb is said,” says popular wisdom. They express joy and grief, anger and sadness, love and hatred, irony and humor. They summarize various phenomena of the reality around us and help us understand the history of our people. Therefore, in texts, proverbs and sayings acquire special meaning. They not only enhance the expressiveness of speech, add spice, deepen the content, but also help to find a way to the heart of the listener, reader, and win their respect and affection.
Writers, publicists, and speakers often turn to pearls of folk wisdom. Researchers have calculated that only in the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy contains 47 proverbs and sayings, in “Quiet Don” by M.A. Sholokhov - 112.
What function do proverbs and sayings perform in speech, what is the peculiarity of their use?
First of all, folk sayings allow the speaker:
1) Characterize a person, object, phenomenon, action, state:
Smells cat, whose meat ate.
Millstone themselves Not are eating, A of people fed.
Grosen enemy behind mountains, A more menacing behind shoulders.
Rworkat - day while away; rest - night to overflow.
Heart soothsayer: smells And good And bad;
2) Reveal relationships between people:
Stupid son And native father crazy Not will sew.
kids good - father, mothers crown, thin - father, mothers coNec.
Gentlemen will twitch at Cossacks forelocks shaking.
Well-fed hungry Not understands.
3) Give advice on what to do in a given situation, what you should beware of: speech proverb saying phraseology
On stranger loaf mouth Not open it up A early get up Yes mine get started.
Named himself we load - climb up V body.
Two dogs bickering, third Not get in the way.
Myself porridge brewed myself And unwind.
Friend look for A you will find - take care.
M.A. uses proverbs as a means of characterizing his characters. Sholokhov. There are especially many of them in the speech of Grigory Melekhov, the main character in “Quiet Don” - 22 proverbs, i.e. a fifth of all proverbs in the novel. Proverbs give special color to his speeches and special significance to his judgments. For example: “They call us Denikin’s assistants... who are we? It turns out that there are assistants, nothing to be offended by. Truth is the truth eyes stabbed...»
Grigory Melekhov turns to proverbs and sayings when he wants to confirm, compare, convince the listener, or prove that he is right. This function contains the following expressions: What With cart fell That gone. cut off krahuhu Not glue it. On swear word field friends Not guess. Where neither throw - everywhere wedge. Wait Yes catching up - the most hateful case. Rolled away sivka cool slides. From it's hot And stone bursts.
Proverbs and sayings enliven a statement and create a certain psychological mood.
An effective technique is considered to be the technique of “stringing” proverbs, when several proverbs and sayings are used simultaneously. N. Ostrovsky, defining the essence of human life and calling for selfless work for the good of the Motherland, also uses several proverbs. He writes: “In our country, being a hero is a sacred duty. In our country, only lazy people are not talented. A from Nothing is born Nothing; under recumbent stone water Not flows. Who Not is burning, That smokes. Long live the flame of life!
To focus attention on a proverb, to slightly change its meaning and tone, writers and speakers sometimes rework the proverb, replace words with others, and expand its composition. For example, the proverb promises full Not you will in newspaper headlines it looks like this: “You won’t get enough of politics,” “You won’t get enough of riot police,” “You won’t get enough of slogans.” The proverb “A well-fed man is not a friend to a hungry man” served as the basis for newspaper headlines: “A cucumber is not a friend to a tomato” (about growing vegetables under film), “When a goose is a dog’s friend” (about a dog’s friendship with a goose), “A hungry Rottweiler is not a pig’s friend” ( how a pig killed a Rottweiler who was trying to take her food).
The success of using proverbs in speech depends on how well they are chosen. No wonder they say: “A good proverb goes well.”
It is important not only to know a certain number of folk sayings, but also to understand their meaning in order to correctly apply them in speech practice. The Dictionary of Russian Proverbs and Sayings, containing about 1,200 folk expressions, serves this purpose. The dictionary explains the meaning of proverbs and sayings that have a figurative meaning, and provides examples of their use in speech. For example, " IN stone fire - only arrows lose. Doing something that is obviously impossible means wasting time and energy. Wed: Water V stupa pound - water And will».
The timely and appropriate use of words gives special accuracy and expressiveness to our speech. winged words. Recalling a wonderful thought, recalling important circumstances, Interesting Facts, they give us the opportunity to replace lengthy explanations with a short, expressive sentence or combination.
So, for example, instead of explaining at length and at length that someone spent a lot of time and effort on solving a simple and easy problem, we say in the words of Krylov: “And the box just opened.”
In another case, wanting to talk about the mortal danger hanging over someone, we say: the sword of Damocles hung over his head. Using this catchphrase, we mean the well-known story about how one of the close associates of the Syracuse tyrant Dionysius, named Damocles, began to speak with envy about his master, considering him the happiest man in the world. To teach the envious man a lesson, Dionysius invited him to a feast and seated him in his place. In the midst of the fun, Damocles looked up and saw that a heavy sword was hanging above his head, suspended by horsehair, symbolizing the mortal danger to which the ruler was exposed every minute.
