We use such phrases every day in speech, without thinking at all about their original meaning and origin. Why is the last warning specifically Chinese? Who is Silent Sapa? And why should a successful business burn out? There is a historical or linguistic explanation for everything. Behind each turn is either a significant event, or the realities of the past, or an obsolete meaning of the word.
Reach the handle
In Ancient Russia, rolls were baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. The townspeople often bought rolls and ate them right on the street, holding this bow or handle. For reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not consumed, but given to the beggars or thrown to be eaten by dogs. According to one of the versions, about those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: got to the handle. And today the expression "to reach the pen" means to completely sink, to lose a human appearance.
Bosom friend
The ancient expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit "bosom friend" was formed, which is used today to denote a very close friend.
Pour in on the first number
In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, often without any fault of the person being punished. If the mentor showed special zeal, and the disciple was hit especially hard, he could be freed from further vice in the current month, until the first day of the next month. This is how the expression "pour in the first number" arose.
Goof
Prosak used to be the name of a special machine for weaving ropes and cords. It had a complex structure and twisted the strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person his life. It was from such cases that the expression "get into a mess" came from, which today means being in an awkward position.
The last Chinese warning
In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft frequently violated Chinese airspace for reconnaissance purposes. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a "warning" to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action was followed, and hundreds of such warnings were counted. This policy has led to the emergence of the expression "last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.
Hang dogs
When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is completely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with another meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.
Silently
The word sape in French means "hoe". In the 16-19 centuries, the term "glanders" was used to denote a method of opening a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes placed in the trenches to the walls of castles, and specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the secretive digging of tunnels came the expression "sly glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.
Big boss
The most experienced and strongest barge haule, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has morphed into the term "big shot" to refer to an important person.
The case burned out
Previously, if a court case disappeared, then the person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned out: either from a fire in wooden court buildings, or from deliberate arson in exchange for a bribe. In such cases, the accused said: "The case is burned out." Today this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.
Leave in english
When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression “left in English”. Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’. It appeared during the Seven Years War in the 18th century in a mockery of the French soldiers who voluntarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.
Blue blood
The Spanish royal family and the nobility were proud that, unlike the common people, they trace their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who penetrated into Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood." Hence, this expression to denote aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.
And a no brainer
The source of the expression “And a no-brainer” is a poem by Mayakovsky (“It's clear even a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread, first in the Strugatskys' story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited adolescents who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, biennial students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year the expression “no brainer” was very relevant.
Wash the bones
The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were seized, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found not rotted and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime the person was a sinner and the curse lies on him - to leave the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.
The highlight of the program
The opening of the nail-like Eiffel Tower was timed to coincide with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "the nail of the program" has entered the language.
Do not wash, so by rolling
In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the linen with a special rolling pin. Well-rolled laundry turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the wash was not very good.
Newspaper duck
“One scientist, having bought 20 ducks, immediately ordered to chop one of them into small pieces, which he fed the rest of the birds. A few minutes later he did the same with another duck, and so on, until there was one left, which thus devoured 19 of her friends. ” The Belgian humorist Cornelissen published this note in a newspaper to mock the gullibility of the public. Since then, according to one of the versions, false news is called “newspaper ducks”.
Seven Fridays a week
Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a bazaar day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to designate people who do not keep promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays a week."
Scapegoat
According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the forgiveness of sins, the high priest put his hands on the head of the goat and thereby laid the sins of the entire people on it. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released. Hence the expression "scapegoat" came from.
Where did the expressions "get to the handle", "scapegoat", "pour in the first number" and others come from? We use such phrases every day in speech, without thinking at all about their original meaning and origin. Why is the last warning specifically Chinese? Who is Silent Sapa? And why should a successful business burn out? There is a historical or linguistic explanation for everything. Behind each turn is either a significant event, or the realities of the past, or an obsolete meaning of the word. So.
