In which the replacement of individual components is unacceptable. The article will describe these structures and provide a classification. Examples of phraseological units in the Russian language will also be considered and some historical information will be provided. Particular attention will be paid to the properties of revolution groups.

Charles Bally's theory

To begin with, it should be said that the school subject “Russian Language” (2nd grade) is studying these constructions. Phraseologisms were first described by Charles Bally (French linguist). It was he who gave these structures a definition. He also clarified that these phrases are the opposite of phraseological groups. Parts of the latter can create various combinations. This is the origin of phraseological units in brief. Next, let's look at the groups of structures in more detail.

Classification

In russian language? This was subsequently determined by the domestic linguist Viktor Vinogradov. He found that all these revolutions are distributed over several groups. The first is called adhesions, or idioms, the second is called "unity", and the third is called "combinations". Colleague Shansky added another type to this classification, called “phraseological expressions”.

General properties

When considering the question of what a phraseological unit is in the Russian language, it is worth mentioning the properties of this construction. This combination is a whole structure that cannot be divided. In it, as a rule, rearrangement of the constituent elements is unacceptable. This property can manifest itself in different ways. As a rule, when dividing it is impossible to understand what a phraseological unit means. The meaning of the construction is lost if you rely on individual words, or more precisely, on their definition. Lexicalization is the process of transforming an ordinary phrase into a stable construction. Through this process, idioms can be created. There are several consistently compiled characteristics of the structures under consideration. Summarizing the basic information about what a phraseological unit is in the Russian language, it should be said that each combination has the properties of reproducibility, stability, superverbality and belonging to the nominative inventory of the language.

Fusion

This combination represents a construct whose meaning cannot be calculated based solely on the definition of its individual components. This is due to the fact that the elements of the combination have lost their independence. These include, for example, such a construction as denoting excessive turmoil or noise. Some idioms can be classified as archaisms. Everyone knows such example phraseological units as what it means to idle (the literal meaning is the preparation of logs for the purpose of creating household items from them). A popular idiom is “carelessly”, which means that something has been done poorly. Nowadays, these phraseological units are relevant, but their literal meaning is not clear to many.

Imagery of designs

This property is considered the basis for all other characteristics of phraseological units. Emotionality, evaluativeness and expressiveness originate from imagery. Let's look at these qualities in more detail. Emotionality in phraseology is considered to be the fact that a stable expression can not only characterize an object or person, but also show the speaker’s attitude towards it. Emotionality creates such a property as evaluativeness. In this vein, all stable combinations can be divided into two categories: those that have a positive characteristic and those that show a negative judgment. Expressions from the first group can denote approval (as in the phraseological unit “blood and milk”), respect (“lay down your head”) and admiration (“ruler of thoughts”). Constructions of the second category express irony (for example, “carrying water with a sieve”) and disdain. Expressiveness shows the extent to which the specified property is manifested. For example, the phraseological unit “of the purest water” means “true, most faithful.”

Classification according to expressive and stylistic properties

Speaking about what a phraseological unit is in the Russian language, it should be said about the division of these constructions into two main groups. The first includes inter-style turns. They can be used in any field and in any style of speech. The second group contains colloquial and everyday combinations. Such designs are most often used in Everyday life. One more group stands out in particular - book phraseological units. They are only used in literary speech. Phraseologisms in Russian can be both sentences and phrases.

Unity

This term refers to a certain stable combination of words in which each component has retained its separate meaning. And the meaning of the entire phrase is formed on the basis of combining the meanings of the elements. Phraseological unities, like ordinary constructions, are not without the properties of imagery. All components of this expression have direct meanings, but together they create a figurative meaning.

Features of revolutions

If we analyze phraseological unities in more detail, we can conclude that they are based on some tropes that take the form of a metaphor. Examples of such expressions include combinations of the words “gnaw the granite of science” and “go with the flow.” Although the words here have eigenvalues, in case of single use are not carried semantic load. Interacting, they create a single picture. The peculiarity of such expressions is that foreigners can understand their literal translation. At the same time, phraseological units still cannot be divided into smaller ones and the word order in them cannot be changed. If you try to replace a word with a synonym, then the expression will cease to be a phraseological unit. So, if you take the combination “gnaw the granite of science” and replace the word “granite” with, for example, “basalt,” then the meaning will be lost. However, there are situations when such adjustments simply slightly change (expand or narrow) the meaning of a phraseological unit. For example, “fall into the trap” and “get caught in the net.” A special feature is that they allow the expression to be broken by service and even independent words. You can substitute “yourself, them, someone” into the phrase “bring to white heat.” From the combination “pour water into the mill” you can make the combinations “pour water into your mill”, “... into his mill”, “... into someone else’s mill”.

Combinations

These constructions are understood as phraseological units that consist of words that have a free meaning and those that have a definition used only in a specific statement. Combinations, along with unities, being stable constructions, receive their definition from the totality of the meanings of individual words.

Combination properties

The peculiarity of phraseological combinations is that it is permissible for them to change the vocabulary. Some elements can be removed, replaced with synonyms and other linguistic elements. For example, there are phraseological units “burn with love”, “burn with shame”, “burn with hatred”. As you can see, any word can be substituted into the second part of the statement. However, the first one, with the word “burn”, should remain unchanged. Therefore, two types of constituent phraseological combinations are distinguished - constant and variable. Moreover, not all words are variables. A certain number of such parts of the expression are allocated. Thus, the combination “burn with passion” can be considered a generalized version of all the above constructions. In addition, it is allowed to replace variable parts with synonyms. In the expression “burn with shame,” instead of “shame,” you can substitute “shame” or “disgrace.”

Expressions

Phraseological expressions are phrases that are freely divided into parts. Moreover, these elements are independent and have a certain meaning separately from the statement. Such constructions are stable; in speech they are used in a certain vocabulary. Phraseological expressions are used in the form of complete sentences that have an edifying meaning or some kind of conclusion. Therefore, this definition can be called an aphorism and a proverb. In addition, phraseological expressions include both professionalisms and cliches inherent in speech. The latter can also include wishes, such as “all the best”, “see you again.” Not all linguists agree that these expressions belong to phraseological units, because they do not have the main properties of stable constructions.

Historical information

Phraseologisms existed in different languages from a long time ago. However, they did not have an exact and uniform definition. And only from the end of the 18th century a large number of synonyms began to appear to denote them. For example, such constructions were called “winged aphorisms.” Mikhail Lomonosov himself, passionate about creating a plan for the dictionary of our language, believed that the phrases in question were an integral part of it. Idioms began to be studied in depth only a few decades ago. Until the middle of the last century, scientists could only speculate and make assumptions regarding the properties and features of phraseological units.

Linguist Viktor Vinogradov has done a great deal of work on studying set expressions. It was he who created the classification of all revolutions according to their properties. Phraseology has not been fully studied; new facets of it are still being discovered. Modern linguists cannot accept one thing specific definition phraseological units, putting forward new versions. In addition, some scientists believe that sustainable structures need to be distinguished into two concepts. The first is considered more specific, and only idioms are included in it. The second is broader. This includes proverbs and sayings. In schools, set expressions begin to be taught in the second grade. Phraseologisms are stable combinations that decorate speech. That is, if you do not undertake an in-depth study, then idioms can be designated this way. These indivisible expressions, which have a lexical meaning, denoting phenomena, properties, states and signs, are present in the Russian language in quite a lot. large quantities. All of them make speech brighter and more emotional.