Conclusion
It has already been said that the richness and diversity, the originality of the speech of a speaker or writer largely depends on the use of popular words, proverbs and sayings.
Unfortunately, modern youth rarely use proverbs, sayings and catchwords. This is certainly draining the speech of the younger generation. Most often, they are not used because the meaning of this or that expression is unknown, and as a result, they do not know in what context to use it.
Listusedliterature
1. Zhukov V.P. Dictionary of Russian proverbs and sayings, ed. 4th. - M., 1991.
2. Potebnya A.A. From lectures on the history of literature. Fable, proverb, saying. Kharkiv. 1884.
3. Uvarov N.V. Encyclopedia of folk wisdom. Proverbs, sayings, aphorisms, catchphrases, comparisons, set phrases found in the Russian living language in the second half of the 20th - early 21st centuries. M.: Infra-Engineering. - 2009.
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Studying the structural and semantic characteristics of phraseological units, the differences between proverbs and sayings. A study of the most frequently used proverbs and sayings in the English language, the main difficulties of translation into Russian and ways to overcome them.
course work, added 03/31/2012
Proverbs and sayings reflecting interpersonal relationships of people in French. Features of the construction and functioning of proverbs. Classification of phraseological units by domestic and foreign researchers, the role of proverbs and sayings in communication.
thesis, added 07/05/2009
Features of the use of phraseological units. Stylistic use of phraseological means of language. Functions of phraseological units in different styles speech. The use of "winged words", proverbs, sayings. Phraseological innovation of writers.
abstract, added 01/13/2011
Proverbs and sayings as a genre of oral folk art. Primary sources of English proverbs and sayings, their diversity, functions, meaning and problems of translation. Classification of English proverbs and sayings in relation to their Russian equivalents.
abstract, added 03/05/2011
Proverbs and sayings as a genre of oral folk art. Classification of English proverbs and sayings in relation to Russian ones, their categories by meaning. Difficulties in translating (full or partial) English proverbs and sayings into Russian.
How many proverbs, sayings, and catchphrases do you know? There are countless of them, so let’s remember only those that contain numbers.
Zero without a stick (simple). A worthless, insignificant person.
Zero attention (simple). Complete indifference, indifference on the part of someone to someone or something.
Absolute zero, round zero. An insignificant person, completely useless in any matter.
Reduce to zero, reduce to zero. Deprive of all meaning and significance. (compare “to nullify”).
Nothing comes from nothing. This expression belongs to the Greek philosopher Melissa and was often quoted by ancient philosophers and writers.
There's nothing new under the sun. This expression, which has become popular, is taken from a poem by the Russian writer N.M. Karamzin (inspired by biblical scripture).
Nothing comes for free. Quote from a poem by N.A. Nekrasov "In the hospital".
One is a bully, the other is unyielding.
One spring in your homeland is better than a hundred springs in a foreign land.
One bee will make a little honey.
If you cut down one tree, you plant ten.
You can't clap your hands with one hand.
Only truth lives in the world.
Once doesn't count.
There is safety in numbers.
Alone at sea is not a fisherman.
One hand does not knit a knot.
One is plowing, and seven are waving their arms.
One head on his shoulders.
One leg here, the other there.
One wise head is worth a hundred heads.
One bee is better than a swarm of flies.
Better to see once than hear a hundred times.
In one place the stone is overgrown with moss.
One today is better than two tomorrow.
You can't tie a knot with one hand.
One word can lead to a quarrel forever.
The hedgehog has one strength - its spines.
To go alone - and the road is long.
Once you lie, you become a liar forever.
Hands can overcome one, knowledge can overcome a thousand.
A coward dies a hundred times, but a hero only once.
Business before pleasure. A handwritten note from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629 - 1676) to a collection of rules for falconry, a favorite pastime of that time. It is usually said as a reminder to a person who, while having fun, forgets about the matter.
The first damn thing is lumpy. It often happens that the housewife doesn’t succeed in the first pancake (it doesn’t come out of the frying pan well, it burns), but the housewife uses it to determine whether the dough is well kneaded, whether the pan is warmed up, or whether it needs to add oil. It is said to justify the unsuccessful start of a new, difficult business.
Sorrow for two is half grief, joy for two is two joys.
Two of a Kind.
It took two hours to get ready, two hours to wash, an hour to dry, and a day to get dressed.
As two drops of water.
He who helped quickly helped twice.
The lazy man works twice.
Between two fires.
Two words.
On two fronts.
Can't put two words together.
Not two, not one and a half.
One head it's good, but two better.
Two inches from the pot.
It's a double-edged sword.
Sit between two chairs.
Miser pays twice.
Kill two birds with one stone.
To devour both cheeks.
Limp on both legs.
Grandma said in two. In two (simple) - vaguely, with the ability to understand one way or another. It is unknown whether what is expected will come true; It is still unknown how it will be: one way or another. They say when they doubt the implementation of what they propose.