Reach the handle
In Ancient Russia, rolls were baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. The townspeople often bought rolls and ate them right on the street, holding this bow or handle. For reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not consumed, but given to the beggars or thrown to be eaten by dogs. According to one of the versions, about those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: got to the handle. And today the expression "to reach the pen" means to completely sink, to lose a human appearance.Bosom friend
The ancient expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit "bosom friend" was formed, which is used today to denote a very close friend.Pour in on the first number
In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, often without any fault of the person being punished. If the mentor showed special zeal, and the disciple was hit especially hard, he could be freed from further vice in the current month, until the first day of the next month. This is how the expression "pour in the first number" arose.Goof
Prosak used to be the name of a special machine for weaving ropes and cords. It had a complex structure and twisted the strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person his life. It was from such cases that the expression "get into a mess" came from, which today means being in an awkward position.The last Chinese warning
In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft frequently violated Chinese airspace for reconnaissance purposes. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a "warning" to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action was followed, and hundreds of such warnings were counted. This policy has led to the emergence of the expression "last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.Hang dogs
When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is completely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with another meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.Silently
The word sape in French means "hoe". In the 16-19 centuries, the term "glanders" was used to denote a method of opening a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes placed in the trenches to the walls of castles, and specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the secretive digging of tunnels came the expression "sly glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.Big boss
The most experienced and strongest barge haule, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has morphed into the term "big shot" to refer to an important person.The case burned out
Previously, if a court case disappeared, then the person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned out: either from a fire in wooden court buildings, or from deliberate arson in exchange for a bribe. In such cases, the accused said: "The case is burned out." Today this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.Leave in english
When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression “left in English”. Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’. It appeared during the Seven Years War in the 18th century in a mockery of the French soldiers who voluntarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.Blue blood
The Spanish royal family and the nobility were proud that, unlike the common people, they trace their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who penetrated into Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood." Hence, this expression to denote aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.And a no brainer
The source of the expression “And a no-brainer” is a poem by Mayakovsky (“It's clear even a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread, first in the Strugatskys' story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited adolescents who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, biennial students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year the expression “no brainer” was very relevant.Wash the bones
The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were seized, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found not rotted and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime the person was a sinner and the curse lies on him - to leave the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.The highlight of the program
The opening of the nail-like Eiffel Tower was timed to coincide with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "the nail of the program" has entered the language.Do not wash, so by rolling
In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the linen with a special rolling pin. Well-rolled laundry turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the wash was not very good.Newspaper duck
“One scientist, having bought 20 ducks, immediately ordered to chop one of them into small pieces, which he fed the rest of the birds. A few minutes later he did the same with another duck, and so on, until there was one left, which thus devoured 19 of her friends. ” The Belgian humorist Cornelissen published this note in a newspaper to mock the gullibility of the public. Since then, according to one of the versions, false news is called “newspaper ducks”.Seven Fridays a week
Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a bazaar day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to designate people who do not keep promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays a week."Scapegoat
According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the forgiveness of sins, the high priest put his hands on the head of the goat and thereby laid the sins of the entire people on it. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released. Hence the expression "scapegoat" came from. Where did the winged expressions come from?Where did the expressions "get to the handle", "scapegoat", "pour in the first number" and others come from?
We use such phrases every day in speech, without thinking at all about their original meaning and origin. Why is the last warning specifically Chinese? Who is Silent Sapa? And why should a successful business burn out?
There is a historical or linguistic explanation for everything. Behind each turn is either a significant event, or the realities of the past, or an obsolete meaning of the word. So.
Reach the handle
In Ancient Russia, rolls were baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. The townspeople often bought rolls and ate them right on the street, holding this bow or handle. For reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not consumed, but given to the beggars or thrown to be eaten by dogs. According to one of the versions, about those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: got to the handle. And today the expression "to reach the pen" means to completely sink, to lose a human appearance.
Bosom friend
The ancient expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit "bosom friend" was formed, which is used today to denote a very close friend.
Pour in on the first number
In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, often without any fault of the person being punished. If the mentor showed special zeal, and the disciple was hit especially hard, he could be freed from further vice in the current month, until the first day of the next month. This is how the expression "pour in the first number" arose.
Goof
Prosak used to be the name of a special machine for weaving ropes and cords. It had a complex structure and twisted the strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person his life. It was from such cases that the expression "get into a mess" came from, which today means being in an awkward position.
The last Chinese warning
In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft frequently violated Chinese airspace for reconnaissance purposes. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a "warning" to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action was followed, and hundreds of such warnings were counted. This policy has led to the emergence of the expression "last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.
Hang dogs
When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is completely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with another meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.
Silently
The word sape in French means "hoe". In the 16-19 centuries, the term "glanders" was used to denote a method of opening a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes placed in the trenches to the walls of castles, and specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the secretive digging of tunnels came the expression "sly glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.
Big boss
The most experienced and strongest barge haule, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has morphed into the term "big shot" to refer to an important person.