Speech is a way of communication between people. To achieve complete mutual understanding and express your thoughts more clearly and figuratively, many lexical techniques are used, in particular, phraseological units (phraseological unit, idiom) - stable figures of speech that have independent meaning and are characteristic specific language. Often, to achieve some speech effect simple words sometimes it's not enough. Irony, bitterness, love, mockery, your own attitude to what is happening - all this can be expressed much more succinctly, more precisely, more emotionally. We often use phraseological units in everyday speech, sometimes without even noticing - after all, some of them are simple, familiar, and familiar from childhood. Many of the phraseological units came to us from other languages, eras, fairy tales, and legends.

Augean stables

First clear out these Augean stables, and then you can go for a walk.

Meaning. A cluttered, polluted place where everything is in complete disarray.

Origin. An ancient Greek legend tells us that King Augeas lived in ancient Elis, a passionate lover of horses: he kept three thousand horses in his stables. However, the stalls in which the horses were kept had not been cleaned for thirty years, and they were overgrown with manure up to the roof.

Hercules was sent to Augeas' service, and the king instructed him to clean the stables, which no one else could do.

Hercules was as cunning as he was powerful. He directed the waters of the river into the gates of the stables, and a stormy stream washed away all the dirt from there within a day.

The Greeks sang this feat along with the other eleven, and the expression “Augean stables” began to be applied to everything neglected, polluted to the last limit, and generally to denote great disorder.

Arshin swallow

It stands as if it had swallowed an arshin.

Meaning. Standing unnaturally straight.

Origin. The Turkish word “arshin”, meaning a measure of length of one cubit, has long become Russian. Before the revolution, Russian merchants and craftsmen constantly used arshins - wooden and metal rulers seventy-one centimeters long. Imagine what a person must look like after swallowing such a ruler, and you will understand why this expression is used in relation to prim and arrogant people.

Overeat henbane

In Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish,” the old man, outraged by the shameless greed of his old woman, angrily says to her: “Why, woman, have you eaten too much henbane?”

Meaning. Behaving absurdly, viciously, like a madman.

Origin. In the village, in the backyards and landfills, you can find tall bushes with dirty yellowish flowers with purple veins and unpleasant smell. This is henbane - a very poisonous plant. Its seeds resemble poppy seeds, but whoever eats them becomes like a madman: he raves, goes on a rampage, and often dies.

Buridanov's donkey

He rushes about, cannot decide on anything, like Buridan’s donkey.

Meaning. An extremely indecisive person, hesitating between equally valuable decisions.

Origin. Philosophers of the late Middle Ages put forward a theory according to which the actions of living beings depend not on their own will, but solely on external causes. The scientist Buridan (more precisely Buridan), who lived in France in the 14th century, confirmed this idea with such an example. Take a hungry donkey and put on both sides of his muzzle, at equal distances, are two identical armfuls of hay. The donkey will have no reason to prefer one of them to the other: after all, they are exactly alike. He will not be able to reach for either the right or the left and will eventually die from hunger.

Let's go back to our sheep

However, enough about this, let's get back to our sheep.

Meaning. An appeal to the speaker not to be distracted from the main topic; a statement that his digression from the topic of conversation was over.

Origin. Let's return to our sheep - a tracing from the French revenons a nos moutons from the farce “The Lawyer Pierre Patlin” (c. 1470). With these words, the judge interrupts the speech of the rich clothier. Having initiated a case against the shepherd who stole a sheep from him, the clothier, forgetting about his litigation, showers reproaches on the shepherd's defender, lawyer Patlen, who did not pay him for six cubits of cloth.

Versta Kolomenskaya

Everyone will immediately pay attention to a Kolomna mile like you.

Meaning. This is what they call a very tall person, a brute.

Origin. In the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow there was the summer residence of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The road there was busy, wide and considered the main one in the state. And when huge milestones were erected, the likes of which had never been seen in Russia, the glory of this road increased even more. The savvy people did not fail to take advantage of the new product and dubbed the lanky man the Kolomna milepost. That's what they still say.

Lead by the nose

The smartest man, he fooled his opponent by the nose more than once or twice.

Meaning. Deceive, mislead, promise and fail to deliver.

Origin. The expression was associated with fairground entertainment. Gypsies took bears to show by wearing a nose ring. And they forced them, poor fellows, to do various tricks, deceiving them with the promise of a handout.

Hair on end

Horror gripped him: his eyes rolled out, his hair stood on end.

Meaning. This is what they say when a person is very frightened.

Origin. “Standing on end” means standing at attention, on your fingertips. That is, when a person gets scared, his hair seems to stand on tiptoes on his head.

That's where the dog is buried!

Ah, that's it! Now it’s clear where the dog is buried.

Meaning. That's the thing, that's the real reason.

Origin. There is a story: the Austrian warrior Sigismund Altensteig spent all his campaigns and battles with his beloved dog. Once, during a trip to the Netherlands, a dog even saved its owner from death. The grateful warrior solemnly buried his four-legged friend and a monument was erected on his grave, which stood for more than two centuries - until early XIX century.

Later, the dog monument could only be found by tourists with the help of local residents. At that time, the saying “That’s where the dog is buried!” was born, which now has the meaning: “I found what I was looking for,” “I got to the bottom of it.”

But there is a more ancient and no less probable source of the saying that has come down to us. When the Greeks decided to give the Persian king Xerxes a battle at sea, they put old men, women and children on ships in advance and transported them to the island of Salamis.

They say that a dog that belonged to Xanthippus, the father of Pericles, did not want to part with its owner, jumped into the sea and swam after the ship to Salamis. Exhausted from fatigue, she died immediately.

According to the testimony of the ancient historian Plutarch, a cinema sema was erected for this dog on the seashore - a dog monument, which was shown to the curious for a very long time.

Some German linguists believe that this expression was created by treasure hunters who, out of fear of evil spirits, supposedly guarding every treasure, did not dare to directly mention the purpose of their search and tentatively began to talk about a black dog, implying both the devil and the treasure.

Thus, according to this version, the expression “that’s where the dog is buried” meant: “that’s where the treasure is buried.”

Add the first number

For such deeds, of course, they should get paid the first day!

Meaning. Severely punish or scold someone

Origin. Well, what, this expression is familiar to you... And where did it come from on your unfortunate head! You won't believe it, but... from the old school, where students were flogged every week, regardless of whether they were right or wrong. And if the mentor overdoes it, then such a spanking would last for a long time, until the first day of the next month.

Rub glasses

Don't believe it, they're trying to bully you!

Meaning. To deceive someone by presenting the matter in a distorted, incorrect, but beneficial light for the speaker.

Origin. We are not talking about glasses that are used to correct vision. There is another meaning of the word "glasses": red and black marks on playing cards. For as long as there have been cards, there have been dishonest players and cheaters. In order to deceive their partner, they resorted to all sorts of tricks. By the way, they knew how to quietly “rub in points” - turn a seven into a six or a four into a five, on the go, during the game, by gluing in a “point” or covering it with a special white powder. It is clear that “to cheat” came to mean “to cheat”, hence special words were born: “fraud”, “fraud” - a trickster who knows how to embellish his work, pass off the bad as very good.

Voice in the wilderness

Work in vain, you will not convince them, your words are the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

Meaning. Denotes vain persuasion, appeals that no one heeds.

Origin. As the biblical stories tell, one of the ancient Hebrew prophets called out from the desert to the Israelites to prepare the way for God: to lay roads in the desert, to make the mountains lower, the valleys to be filled, and the crookedness and unevenness to be straightened. However, the calls of the hermit prophet remained “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” - they were not heard. The people did not want to serve their fierce and cruel god.

