Table of contents:
- 1. "Slowly"
- 2. Suffer "shit"
- 3. Bosom friend
- 4. Filkin's certificate
- 5. "The Last Chinese Warning"
- 6. "Throwing beads in front of pigs"
- 7. A woman with a twist
- 8. "Places not so distant"
- 9. Sharpen the fringes
- 10. "Not at ease"
Video: Where are the "places not so distant", or 10 expressions, the origin of which many did not even think about
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
"Not at ease", "places not so distant", "filkin literacy" - all these and many other rather strange expressions people use in their speech, sometimes without thinking about their true meaning. We decided to figure out how these expressions appeared in our language.
1. "Slowly"
Translated from French, the word "sape" means "hoe". In the 16th-19th centuries, it was this term that was called the method of digging a tunnel or trench, which served to approach the fortification. Originally the expression "quietly" meant to undermine, today this expression means "to do something unnoticed."
2. Suffer "shit"
No, no, this is not obscene at all! The fact that the word "er" has acquired an obscene coloration quite recently sets one up for philosophical reflections that all prohibitions are conditional. Suffice it to recall in The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky: “And the mushrooms? - asked Ferapont suddenly, pronouncing the letter "g" aspirated, almost like a dick. " And there is no doubt that the classic did not mean anything bad - about 150 years ago, this was the name of the aspirated letter "x" in the Church Slavonic alphabet. Just!
This letter disappeared from the primers after the reform of 1918, and the word itself remained in the spoken language. And since there was no object that it would denote, they began to call the well-known "three-letter word". And so the obscene meaning was fixed for a harmless word.
The irony of the situation also lies in the fact that the origin of the name of the disgraced letter was originally quite divine - from the word "cherub".
The word "yernya" has also acquired an indecent sound, which from a philological point of view is not derived from "era". In fact, this is the name of a hernia, from the Latin "hernia". In the 19th century, doctors often made this diagnosis to rich bourgeois children who did not want to serve in the army. The peasants, as a rule, did not have enough money for such a diagnosis. It can be said that in those days half of Russia suffered from "yernei".
3. Bosom friend
In this case, everything is obvious. "Bosom friend" was called the one with whom it was possible to "pour over the Adam's apple", that is, mentally drink.
4. Filkin's certificate
Filka is a very famous and historical personality. This refers to the Metropolitan of Moscow Philip II, who headed the Russian Orthodox Church in 1566-1568. As a person, he, apparently, was short-sighted, and forgetting about his main duty to "diligently give Caesar what was Caesar's", quarreled with Tsar Ivan the Terrible. And all because Philip began to expose the bloody atrocities of the king, telling how many people he burned, poisoned, tortured and tortured. The tsar, in turn, called the metropolitan's accusatory works "Filka's letter", swore that Filka was lying and imprisoned him in a monastery. And there he was finished off by the hired killers.
5. "The Last Chinese Warning"
Those who remember the 1960s should know about the origin of this expression. It was at that time that the whole world was watching the confrontation between the United States and China. In 1958, China resented America's support for Taiwan and issued a note of protest called the Final Warning. Then the world froze in anticipation of the Third World War.
But when, over the next seven years, China issued 400 of the same notes under the same name, the world was already shaking with laughter. Fortunately, China did not go further than threats, and Taiwan managed to maintain its independence, which is still not recognized in the Celestial Empire. Thus, the "last Chinese warning" is understood as empty threats, which will not be followed by any action.
6. "Throwing beads in front of pigs"
These words are taken from the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ: "Do not give holy things to dogs and do not throw your pearls before the pigs, so that they do not trample it under their feet and, turning, do not tear you to pieces." “The Bible Matt. 7: 6 "/ synodal translation, 1816-1862. Of course, with pearls this phrase sounds more logical, and the expression about beads is explained simply - that is how pearls were called in Russia before.
7. A woman with a twist
This image was presented to the Russian language by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. In his drama Living Corpse, one character speaks to another in conversation: “My wife was an ideal woman … But what can I tell you? There was no zest - you know, there is a zest in kvass? - there was no game in our life."
8. "Places not so distant"
In the "Code of Punishments" in 1845, all the places of reference were divided into "distant" and "not so distant". Sakhalin and Siberian provinces were referred to as “remote”, and Karelia, Vologda, Arkhangelsk regions and some other places located just a few days' journey from St. Petersburg were referred to as “not so remote”. In the second half of the 19th century, writers used this phrase to denote a link.
9. Sharpen the fringes
Lyas or balusters - this was the name of the chiseled figured posts of the railing at the porch. At first, the expression "sharpening fritters" was understood as conducting an elegant and florid conversation. But there were few skilled craftsmen to conduct such a conversation, so over time this expression began to mean empty chatter.
10. "Not at ease"
This expression is derived from the French phrase n'être pas dans son assiette. True, the last word means not only "plate", but also "mood, state, position."
It was rumored that at the beginning of the 19th century, some would-be translator translated from some piece "friend, you are out of sorts" as "you are not at ease." Griboyedov did not pass by such a marvelous blooper. He put it in the mouth of Famusov: “Beloved! You are not at ease. Sleep is needed from the road. " So, with the light hand of the classic, the phrase took root in the Russian language.
Especially for those who are interested in history and follow the purity of the language, 20 postcards with words, the meaning of which is not known to everyone.
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