The case burned out
Previously, if a court case disappeared, then the person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned out: either from a fire in wooden court buildings, or from deliberate arson in exchange for a bribe. In such cases, the accused said: "The case is burned out." Today this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.
Leave in english
When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression “left in English”. Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’. It appeared during the Seven Years War in the 18th century in a mockery of the French soldiers who voluntarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.
Blue blood
The Spanish royal family and the nobility were proud that, unlike the common people, they trace their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who penetrated into Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood." Hence, this expression to denote aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.
And a no brainer
The source of the expression “And a no-brainer” is a poem by Mayakovsky (“It's clear even a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread, first in the Strugatskys' story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited adolescents who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, biennial students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year the expression “no brainer” was very relevant.
Wash the bones
The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were seized, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found not rotted and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime the person was a sinner and the curse lies on him - to leave the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.
The highlight of the program
The opening of the nail-like Eiffel Tower was timed to coincide with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "the nail of the program" has entered the language.
Do not wash, so by rolling
In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the linen with a special rolling pin. Well-rolled laundry turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the wash was not very good.
Newspaper duck
“One scientist, having bought 20 ducks, immediately ordered to chop one of them into small pieces, which he fed the rest of the birds. A few minutes later he did the same with another duck, and so on, until there was one left, which thus devoured 19 of her friends. ” The Belgian humorist Cornelissen published this note in a newspaper to mock the gullibility of the public. Since then, according to one of the versions, false news is called “newspaper ducks”.
Seven Fridays a week
Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a bazaar day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to designate people who do not keep promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays a week."
Scapegoat
According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the forgiveness of sins, the high priest put his hands on the head of the goat and thereby laid the sins of the entire people on it. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released. Hence the expression "scapegoat" came from.
Reach the handle
In Ancient Russia, rolls were baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. The townspeople often bought rolls and ate them right on the street, holding this bow or handle. For reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not consumed, but given to the beggars or thrown to be eaten by dogs. According to one of the versions, about those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: got to the handle. And today the expression "to reach the pen" means to completely sink, to lose a human appearance.
Bosom friend
The ancient expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit "bosom friend" was formed, which is used today to denote a very close friend.
Pour in on the first number
In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, often without any fault of the person being punished. If the mentor showed special zeal, and the disciple was hit especially hard, he could be freed from further vice in the current month, until the first day of the next month. This is how the expression "pour in the first number" arose.
Goof
Prosak used to be the name of a special machine for weaving ropes and cords. It had a complex structure and twisted the strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person his life. It was from such cases that the expression "get into a mess" came from, which today means being in an awkward position.
The last Chinese warning
In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft frequently violated Chinese airspace for reconnaissance purposes. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a "warning" to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action was followed, and hundreds of such warnings were counted. This policy has led to the emergence of the expression "last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.
Hang dogs
When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is completely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with another meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.
Silently
The word sape in French means "hoe". In the 16-19 centuries, the term "glanders" was used to denote a method of opening a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes placed in the trenches to the walls of castles, and specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the secretive digging of tunnels came the expression "sly glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.
Big boss
The most experienced and strongest barge haule, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has morphed into the term "big shot" to refer to an important person.
The case burned out
Previously, if a court case disappeared, then the person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned out: either from a fire in wooden court buildings, or from deliberate arson in exchange for a bribe. In such cases, the accused said: "The case is burned out." Today this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.
Leave in english
When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression “left in English”. Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’. It appeared during the Seven Years War in the 18th century in a mockery of the French soldiers who voluntarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.
Blue blood
The Spanish royal family and the nobility were proud that, unlike the common people, they trace their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who penetrated into Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood." Hence, this expression to denote aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.
And a no brainer
The source of the expression “And a no-brainer” is a poem by Mayakovsky (“It's clear even a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread, first in the Strugatskys' story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited adolescents who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, biennial students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year the expression “no brainer” was very relevant.
Wash the bones
The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were seized, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found not rotted and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime the person was a sinner and the curse lies on him - to leave the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.
The highlight of the program
The opening of the nail-like Eiffel Tower was timed to coincide with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "the nail of the program" has entered the language.
Do not wash, so by rolling
In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the linen with a special rolling pin. Well-rolled laundry turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the wash was not very good.
Newspaper duck
“One scientist, having bought 20 ducks, immediately ordered to chop one of them into small pieces, which he fed the rest of the birds. A few minutes later he did the same with another duck, and so on, until there was one left, which thus devoured 19 of her friends. ” The Belgian humorist Cornelissen published this note in a newspaper to mock the gullibility of the public. Since then, according to one of the versions, false news is called “newspaper ducks”.