Goal like a falcon

Who says a good word to me? After all, I'm an orphan all around. Goal like a falcon.

Meaning. Very poor, beggar.

Origin. Many people think that we are talking about a bird. But she is neither poor nor rich. In fact, the “falcon” is an ancient military battering gun. It was a completely smooth (“bare”) cast iron block attached to chains. Nothing extra!

Naked truth

This is the state of affairs, the naked truth without embellishment.

Meaning. The truth is as it is, without mincing words.

Origin. This expression is Latin: Nuda Veritas [nuda veritas]. It is taken from the 24th ode of the Roman poet Horace (65 - 8 BC). Ancient sculptors allegorically depicted truth (truth) in the form of a naked woman, which was supposed to symbolize the true state of affairs without silence or embellishment.

Onion grief

Do you know how to cook soup, dear onion.

Meaning. A klutz, an unlucky person.

Origin. The caustic volatile substances contained in abundance in the onion irritate the eyes, and the housewife, while crushing the onion for her cooking, sheds tears, although there is not the slightest grief. It is curious that tears caused by the action of irritants chemical composition different from sincere tears. Fake tears contain more protein (this is not surprising, since such tears are designed to neutralize caustic substances that enter the eye), so fake tears are slightly cloudy. However, every person knows this fact intuitively: there is no faith in muddy tears. And onion grief is not called grief, but a passing nuisance. Most often, they turn half-jokingly, half-sorrowfully to a child who has done something strange again.

Two-Faced Janus

She is deceitful, cunning and hypocritical, a real two-faced Janus.

Meaning. Two-faced, hypocritical person

Origin. In Roman mythology, the god of all beginnings. He was depicted with two faces - young man and the elder - looking in opposite directions. One face is turned to the future, the other to the past.

In the bag

Well, that's it, now you can sleep peacefully: it's all in the bag.

Meaning. Everything is fine, everything ended well.

Origin. Sometimes the origin of this expression is explained by the fact that in the days of Ivan the Terrible, some court cases were decided by lot, and the lot was drawn from the judge’s hat. However, the word “hat” came to us no earlier than in the days of Boris Godunov, and even then it was applied only to foreign headdresses. It is unlikely that this rare word could have found its way into a popular saying at that time.

There is another explanation: much later, clerks and clerks, when dealing with court cases, used their hats to receive bribes.

If only you could help me,” says the plaintiff to the clerk in a sarcastic poem. A.K. Tolstoy, - I would pour ten rubles into my hat, by the way. Joke? “Rash now,” said the clerk, holding up his cap. - Come on!

It is very possible that the question: “Well, how am I doing?” - clerks often answered with a sly wink: “It’s in the bag.” This is where the saying could have come from.

Money doesn't smell

He took the money and didn’t wince, money doesn’t smell.

Meaning. It is the availability of money that is important, not the source of its origin.

Origin. To urgently replenish the treasury, the Roman Emperor Vespasian introduced a tax on public urinals. However, Titus reproached his father for this. Vespasian brought the money to his son's nose and asked if it smelled. He answered negatively. Then the emperor said: “But they are from urine...” Based on this episode, a catchphrase developed.

Keep in a black body

Don't let her sleep in bedBy the light of the morning star, Keep the lazy girl in the black body And don’t take the reins off her!

Nikolay Zabolotsky

Meaning. To treat someone harshly, strictly making you work hard; to oppress someone.

Origin. The expression comes from Turkic expressions associated with horse breeding, meaning - to eat in moderation, to be malnourished (kara kesek - meat without fat). The literal translation of these phrases is “black meat” (kara - black, kesek - meat). From the literal meaning of the expression comes “to keep in a black body.”

Bring to white heat

Vile guy, drives me crazy.

Meaning. Make you angry to the limit, drive you crazy.

Origin. When metal is heated during forging, it glows differently depending on the temperature: first red, then yellow and finally blinding white. At a higher temperature, the metal will melt and boil. An expression from the speech of blacksmiths.

Smoke rocker

In the tavern the smoke stood like a yoke: songs, dances, shouting, fighting.

Meaning. Noise, din, disorder, turmoil.

Origin. In old Rus', huts were often heated in a black way: the smoke escaped not through the chimney, but through a special window or door. And they predicted the weather by the shape of the smoke. The smoke comes in a column - it will be clear, dragging - towards fog, rain, a rocker - towards the wind, bad weather, or even a storm.

Egyptian executions

What kind of punishment is this, just Egyptian executions!

Meaning. Disasters that bring torment, severe punishment

Origin. Goes back to the biblical story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. For Pharaoh’s refusal to release the Jews from captivity, the Lord subjected Egypt to terrible punishments - ten Egyptian plagues. Blood instead of water. All the water in the Nile and other reservoirs and containers turned into blood, but remained transparent for the Jews. Execution by frogs. As was promised to Pharaoh: “They will go out and enter into your house, and into your bedroom, and into your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. Toads filled the entire land of Egypt.

Invasion of midges. As a third punishment, hordes of midges fell upon Egypt, attacking the Egyptians, clinging to them, getting into their eyes, noses, and ears.

Dog flies. The country was flooded with dog flies, from which all animals, including domestic ones, began to attack the Egyptians.

Cattle pestilence. All Egyptians' livestock died out; only the Jews were not affected by the attack. Ulcers and boils. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to take a handful of furnace soot and throw it up in front of Pharaoh. And the bodies of the Egyptians and the animals were covered with terrible sores and boils. Thunder, lightning and fiery hail. A storm began, thunder roared, lightning flashed, and a hail of fire fell on Egypt. Locust invasion. Blown strong wind, and behind the wind, hordes of locusts flew into Egypt, devouring all the greenery down to the last blade of grass on the land of Egypt.

Unusual darkness. The darkness that fell on Egypt was thick and dense, you could even touch it; and candles and torches could not dispel the darkness. Only the Jews had light.

Execution of the firstborn. After all the first-born children in Egypt (except for the Jewish ones) died in one night, Pharaoh gave up and allowed the Jews to leave Egypt. Thus began the Exodus.

Iron curtain

We live as if behind an iron curtain, no one comes to us, and we don’t visit anyone.

Meaning. Obstacles, obstacles, complete political isolation of the country.

Origin. At the end of the 18th century. An iron curtain was lowered onto the theater stage to protect spectators in case of a fire. At that time, open fire was used to illuminate the stage - candles and oil lamps.

This expression acquired political overtones during the First World War. On December 23, 1919, Georges Clemenceau declared in the French Chamber of Deputies: “We want to put an iron curtain around Bolshevism so as not to destroy civilized Europe in the future.”

Yellow press

Where did you read all this? Don't trust the yellow press.

Meaning. A low-quality, deceitful press, greedy for cheap sensations.

Origin. In 1895, the New York World newspaper began regularly publishing a series of comic strips called “The Yellow Kid.” Her main character, a boy in a long yellow shirt that went down to his toes, made funny comments about various events. In early 1896, another newspaper, the New York Morning Journal, lured the creator of the comic strip, artist Richard Outcault. Both publications thrived on publishing scandalous materials. A dispute broke out between competitors over the copyright of “Yellow Baby.” In the spring of 1896, the editor of the New York Press, Erwin Wordman, commenting on this litigation, contemptuously called both newspapers “the yellow press.”