Second wind. Sometimes, over long distances, an athlete becomes unbearably tired: his legs refuse to run, he is short of breath. The inexperienced one stops, but the master continues running through strength, and - lo and behold! - after a few seconds, fatigue passes, strength is restored, and the chest breathes easily again. The second wind came.
Two-faced Janus. In Roman mythology, the god of time is depicted with two faces facing opposite directions: the past and the future. This is where this expression comes from, meaning “two-faced person.”
Two deaths cannot happen, but one cannot be avoided. The inevitable will still happen, whether you take risks or not. It speaks of the determination to do something associated with risk, danger, and at the same time with the hope that the danger can still be avoided.
(Wed: Where ours did not disappear.
Seven troubles - one answer.
Which have not be avoided.)
If you chase two hares, you won't catch either. It is said when someone takes on several (usually beneficial for himself) tasks at once and therefore cannot do any of them well or complete them.
For one beaten, they give two unbeaten. For one scientist they give two non-scientists. They say when they understand that punishment for mistakes made is good for a person, because this is how he gains experience.
Of two evils (choose) the lesser. This expression, which has become popular, belongs to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Found in Cicero, many famous philosophers, writers of ancient and modern times.
An old friend is better than two new ones. It is said when they want to emphasize the loyalty, devotion and irreplaceability of an old friend.
A mind is good, but two are better. It is said when, when solving a problem, they turn to someone for advice, when they solve a matter together
The price for a braggart is three kopecks.
Don't recognize a friend in three days - recognize him in three years.
It takes three years to learn hard work, and only three days to learn laziness.
Get lost in three pines. Not being able to understand something simple, uncomplicated, not being able to find a way out of the simplest difficulty.
From third mouth, from third hands. Through intermediaries, not from eyewitnesses, not directly (to find out, receive, hear).
Three inches from the pot. Very short, short, small.
With three boxes. A lot (to say, promise, lie, etc.).
The third day. Day before yesterday.
They've been waiting for the promised thing for three years. They say it jokingly when they do not believe that someone will soon fulfill their promises or when the fulfillment of what is promised is delayed indefinitely.
Cry in three streams. That is, it is very bitter to cry.
Three Graces. The ancient Romans had three goddesses, personifying youth, beauty, and fun. Depicted as three beautiful women. Sometimes used ironically.
Three whales. Previously, the ancients believed that the Earth stood on three pillars. The expression is used in the meaning of the basis of the basics.
Jump for three years and you won’t reach any state. These words, which have become popular, belong to the mayor from the comedy N.V. Gogol "The Inspector General". It speaks of a remote, forgotten, abandoned place.
Without four corners, a hut cannot be cut.
The horse has four legs, and even then it stumbles.
On all four sides. Anywhere you want (to go, to clean, to drive away, to let go).
Live within four walls. Without communicating with anyone, being alone. Without leaving home.
Like the back of my hand. Know very well, thoroughly, thoroughly.
The fifth wheel in the cart. A superfluous, unnecessary person in any matter.
Sixth Sense.
"Six".
Seven with a spoon - one with a bowl.
Onion from seven ailments.
Beyond the seven seas.
Killed seven in one fell swoop.
I don’t fight myself, I’m not afraid of seven.
Up to the seventh generation. To the most distant generations.
On the seventh sky. An expression that came to us from the Greek philosopher Aristotle. It currently means the highest degree of joy and happiness.
Seven deadly sins. Biblical expression. Over time, it acquired the meaning of any bad, unforgivable offenses.
Seven do not wait for one. This is what they say when they start something without someone who is late, or with a reproach to someone who makes many (not necessarily seven) wait.
Seven troubles - one answer. Let’s take the risk again, and if we have to answer, then for everything at once, at the same time. It speaks of the determination to do something else risky, dangerous in addition to what has already been done.
Try on (measure) seven times, cut once. Before you do anything serious, think it over carefully, foresee everything. It is said as advice to think about everything possible options actions before starting any business.
Too many cooks spoil the broth. Without an eye (obsolete) - without supervision, without supervision. Things are done poorly and unsatisfactorily when several people are responsible for it at once. It is said when several people (or even organizations) responsible for a matter rely on each other and each individual treats their responsibilities in bad faith.
Seven wonders of the world. In ancient times, seven structures that amazed with their grandeur were called the seven wonders of the world. In figurative (colloquial) speech, one of the seven wonders of the world is called something wonderful, magnificent.
Spring and autumn - there are eight weather conditions per day.
Beyond distant lands, in the distant kingdom. Far away = 27 (3*9) In the old days, counting was done in nines.
Case ten. Not that important, not at all significant.
Not the cowardly ten. Brave, fearless.
From fifth to tenth. Inconsistent, incoherent, omitting details.
Personal website of mathematics and computer science teacher Irina Aleksandrovna Zaitseva