Seven Fridays a week
Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a bazaar day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to designate people who do not keep promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays a week."
Scapegoat
According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the forgiveness of sins, the high priest put his hands on the head of the goat and thereby laid the sins of the entire people on it. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released. Hence the expression "scapegoat" came from.
Fiasco
To fail is to fail, to fail on the way to the goal. At the same time, the word "fiasco" in Italian means a large two-liter bottle. How could such a strange combination of words have been created and how did it acquire its modern meaning?
There is an explanation for this. It was born from the failed attempt of the famous Italian comedian Bianconnolli to play a funny pantomime in front of the audience with a large bottle in his hand. After his failure, the words "Bianconnolli fiasco" acquired the meaning of an actor's failure, and then the very word "fiasco" began to mean failure.
Why beginners are called "dummies"
A teapot is an inexperienced user, a person who does not know how to expediently use a personal computer in the volume necessary for him. The term comes from mountaineering. Experienced climbers call a teapot a beginner who made his first ascent to the top of the mountain. As a rule, such people first of all do not take the necessary steps to arrange the camp, but pose for photographers, resting one hand on their side, and putting the other to the side, leaning on an ice ax, a ski pole, etc., which makes their silhouette strongly resembles a kettle.
We highly recommend getting to know him. You will find many new friends there. It is also the fastest and most efficient way to contact project administrators. The Antivirus Updates section continues to work - always up-to-date free updates for Dr Web and NOD. Didn't have time to read something? The full content of the creeping line can be found at this link.
We use such phrases every day in speech, without thinking at all about their original meaning and origin. Why is the last warning specifically Chinese? Who is Silent Sapa? And why should a successful business burn out?
Reach the handle
In Ancient Russia, rolls were baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. The townspeople often bought rolls and ate them right on the street, holding this bow or handle. For reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not consumed, but given to the beggars or thrown to be eaten by dogs. According to one of the versions, about those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: got to the handle. And today the expression "to reach the pen" means to completely sink, to lose a human appearance.
Bosom friend
The ancient expression "pour over the Adam's apple" meant "to get drunk", "to drink alcohol." Hence the phraseological unit "bosom friend" was formed, which is used today to denote a very close friend.
Pour in on the first number
In the old days, schoolchildren were often flogged, often without any fault of the person being punished. If the mentor showed special zeal, and the disciple was hit especially hard, he could be freed from further vice in the current month, until the first day of the next month. This is how the expression "pour in the first number" arose.
Goof
Prosak used to be the name of a special machine for weaving ropes and cords. It had a complex structure and twisted the strands so strongly that getting clothes, hair, beard into it could cost a person his life. It was from such cases that the expression "get into a mess" came from, which today means being in an awkward position.
The last Chinese warning
In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft frequently violated Chinese airspace for reconnaissance purposes. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a "warning" to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action was followed, and hundreds of such warnings were counted. This policy has led to the emergence of the expression "last Chinese warning", meaning threats without consequences.
Hang dogs
When a person is blamed, accused of something, you can hear the expression: "They hang dogs on him." At first glance, this phrase is completely illogical. However, it is not associated with an animal at all, but with another meaning of the word "dog" - burdock, thorn - now almost never used.
Silently
The word sape in French means "hoe". In the 16-19 centuries, the term "glanders" was used to denote a method of opening a trench, ditch or tunnel to approach the fortifications. Gunpowder bombs were sometimes placed in the trenches to the walls of castles, and specialists trained to do this were called sappers. And from the secretive digging of tunnels came the expression "sly glanders", which today is used to denote cautious and inconspicuous actions.
Big boss
The most experienced and strongest barge haule, walking in the strap first, was called a bump. This has morphed into the term "big shot" to refer to an important person.
The case burned out
Previously, if a court case disappeared, then the person could not be legally charged. Cases often burned out: either from a fire in wooden court buildings, or from deliberate arson in exchange for a bribe. In such cases, the accused said: "The case is burned out." Today this expression is used when we talk about the successful completion of a major undertaking.
Leave in english
When someone leaves without saying goodbye, we use the expression “left in English”. Although in the original this idiom was invented by the British themselves, but it sounded like ‘to take French leave’. It appeared during the Seven Years War in the 18th century in a mockery of the French soldiers who voluntarily left the location of the unit. Then the French copied this expression, but in relation to the British, and in this form it was fixed in the Russian language.