Alive Smoking Room

A. S. Pushkin wrote an epigram to the critic M. Kachenovsky, which began with the words: “How! Is Kurilka the journalist still alive? It ended with wise advice: “...How to extinguish a stinking splinter? How can I kill my Smoking Room? Give me some advice.” - “Yes... spit on him.”

Meaning. An exclamation when mentioning someone's continued activity or existence despite difficult conditions.

Origin. There was an old Russian game: a lit splinter was passed from hand to hand, chanting: “The Smoking Room is alive, alive, alive, alive, not dead!..” The one whose splinter went out, began to smoke, and smoke, lost.

Gradually, the words “the Smoking Room is alive” began to be applied to certain figures and to various phenomena, which, logically, should have disappeared long ago, but, despite everything, continued to exist.

Behind seven seals

Well, of course, because this is a sealed secret for you!

Meaning. Something incomprehensible.

Origin. Goes back to the biblical expression “a book with seven seals” - a symbol of secret knowledge inaccessible to the uninitiated until seven seals are removed from it, III from the prophetic New Testament book “Revelations of St. John the Evangelist." "And I saw in right hand He who sits on the throne has a book written inside and outside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open this book and to open its seals?” And no one in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth could open this book and look into it. The Lamb, who “was slain and redeemed us to God with his blood, opened the seals of the book. After the opening of six seals, the seal of God was placed on the inhabitants of Israel, according to which they were accepted as true followers of the Lord. After the opening of the seventh seal, the Lamb ordered John to eat the book: “... it will be bitter in your belly, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey,” in order to talk about the future renewal of the whole world and dispel the fears of believers about the future of Christianity, which Jews, pagans and false teachers are fighting on all sides.”

Nick down

And get this in your head: you won’t be able to deceive me!

Meaning. Remember it firmly, once and for all.

Origin. The word “nose” here does not mean the organ of smell. Oddly enough, it means “memorable tablet”, “record tag”. In ancient times, illiterate people carried such sticks and tablets with them everywhere and made all kinds of notes and notches on them. These tags were called noses.

The truth is in the wine

And next to the neighboring tables Sleepy footmen hang around, And drunkards with rabbit eyes shout “In vino Veritas.”

Alexander Blok

Meaning. If you want to find out exactly what a person is thinking, treat him to wine.

Origin. This is the famous Latin expression: In vino Veritas (in wine veritas). It is taken from the work “Natural History” by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). where it is used to mean: what is on the sober mind is on the tongue of the drunk.

It is not worth it

You shouldn't do this. The game is clearly not worth the candle.

Meaning. The effort expended is not worth it.

Origin. The phraseological expression is based on a card term, which means that the stakes in the game are so insignificant that even the winnings will be less than the funds spent on candles to illuminate the card table.

To the head analysis

Well, brother, you've come late to the very basic analysis!

Meaning. Be late, show up when it’s all over.

Origin. The saying arose in those days when in our frosty country people, coming to church in warm clothes and knowing that it was forbidden to go inside with a hat, put their three hats and caps at the very entrance. At the end of the church service, when everyone left, they took them apart. Only those who were clearly in no hurry to go to church came to the “head-by-side analysis.”

How to get chickens into cabbage soup

And he ended up with this case like chickens in cabbage soup.

Meaning. Bad luck, unexpected misfortune.

Origin. A very common saying that we repeat all the time, sometimes without any idea of ​​its true meaning. Let's start with the word "chicken". This word in old Russian means “rooster”. But “cabbage soup” was not in this proverb before, and it was pronounced correctly: “I got caught in the plucking like a chicken,” that is, I was plucked, “unlucky.” The word “plucking” was forgotten, and then people, willy-nilly, changed the expression “to plucking” to “into cabbage soup.” When she was born is not entirely clear: some think that even under Demetrius the Pretender, when she was “plucked”; the Polish conquerors fell; others - that in the Patriotic War of 1812, when the Russian people forced Napoleon's hordes to flee.

King for a day

I would not trust their generous promises, which they give out right and left: caliphs for an hour.

Meaning. About a man who accidentally found himself in a position of power for a short time.

Origin. The Arabic fairy tale “A Waking Dream, or Caliph for an Hour” (collection “A Thousand and One Nights”) tells how the young Baghdadian Abu-Shssan, not knowing that the caliph Grun-al-Rashid is in front of him, shares with him his cherished dream - become caliph at least for a day. Wanting to have fun, Harun al-Rashid pours sleeping pills into Abu Hassan’s wine, orders the servants to take the young man to the palace and treat him like a caliph.

The joke succeeds. Waking up, Abu-1ksan believes that he is the caliph, enjoys luxury and begins to give orders. In the evening, he again drinks wine with sleeping pills and wakes up at home.

Scapegoat

I'm afraid that you will forever be their scapegoat.

Meaning. Responsible for someone else's fault, for the mistakes of others, because the true culprit cannot be found or wants to evade responsibility.

Origin. The phrase goes back to the text of the Bible, to the description of the ancient Hebrew ritual of transferring the sins of the people (community) onto a living goat. This ritual was performed in the event of desecration of the sanctuary where the Ark of the Ark was located by Jews. To atone for sins, a ram was burned and one goat was slaughtered “as a sin offering.” All the sins and iniquities of the Jewish people were transferred to the second goat: the priest laid his hands on it as a sign that all the sins of the community were transferred to him, after which the goat was expelled into the desert. All those present at the ceremony were considered purified.

sing Lazarus

Stop singing Lazarus, stop being poor.

Meaning. Beg, whine, complain exaggeratedly about fate, trying to evoke the sympathy of others.

Origin. In tsarist Russia, crowds of beggars, cripples, blind men with guides gathered everywhere in crowded places, begging, with all sorts of pitiful lamentations, alms from passers-by. The blind people especially often sang the song “About the Rich Man and Lazarus,” composed based on one gospel story. Lazarus was poor and his brother was rich. Lazarus ate the rich man's leftover food along with the dogs, but after death he went to heaven, while the rich man ended up in hell. This song was supposed to frighten and reassure those from whom beggars begged for money. Since not all beggars were actually so unhappy, their plaintive moans were often feigned.

Get into trouble

You promised to be careful, but you deliberately get into trouble!

Meaning. Undertaking something risky, running into trouble, doing something dangerous, doomed to failure.

Origin. Rozhon is a sharpened stake that was used in bear hunting. When hunting with a goad, daredevils held this sharp stake in front of them. The enraged beast got into trouble and died.

Disservice

Constant praise from your lips is a real disservice.

Meaning. Unsolicited help, a service that brings more harm than good.

Origin. The primary source is I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear.” It tells how the Bear, wanting to help his friend the Hermit smack a fly that had landed on his forehead, killed the Hermit himself along with it. But this expression is not in the fable: it developed and entered folklore later.

Cast pearls before swine

In a letter to A. A. Bestuzhev (late January 1825), A. S. Pushkin writes: “The first sign of an intelligent person is to know at first glance who you are dealing with, and not to throw pearls in front of the Repetilovs and the like.”

Meaning. Wasting words speaking to people who cannot understand you.

Origin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ says: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces” (Gospel of Matthew, 7: b). In the Church Slavonic translation, the word “pearl” sounds like “beads”. It is in this version that this biblical expression entered the Russian language.

You can't ride a goat

He looks down on everyone, you can’t even approach him on a crooked goat.

Meaning. He is completely unapproachable, it is not clear how to contact him.

Origin. Amusing their high patrons, using harps and bells for their amusement, dressing up in goat and bear skins, and in the plumage of a crane, these “spinners” were sometimes able to do some pretty good things.

It is possible that their repertoire also included riding goats or pigs. Obviously, it was the buffoons who sometimes encountered such a bad mood from a high-ranking person that “even a goat had no effect on him.”

Unlucky man

Nothing went well with him, and in general he was a bad person.

Meaning. Frivolous, careless, dissolute.

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

Shelve

Now you’ll put it on the back burner, and then you’ll forget it completely.

Meaning. Give the case a long delay, delay its decision for a long time.

Origin. Perhaps this expression originated in Muscovite Rus', three hundred years ago. Tsar Alexei, the father of Peter I, ordered a long box to be installed in the village of Kolomenskoye in front of his palace, where anyone could drop their complaint. Complaints were received, but it was very difficult to wait for a solution: months and years passed. The people renamed this “long” box “long”.

It is possible that the expression, if not born, was fixed in speech later, in “presences” - institutions of the 19th century. The officials of that time, accepting various petitions, complaints and petitions, undoubtedly sorted them, putting them in different boxes. “Long” could be called the one where the most leisurely tasks were postponed. It is clear that the petitioners were afraid of such a box.

Retired goat drummer

I am no longer in office - a retired goat drummer.

Meaning. A person not needed by anyone, respected by anyone.

Origin. In the old days, trained bears were brought to fairs. They were accompanied by a dancing boy dressed as a goat, and a drummer accompanying his dance. This was the “goat drummer”. He was perceived as a worthless, frivolous person. What if the goat is also “retired”?

Bring it under the monastery

What have you done, what should I do now, you brought me under the monastery, and that’s all.

Meaning. To put someone in a difficult, unpleasant position, to bring them under punishment.

Origin. There are several versions of the origin of the turnover. Perhaps the turnover arose because people who had big troubles in life usually went to the monastery. According to another version, the expression is related to the fact that Russian guides led enemies under the walls of monasteries, which during the war turned into fortresses (bring a blind man under a monastery). Some believe that the expression is associated with the difficult life of women in Tsarist Russia. Only strong relatives could protect a woman from her husband’s beatings, having achieved protection from the patriarch and the authorities. In this case, the wife “brought her husband to the monastery” - he was sent to the monastery “in humility” for six months or a year.

Plant the pig

Well, he has a nasty character: he planted the pig and is satisfied!

Meaning. Secretly set up some nasty thing, do some mischief.

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

Get into trouble

The guy got into such trouble that even the guard screamed.

Meaning. Find yourself in a difficult, dangerous or unpleasant situation.

Origin. In dialects, BINDING is a fish trap woven from branches. And, as in any trap, being in it is not a pleasant thing.

Professor of sour cabbage soup

He is always teaching everyone. Me too, professor of sour cabbage soup!

Meaning. Unlucky, bad master.

Origin. Sour cabbage soup - simple peasant food: water yes sauerkraut. Preparing them was not particularly difficult. And if someone was called a master of sour cabbage soup, it meant that he was not fit for anything worthwhile.

Beluga roar

For three days in a row she roared like a beluga.

Meaning. Scream or cry loudly.

Origin. “As dumb as a fish” - this has been known for a long time. And suddenly “beluga roar”? It turns out that we are not talking about the beluga, but about the beluga whale, which is the name of the polar dolphin. He really roars very loudly.

Breeding antimonies

That's it, the conversation is over. I have no time to create antimonies with you here.

Meaning. Chat, carry on empty conversations. Observe unnecessary ceremony in relationships.

Origin. From the Latin name for antimony (antimonium), which was used as a medicine and cosmetic, after first grinding it and then dissolving it. Antimony does not dissolve well, so the process was very long and laborious. And while it was dissolving, the pharmacists carried on endless conversations.

On the side of the bake

Why should I go to them? Nobody called me. It's called coming - on the side of the heat!

Meaning. Everything is random, extraneous, attached to something from the outside; superfluous, unnecessary

Origin. This expression is often distorted by saying “on the side.” In fact, it could be expressed with the words: “side bake.” For bakers, baked, or baked, are burnt pieces of dough that stick to the outside of bread products, that is, something unnecessary, superfluous.

Orphan Kazan

Why are you standing, rooted to the threshold like an orphan from Kazan.

Meaning. This is what they say about a person who pretends to be unhappy, offended, helpless in order to pity someone.

Origin. This phraseological unit arose after the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. The Mirzas (Tatar princes), finding themselves subjects of the Russian Tsar, tried to beg all sorts of concessions from him, complaining about their orphanhood and bitter fate.

Grated kalach

Like a grated kalach, I can give you practical advice.

Meaning. This is what they call an experienced person who is difficult to deceive.

Origin. There used to be such a type of bread - “grated kalach”. The dough for it was crumpled, kneaded, “grated” for a very long time, which is why the kalach turned out to be unusually fluffy. And there was also a proverb - “do not grate, do not crush, there will be no kalach.” That is, trials and tribulations teach a person. The expression comes from a proverb, and not from the name of the bread.

Tip on your tongue

What are you saying? Thump your tongue!

Meaning. An expression of dissatisfaction with what was said, an unkind wish to someone who says something that is not meant to be said.

Origin. It is clear that this is a wish, and not a very friendly one. But what is its significance? Pip is a small horny tubercle on the tip of a bird's tongue that helps them peck food. The growth of such a tubercle may be a sign of illness. Hard pimples on the human tongue are called pimples by analogy with these bird bumps. According to superstitious beliefs, pip usually appears in deceitful people. Hence the bad wish, designed to punish liars and deceivers. From these observations and superstitions, an incantatory formula was born: “Tip on your tongue!” Its main meaning was: “You are a liar: let there be a pip 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.

Sharpen the laces

Why are you sitting idle and sharpening your swords?

Meaning. Talking idle talk, engaging in useless chatter, gossiping.

Origin. Lyasy (balusters) are turned figured posts of the railing at the porch; Only a true master could make such beauty. Probably, at first, “sharpening balusters” meant conducting an elegant, fancy, ornate (like balusters) conversation. And by our time, there were fewer and fewer people who could conduct such a conversation. So this expression came to mean empty chatter. Another version elevates the expression to the meaning of the Russian word balyasy - tales, Ukrainian balyas - noise, which go back directly to the common Slavic “tell”.

Pull the gimp

Now they’re gone, he’ll keep dragging his feet until we give up on this idea ourselves.

Meaning. To procrastinate, to delay something, to speak monotonously and tediously.

Origin. Gimp is the finest gold, silver or copper thread, which was used to embroider braids, aiguillettes and other decorations of officer uniforms, as well as priests' vestments and simply rich costumes. It was made in a handicraft way, by heating the metal and carefully pulling out a thin wire with pliers. This process was extremely long, slow and painstaking, so that over time the expression “pull the gimp” began to refer to any protracted and monotonous business or conversation.

Hit face in the dirt

Don't let us down, don't lose face in front of the guests.

Meaning. To make a mistake, to disgrace oneself.

Origin. To hit the dirt with your face originally meant “to fall on the dirty ground.” Such a fall was considered especially shameful by the people in fist fights - wrestling competitions, when a weak opponent was thrown prone to the ground.

In the middle of nowhere

What, should we go see him? Yes, this is in the middle of nowhere.

Meaning. Very far away, somewhere in the wilderness.