Blue blood
The Spanish royal family and the nobility were proud that, unlike the common people, they trace their ancestry to the West Goths and never mixed with the Moors who penetrated into Spain from Africa. Unlike the dark-skinned commoners, blue veins stood out on the pale skin of the upper class, and therefore they called themselves sangre azul, which means "blue blood." Hence, this expression to denote aristocracy penetrated into many European languages, including Russian.
And a no brainer
The source of the expression “And a no-brainer” is a poem by Mayakovsky (“It's clear even a hedgehog - / This Petya was a bourgeois”). It became widespread, first in the Strugatskys' story "The Land of Crimson Clouds", and then in Soviet boarding schools for gifted children. They recruited adolescents who had two years left to study (grades A, B, C, D, E) or one year (grades E, F, I). The students of the one-year stream were called “hedgehogs”. When they came to the boarding school, biennial students were already ahead of them in a non-standard program, so at the beginning of the school year the expression “no brainer” was very relevant.
Wash the bones
The Orthodox Greeks, as well as some Slavic peoples, had a custom of secondary burial - the bones of the deceased were seized, washed with water and wine and put back. If the corpse was found not rotted and swollen, this meant that during his lifetime the person was a sinner and the curse lies on him - to leave the grave at night in the form of a ghoul, vampire, ghoul and destroy people. Thus, the rite of washing the bones was needed to make sure that there was no such spell.
The highlight of the program
The opening of the nail-like Eiffel Tower was timed to coincide with the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, which caused a sensation. Since then, the expression "the nail of the program" has entered the language.
Do not wash, so by rolling
In the old days, village women, after washing, “rolled” the linen with a special rolling pin. Well-rolled laundry turned out to be wrung out, ironed and clean, even if the wash was not very good.
Newspaper duck
“One scientist, having bought 20 ducks, immediately ordered to chop one of them into small pieces, which he fed the rest of the birds. A few minutes later he did the same with another duck, and so on, until there was one left, which thus devoured 19 of her friends. ” The Belgian humorist Cornelissen published this note in a newspaper to mock the gullibility of the public. Since then, according to one of the versions, false news is called “newspaper ducks”.
Seven Fridays a week
Previously, Friday was a free day from work, and, as a result, a bazaar day. On Friday, when they received the goods, they promised to give the money due for it on the next market day. Since then, to designate people who do not keep promises, they say: "He has seven Fridays a week."
Scapegoat
According to the Hebrew rite, on the day of the forgiveness of sins, the high priest put his hands on the head of the goat and thereby laid the sins of the entire people on it. Then the goat was taken to the Judean desert and released. Hence the expression "scapegoat" came from.
Fiasco
To fail is to fail, to fail on the way to the goal. At the same time, the word "fiasco" in Italian means a large two-liter bottle. How could such a strange combination of words have been created and how did it acquire its modern meaning? There is an explanation for this. It was born from the failed attempt of the famous Italian comedian Bianconnolli to play a funny pantomime in front of the audience with a large bottle in his hand. After his failure, the words "Bianconnolli fiasco" acquired the meaning of an actor's failure, and then the very word "fiasco" began to mean failure.
Why beginners are called "dummies"
A teapot is an inexperienced user, a person who does not know how to expediently use a personal computer in the volume necessary for him. The term comes from mountaineering. Experienced climbers call a teapot a beginner who made his first ascent to the top of the mountain. As a rule, such people first of all do not take the necessary steps to arrange the camp, but pose for photographers, resting one hand on their side, and putting the other to the side, leaning on an ice ax, a ski pole, etc., which makes their silhouette strongly resembles a kettle.
Sour cabbage master
About those who know little, we say "master of sour cabbage soup." The origin of the proverb is quite simple. Sour cabbage soup (apparently, in the simplest variation) was a simple meal: water and sauerkraut. It was not difficult to prepare the cabbage soup. And if someone was called a “master of sour cabbage soup,” it meant that he was not good for anything worthwhile. The expression “to put a pig on it,” that is, to do something bad to someone, is most likely due to the fact that some peoples, for religious reasons, do not eat pork. And if a person was imperceptibly put pork in food, then by doing so they did a very serious dirty trick.
I did not come to court
When you study proverbs and sayings, you wonder what kind of antiquity they sometimes come from. “I didn’t come to court” - This proverb has an interesting mythological basis. According to her, in the courtyard (in the yard) only that animal will live that the brownie will like. And if you don't like it, then it will either run away or get sick. What to do ... not to court ...