Origin. Kulichiki is a distorted Finnish word “kuligi”, “kulizhki”, which has long been included in Russian speech. This is what forest clearings, meadows, and swamps were called in the north. Here, in the wooded part of the country, settlers of the distant past constantly cut down “kulizhki” in the forest - areas for plowing and mowing. In old charters the following formula is constantly found: “And all that land, as long as the ax walked and the scythe walked.” The farmer often had to go to his field in the wilderness, to the farthest “kulizhki”, worse developed than those close to him, where, according to the ideas of that time, goblins, devils, and all sorts of forest evil spirits lived in the swamps and windfalls. So the usual words received their second, figurative meaning: very far away, at the edge of the world.

Fig leaf

She is a terrible pretender and lazy person, hiding behind her imaginary illness like a fig leaf.

Meaning. A plausible cover for unseemly deeds.

Origin. The expression goes back to the Old Testament myth about Adam and Eve, who, after the Fall, experienced shame and girded themselves with fig leaves (fig tree): “And their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed together fig leaves and made girdles for themselves "(Genesis 3:7). From the 16th to the end of the 18th century, European artists and sculptors had to cover the most revealing parts of the human body with a fig leaf in their works. This convention was a concession christian church, who considered the image of naked flesh sinful and obscene.

Filka's certificate

What kind of stupid letter is this, can’t you clearly express your thoughts?

Meaning. An ignorant, illiterate document.

Metropolitan Philip could not come to terms with the revelry of the guardsmen. In his numerous messages to the tsar - letters - he sought to convince Grozny to abandon his policy of terror and dissolve the oprichnina. Tsyuzny contemptuously called the disobedient 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.

Grab the stars from the sky

He is a man not without abilities, but there are not enough stars from heaven.

Meaning. Do not be distinguished by talents and outstanding abilities.

Origin. A phraseological expression associated, apparently, by association with the award stars of military and officials as insignia.

That's enough of a prickle

He was in great health, and suddenly he got sick.

Meaning. Someone died suddenly or was suddenly paralyzed.

Origin. According to historian S. M. Solovyov, the expression is associated with the name of the leader Bulavinsky uprising on the Don in 1707, ataman Kondraty Afanasyevich Bulavin (Kondrashka), who in a sudden raid destroyed the entire royal detachment led by the governor, Prince Dolgoruky.

Apple of discord

This ride is a real bone of contention, can’t you give in, let him go.

Meaning. What gives rise to conflict, serious contradictions.

Origin. Peleus and Thetis, the parents of the Trojan War hero Achilles, forgot to invite the goddess of discord Eris to their wedding. Eris was very offended and secretly threw it onto the table at which gods and mortals were feasting. Golden Apple; on it was written: “To the most beautiful.” A dispute arose between three goddesses: Zeus's wife Hera, Athena the maiden, goddess of wisdom, and the beautiful goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite.

The young man Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, was chosen as a judge between them. Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite who bribed him; Aphrodite forced the wife of King Menelaus for this, beautiful Elena, to fall in love with a young man. Leaving her husband, Helen left for Troy, and in order to avenge such an insult, the Greeks began a long-term war with the Trojans. As you can see, the apple of Eris actually led to discord.

Pandora's Box

Well, now hold on, Pandora's box has opened.

Meaning. Everything that can serve as a source of disaster if you are careless.

Origin. When the great titan Prometheus stole the fire of the gods from Olympus and gave it to people, Zeus terribly punished the daredevil, but it was too late. Possessing the divine flame, people stopped obeying the celestials, learned various sciences, and came out of their pitiful state. A little more - and they would have won complete happiness.

Then Zeus decided to send punishment on them. The blacksmith god Hephaestus sculpted the beautiful woman Pandora from earth and water. The rest of the gods gave her: some cunning, some courage, some extraordinary beauty. Then, handing her a mysterious box, Zeus sent her to earth, forbidding her to open the box. Curious Pandora, as soon as she came into the world, opened the lid. Immediately all human disasters flew out of there and scattered throughout the universe. Pandora, in fear, tried to slam the lid again, but in the box of all the misfortunes, only deceptive hope remained.

The time comes when schoolchildren begin to learn what phraseological units are. Their study has become an integral part school curriculum. Knowledge of what phraseological units are and how they are used will be useful not only in Russian language and literature lessons, but also in life. Figurative speech is a sign of at least a well-read person.

What is a phraseological unit?

Phraseologism - with a certain content of words, which in a given combination have a different meaning than when these words are used separately. That is, a phraseological unit can be called a stable expression.

Phraseological phrases in the Russian language are widely used. The linguist Vinogradov studied phraseological units, and it was largely thanks to him that they began to be widely used. Foreign languages ​​also have phraseological units, but they are called idioms. Linguists are still arguing whether there is a difference between a phraseological unit and an idiom, but have not yet found an exact answer.

The most popular are colloquial phraseological units. Examples of their use can be found below.

Signs of phraseological units

Phraseological units have several important features and characteristics:

1. A phraseological unit is a ready-made linguistic unit. This means that a person who uses it in his speech or writing retrieves this expression from memory, and does not invent it on the fly.
2. They have a permanent structure.
3. You can always choose a synonymous word for a phraseological unit (sometimes an antonym).
4. A phraseological unit is an expression that cannot consist of less than two words.
5. Almost all phraseological units are expressive and encourage the interlocutor or reader to show vivid emotions.

Functions of phraseological units in Russian

Each phraseological unit has one main function - to give speech brightness, liveliness, expressiveness and, of course, to express the author’s attitude to something. In order to imagine how much brighter speech becomes when using phraseological units, imagine how a comedian or writer makes fun of someone using phraseological units. The speech becomes more interesting.

Phraseological styles

The classification of phraseological units by style is a very important feature of them. In total, there are 4 main styles of set expressions: interstyle, bookish, colloquial and colloquial. Each phraseological unit belongs to one of these groups, depending on its meaning.

Colloquial phraseological units are the largest group of expressions. Some believe that interstyle and colloquial phraseological units should be included in the same group with colloquial ones. Then only two groups of set expressions are distinguished: colloquial and bookish.

Differences between book and colloquial phraseological units

Each style of phraseological units is different from each other, and the most striking difference is demonstrated by book and colloquial phraseological units. Examples: not worth a penny And a fool is a fool. The first stable expression is bookish, because it can be used in any work of art, in a scientific journalistic article, in an official business conversation, etc. While the expression " fool by fool" widely used in conversations, but not in books.

Book phraseological units

Book phraseological units are set expressions that are much more often used in writing than in conversations. They are not characterized by pronounced aggression and negativity. Book phraseological units are widely used in journalism, scientific articles, and fiction.

1. During it- means something that happened a long time ago. The expression is Old Slavonic and is often used in literary works.
2. Pull the gimp- the meaning of a long process. In the old days, a long metal thread was called a gimp; it was pulled out with metal wire tongs. They embroidered on velvet with gimp; it was a long and very painstaking job. So, pull the gimp- This is a long and extremely boring job.
3. Play with fire- doing something extremely dangerous, “being on the cutting edge.”
4. Stay with your nose- to be left without something that you really wanted.
5. Kazan orphan- this is a phraseological unit about a person who pretends to be a beggar or a sick person, while having the goal of getting a benefit.
6. You can't ride a goat- this is what they said a long time ago about girls whom jesters and buffoons could not cheer up on holidays.
7. Output to clean water - to expose someone for committing something unpleasant.

There are a lot of book phraseological units.

Interstyle phraseological units

Inter-style ones are sometimes called neutral colloquial, because they are neutral from both a stylistic and emotional point of view. Neutral colloquial and book phraseological units are confused, because inter-style ones are also not particularly emotionally charged. Important Feature interstyle phrases is that they do not express human emotions.

1. Not a bit- Means complete absence anything.
2. Play a role- somehow influence this or that event, become the cause of something.

Interstyle phraseological units not very many in the Russian language, but they are used in speech more often than others.

Conversational phraseological units

The most popular expressions are colloquial phraseological units. Examples of their use can be very diverse, from expressing emotions to describing a person. Conversational phraseological units are perhaps the most expressive of all. There are so many of them that one can give endless examples. Colloquial phraseological units (examples) are listed below. Some of them may sound different, but at the same time have a similar meaning (that is, they are synonyms). And other expressions, on the contrary, contain the same word, but are clear antonyms.

Synonymous colloquial phraseological units, examples:

1. Without exception, the meaning of generalization is: all as one; both old and young; from small to large.
2. Very quickly: in an instant; I didn’t have time to look back; in a moment; I didn’t have time to blink an eye.
3. Work hard and diligently: tirelessly; to the point of a sweat; rolling up my sleeves; in the sweat of his brow.
4. Proximity value: two steps away; be nearby; at hand.
5. Run fast: headlong; that there is strength; at full speed; what to eat; in all shoulder blades; with all my might; only his heels sparkle.
6. Similarity value: all as one; everything is as if chosen; one to one; Well done to well done.

Antonymous colloquial phraseological units, examples:

1. The cat cried(few) - Chickens don't peck(a lot of).
2. Can't see anything(dark, hard to see) - At least collect needles(light, clearly visible).
3. Lose your head(not thinking well) - Head on your shoulders(a reasonable person).
4. Like a cat and a dog(warring people) - Don't spill the water, Siamese twins; soul to soul(close, very friendly or
5. Two steps away(near) - Far away(far).
6. Head in the clouds(brooding, daydreaming and unfocused person) - Keep your eyes open, keep your ears open(attentive person).
7. scratch your tongue(talk, spread gossip) - Swallow tongue(be silent).
8. Uma ward (clever man) - Without a king in your head, live in someone else's mind(stupid or reckless person).

Phraseologisms examples with explanation:

1. American uncle- a person who very unexpectedly helps out of a financially difficult situation.
2. Fight like a fish on ice- do unnecessary, useless actions that do not lead to any result.
3. Beat your head- mess around.
4. Throw down the gauntlet- enter into an argument with someone, challenge.

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Phraseologisms are the national wealth of the language. They enliven speech and make it colorful. Sustained phrases act as an expressive stylistic means. It’s hard to imagine being rich without them. figures of speech text. They revive and fill with images, the texts begin to live a new life.

IN work of art- the technique of characterizing the hero, creating a bright character, spectacular pictures of reality along with metaphors and.

General concept of phraseological units

Phraseologism is a ready-made stable speech pattern with a single, holistic meaning. Stability means the relative constancy of the lexical (component) composition.

Phraseologism	The meaning of phraseology
keep a stone in your bosom	bear a grudge against someone
how to give something to drink	exactly, undoubtedly
bring to a white heat	to a state of intense irritation, anger
reach a dead end	find yourself in a bind
small fry	a person who has no power or influence
wash dirty linen in public	reveal family secrets
smoke sky	live in idleness
like uncut dogs	a lot of
take the bull by the horns	decisively begin an important task
digging through dirty laundry	show interest in details of someone's personal life
build castles in the air	come up with impossible plans
cover your tracks	hide something that could serve as evidence
take water into your mouth	stubbornly remain silent
slurping unsalted	be deceived in one's expectations
without hind legs	1) be exhausted, extremely tired; 2) sleep soundly
hold your tail with a gun	try to appear cheerful, independent

Phraseology studies stable phrases (Greek. phrasis- "expression", logos- “teaching”). All constant speech patterns of the language are called “phraseology”.
In a broad sense, phraseological units are proverbs and sayings, idioms– all complete phrases or phrases.

Examples:

• And the casket simply opened;
• all familiar faces;
• the tongue chatters, but the head does not know;
• a husband loves a healthy wife, and a brother loves a rich sister;
• terrible situation.

Phraseologism is a unique linguistic unit. Externally, in structure, it is similar to phrases - it consists of two or more component words. They differ in that the words in it lose their independent lexical meaning.

The meaning of a phraseological unit is not the sum of the meanings of the components, as in a free phrase - green + field = green field, but is completely different - brew + porridge = “start a complex and unpleasant business”, sideways + get out = “do not pass without a trace, end badly.” The meaning follows from a stable phrase and expresses one concept. It is the same in meaning.

Phraseologisms have the property of impenetrability: a new component cannot be introduced into their structure. They are characterized by a stable sequence of words.

Other terms for defining phraseological units are idiom (Greek. idioma – « special property"), phraseological unit, phraseme, set phrase, phraseological turn. In any language, phraseological units are individual, they need to be understood. They are not translated word for word into another language.

Lexical meaning of phraseological units

Like words, phraseological units serve as names of actions, phenomena, states, objects, signs. Some of them combine expressive coloring with meaning.

Expressiveness is understood as the presence of an evaluative component, informational “redundancy” in contrast to a neutral word: tuck your tail between your legs, talk about lofty matters- ironic, from rags to riches, clearing up the mess- disapprovingly, monkey labor, oatmeal forehead- contemptuously, smoking room alive, wait to eat- jokingly.
Phraseologisms sound like free phrases. This phenomenon is defined as homonymy:

• give up while charging and give up in the meaning of “to lose the desire to do something”;
• cast a fishing rod into the lake and cast a fishing rod meaning “to hint at something.”

Ideoms that have several meanings will be homonymous: close your eyes- be close to the dying person last minutes life; hide, keep silent about something; deliberately not paying attention, not noticing something.

Phraseologisms that are close in meaning are combined into synonymous rows. Examples: “very quickly” (run, escape) – one foot here, the other there, with all your might, as if on fire, with all your blades.

From stable figures of speech you can also form pairs that are opposite in meaning (antonyms): a yellow-throated chick is a shot sparrow, soul to soul - like a cat and a dog, lose your temper - pull yourself together, stick to your line - dance to someone else's tune.

Origin of phraseological units

Sustained phrases are not created spontaneously during oral communications, writing. These are ready-made lexical units with a known meaning. Etymology (a branch of linguistics) studies phraseological units and their origin.

Most of them came into the literary language from folklore: sealed, milk rivers, self-assembled tablecloth, good fellow, red maiden. Many phrases are associated with ancient rituals, now forgotten.

Many phraseological units came from vocabulary: get into tune, play first violin– from musicians; the game is not worth the candle- from furriers, cut like a nut, without a hitch- from the carpenters. Some phrasemes are related to history: ice carnage, Monomakh's hat, all over Ivanovo.

There are phrases associated with biblical stories, ancient mythology: carry your cross, Babylonian pandemonium, until the second coming,with or on a shield, Augean stables, Trojan horse.

Here are a couple of interesting phraseological units, the meaning of which is related to their origin.
According to the ancient belief of our ancestors, a closed (circular) line, made with coal or a knife, and charmed with special words, acquired power and protected from evil spirits. The circle was also carried out in the air.

In Nikolai Gogol's story "Viy", Khoma Brut escapes from the witch by drawing a circle around himself and saying a prayer. Russian warriors drew a circle above their heads with the end of their sword, believing that enemy blows would not touch them, enchanted. The expression “ headlong"- boldly, without fear of anything.