Kazan orphan
As you know, the expression "Kazan orphan" refers to a person who pretends to be offended or helpless in order to pity someone. Now this phrase is used, rather, as a good-natured joke. But why exactly "Kazan"? This phraseological unit arose after the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. The Tatar princes (Mirza) became subjects of the Russian tsar. At the same time, they tried to beg from Ivan the Terrible all kinds of indulgences and privileges, complaining about the bitter fate. Thanks to the sharp folk language, they became the first "Kazan orphans".
Do not wash dirty linen in public
An ancient and ubiquitous proverb. Of course, it does not teach us uncleanliness. She advises not to endure family squabbles and quarrels in people. In general, Dahl has written beautifully about this proverb: "family squabbles will sort it out at home, if not under one sheepskin coat, so under one roof." But this proverb also has a direct meaning: the peasants' dirty linen was never swept out and was not carried out into the street. It was rather difficult to do: to sweep the litter into the street through the high rapids. However, the main reason is the existence of a rather serious belief: by litter, unkind people can send damage. The litter was usually swept into an oven or cooking corner. When the stove was flooded, the litter was burned. There was another interesting custom: the wedding guests, trying the patience of the bride, forced the hut to take revenge, while again and again they littered and said: “Sweep it, sweep it, but don't take it out of the hut, but shovel it under the bench and put it in the oven, so that it will take out the smoke.
No stake, no yard
We are talking about a state of extreme poverty. If you disassemble the content of this proverb, it turns out that there is no "no stake", that is, a short pointed stick, "no yard" - that is, at home. As for the "yard", everything is clear, and there are no disputes on this score. But there is a pretty convincing version of the "stake" of the late nineteenth century. The fact is that, at least in some places, a "stake" was called a strip of arable land two fathoms wide. Therefore, not having a stake means not having arable land; not having a yard means living with others. Well ... logical. It is difficult to overestimate, especially in the old days, the importance of arable land for the peasant. In fact, along with his house, she was his main wealth.
The word "get crazy" is often used in everyday life. As you know, it means a situation when a person has lost the ability to clearly perceive the surrounding reality, to think adequately. Interestingly, the origin of the word is associated with the large-scale events of 1771, it was then that a devastating plague was raging in Moscow. Eyewitnesses described the following symptoms in people: "The patient's reprimand is incomprehensible and confusing, the tongue is definitely frozen, or bitten, or like a drunk." The plague manifested itself in chills, fever, headache, and confusion. The memory of the above events is reflected in the word "get crazy", which we now apply to much less serious situations.
Hack it on your nose
This expression is often spoken today in full confidence that it means the nose. An ordinary human nose. Sometimes they also point at the nose. Meanwhile, this is a mistake ... The nose used to be called a special tablet for writing. It was worn along with special sticks, with which they made various notes or notches for memory. Indeed, in ancient times, for all its severity, no one made any notches on his personal nose as a keepsake.
Play spillikins.
There is an old game that is said to develop patience and caution: spillikins. In front of you lies a bunch of tiny things, glasses, hammers, hearts - spalls - piled up in a mess. It is required to pull out one spill after another from the pile with a small hook so that the rest will not be disturbed. Great activity for loafers! It is not surprising that the expression "to play with spillikins" has long meant: to engage in trifles, nonsense, leaving aside the main and important.
Put on the back burner
There is an assumption that this phrase, meaning "to give the case a long reprieve", "to delay its decision for a long time," arose in Moscow Russia, three hundred years ago. Tsar Alexei, the father of Peter I, ordered in the village of Kolomenskoye in front of his palace to install a long box where everyone could put their complaint. Complaints dropped, but it was very difficult to wait for solutions; often months and years passed before. The people renamed this "long" box "long". It is difficult, however, to vouch for the accuracy of this explanation: after all, we are not saying "omit" or not "put", but "put on the back burner." One might think that the expression, if it was not born, then was fixed in speech later, in the "presences" - institutions of the XIX century. The then officials, accepting various petitions, complaints and petitions, undoubtedly sorted them, putting them in different boxes. "Long" could be called the one where the most unhurried affairs were postponed. It is clear that the petitioners were afraid of such a box. Incidentally, there is no need to assume that someone once specifically renamed the “long” box into “long”: in many places in our country, in the popular language, “long” means “long”. The expression “put under the rug”, which was born later, has the same meaning. Cloth was used to cover tables in Russian offices.