Turnover " rub glasses"(to deceive someone) comes from the jargon of card cheats and means the real action of rubbing in extra points on so-called powder cards. Using the “sticky” powder, the player turned a six into a seven or eight, a two into a three. That is, he rubbed in the glasses necessary for the required amount(for example, 21 points).

The expression took root in speech and served as the basis for the formation of nouns fraud(deception) and fraudster(deceiver).
Phraseological units still appear today: give out on the mountain, new Russians, rich Pinocchio, Cherchet la femme, rush hour.

Milk rivers - jelly banks

Phraseologism is a means of attracting attention

Phraseological phrases are well remembered. Ready-made and known to the reader, they facilitate perception. The use of antonymic (opposite in meaning) contextual combinations, figurative phrases, and ambiguity attracts the attention of the audience.

The problem is that the administration of our enterprise selects and places personnel contrary to good traditions, which have been described in folklore for a long time. According to these traditions, it is not recommended to let a goat into the garden, throw a pike into the river, or appoint a fox to be in charge of the chicken coop.

The use of phraseological units when writing content is appropriate in a conversational style, as well as in artistic and journalistic ones. Here are a few techniques for transforming phraseological units:

1. Literalization. The context of the turnover implies its perception in direct meaning: If the audience doesn't laugh, I get upset, withdraw into myself and sit there.
2. Rearranging or replacing individual words: Of two evils, I choose the one that I have never tried before. Learning is light, and ignorance is pleasant twilight.
3. Expanding the structure of phraseological units: What a pity that you are finally leaving.
4. Combining parts of different meanings: All people are brothers, but not all are wise.
5. Complete change in the meaning of the ideome: There are brave people. I am not a brave man; How could one call the weaker sex, which takes so much strength??
6. Inserting a specific definition: I am his personal king. He has no king in his head, so he has me instead of a king.

Headings based on phraseological units arouse reader interest. Metaphors have an emotional impact on the audience: Water Doesn't Come Alone, Squeeze Race, Freedom on the Left.
The news, presented as a word game with a stable turnover, sounds like a slogan: In the yard there is a pillar, at the pillar there is a gentleman.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. It is not for nothing that the Russian language is considered “great and powerful”.

It contains not only words with which you can describe the reality of what is happening, but also words whose meaning does not correspond to the words used in them.

Such phrases (these are phraseological units) cannot be understood “head-on” (literally), because the words used in them sometimes create a completely ridiculous picture. For example, “making a molehill out of a molehill,” “sit in a puddle,” “lead by the nose,” “like water off a duck’s back,” etc. They are used only in figuratively and this.

What is it (with examples)

Phraseologisms are set expressions(everyday used in this form), one of the features of which is that they are almost impossible to translate into other languages. And if you do it verbatim, you get real gobbledygook.

For example, how do you translate the phrases to a foreigner:

With a gulkin nose
Where the eyes look.
Shot sparrow.

At the same time, we, as native speakers of Russian, will immediately understand what we are talking about.

“With a gulkin’s nose” - not enough, just a little bit.
“Where the eyes look” - directly, without a specific goal.
“Shooted Sparrow” is experienced in some matters.

These are some examples of phraseological units. Here is the definition of this concept in textbooks:

“A phraseological unit is an expression that is well-established in structure and composition, which used figuratively and consists of two or more words."

Signs of phraseological units

Phraseologism is quite easy to recognize. These phrases have their own distinctive features:

1. They contain two or more words;
2. Have stable compound;
3. Have portable meaning;
4. Have historical roots;
5. Are united member of the proposal.

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these distinctive criteria of phraseological units.

These are several words that are one part of a sentence

There are no one-word phraseological units at all. Most often they consist of just two words, but there are many examples of longer phrases.

Here examples of such phrases with an explanation of their meaning:

“He ate the dog” - experienced, has done something more than once.
“You can’t spill water” - very friendly.
“Wait for the weather by the sea” - do nothing and hope that everything will be resolved by itself.
“Seven Fridays a week” - constantly change your plans or decisions.
“Fight like a fish on ice” - you do something, but it doesn’t give results.
“Well, you’ve made a mess” - you did something that provoked a whole chain of events.

When parsing a sentence, phraseological units are not divided into parts. For example, the phrase “worked until we sweated” is a single predicate. Just like “counting crows” or “washing your hands.”

Phraseologisms are stable phrases in a figurative sense

Such phrases cannot be distorted, adding or removing individual words from them. AND cannot be replaced one word to another. In this way, they resemble a “house of cards” that will fall apart if one card is pulled out of it.

By the way, "House of cards" also an example of a phraseological unit, it is used when they want to say that “something broke very easily or is about to break”.

For example:

“Between heaven and earth” means being in limbo, not knowing what to do.

And in this phrase it is impossible to replace “sky” with, for example, “clouds”, or “earth” with “field”. The result will be a completely different expression than others people won't understand.

More examples of stable phraseological units with an explanation of their meaning:

“To muddy the waters” means to come up with something strange; it is not good to influence others.
“Sloppy” - doing something poorly.
“Roll up your sleeves” - work well and quickly.
“Counting crows” means being distracted, inattentive.
“Staying with your nose” means being deceived.
“Come to your senses” - change your behavior or attitude towards something.

These phrases always have a figurative meaning

As you may have already noticed, all phraseological units have a figurative meaning. That is why they simply cannot be translated into another language.

For example, try translating the phrase into English "disservice". It will sound like “bear service,” and any foreigner will literally understand that “a specific bear provides some kind of service,” and will most likely decide that we are talking about a trained bear.

But we understand perfectly well this phraseological unit, which means “to help in such a way that it became even worse”.

The same can be said about other expressions:

“Grated Kalach” is a man with experience and who cannot be deceived.
“On the topic of the day” - something relevant that this moment attracts a lot of attention.
“I got into a galosh” - I did something absurd, I made a mistake.
“Losing your head” means doing unreasonable things.
“Wash the bones” - discuss someone behind his back.

History of the origin of phraseological units

Some philologists argue that all phraseological units have some historical roots. It’s just that not everything managed to survive before us. But there are phrases about which we know exactly where they came from.

For example, the expression "beat the buck", which means "To do nothing". In the old days, small wooden blocks were called baklushi, from which spoons were most often made. It was very easy to make blanks; this was trusted to the most inept apprentices. And everyone around believed that they weren’t really working.

Or phraseological unit "like water off a duck's back", meaning that “everything is forgiven to a person.” This phrase was created by nature itself. Not only a goose, but also any bird, loses water really quickly, since their feathers have a thin layer of fat.

And here is the expression "Trishkin caftan" is not as widely known, although it means “an unsuccessful attempt to solve some problem that only leads to more problems.” The phrase appeared thanks to Krylov's fable:

Trishka’s caftan was torn at the elbows.
Why take so long to think here? He took up the needle:
I cut off the sleeves by a quarter -
And he paid in elbow grease. The caftan is ready again;
My arms became only a quarter bare.
But what about this sadness?

And here is the phraseological unit "Monomakh's hat", which means "too much responsibility", gave us Pushkin in his drama "Boris Godunov".

Examples of phraseological units and their meaning

And this is not the only example when common expressions appear in the Russian language thanks to literature. For example, a lot came to us from ancient myths and epics, and even from the Bible.

Brief summary

In conclusion, I will say that phraseological units are found in any language in the world. But so many catchphrases, as in Russian, nowhere else.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

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