From places not so remote. Immediate and long-term consequences

04.10.2014

The origin of popular expressions that we use, often without knowing where they came from.

Who will do this for you? Pushkin?

There are several versions of the origin of this famous idiom. On the one hand, Bulgakov’s hero Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy mentioned this phrase in the novel “The Master and Margarita”: “Before his dream, Nikanor Ivanovich did not know the works of the poet Pushkin at all, but he knew him very well and several times every day he uttered phrases like: “And for Will Pushkin pay for the apartment? “Or “So Pushkin unscrewed the light bulb on the stairs?”, “So Pushkin will buy oil?”

But, most likely, this phrase arose even before the writing of the novel, and Bulgakov simply included the popular Soviet era idiom. The fact is that in 1937 the USSR widely celebrated the centenary of the death of the great poet. It was then that Pushkin became “our everything,” monuments to him appeared in almost all cities, in many and several at a time, and his portraits now hung in public places.

Some experts believe that this is what contributed to the popularization of the expression: in any controversial situation, one could easily point to the image of Alexander Sergeevich and ask whether the opponent would like to shift his responsibilities, for example, to Pushkin.

Run in a hurry

Popykha in Rus' was a type of underwear, something like pantaloons. If people are running around in their underwear, it means that something out of the ordinary has happened - for example, a fire in the house, or some other misfortune. In such cases, people forget about decency and run away in their clothes, in a hurry and fuss. This is where the expression “run in a hurry” comes from - to be in a hurry.

To hell with the middle of nowhere

In Rus', forest glades or islands in a swamp were called kulichki. People believed that they liked to settle there evil spirits. And since such places are often located deep in the forest, far from human habitations, “in the middle of nowhere” began to mean: very close.

Give the go-ahead

In the pre-revolutionary alphabet the letter “D” was called good. In the set of signals in the fleet of those times, the flag corresponding to this letter meant: “yes, I authorize.” This is where the expression “give the go-ahead” came from, and later the derivative “approve”.

Places not so remote

Before the revolution in Russia, there were two categories of exile. The first is “to remote places of Siberia,” for malicious lawbreakers. The second “to not so remote places in Siberia” is a more lenient punishment. For some reason, it was the second type of exile that turned from an official term into a kind of synonym for the words “prison” and “colony”.

Reach the handle

In Rus', rolls were often baked in the shape of a castle with a round bow. The bow was needed for hygiene reasons: kalachi is a popular street food, and there was no place to wash your hands on the street. Therefore, a person, while eating a kalach, held it by the handle, which was then given either to dogs or to beggars (it was not customary to throw away leftover food). It was about those who did not disdain to finish eating the arches, and they began to say “reached the end.” This means going completely downhill.

Every dog ​​has his day

During times medieval Rus' The townspeople settled together based on their occupation: there were streets of butchers, potters, and sewing masters. They lived quite separately, but people from the surrounding areas were invited to the holidays, which each street had its own. Each invitee knew: today he was visiting, but soon there would be a holiday on his street.

Topsy-turvy

Shivorot is a luxurious embroidered collar that nobles during the time of Ivan the Terrible wore as one of the signs of dignity. If a boyar fell into disgrace, he was subjected to a shameful punishment: he was placed on a thin mare with his back forward, in clothes turned inside out, that is, his collar was turned inside out. Since then, this expression has come to mean something done incorrectly, on the contrary.

Hanging dogs

“Hang all the dogs” now means blaming, blaming, sometimes even undeservedly. In fact, animals have nothing to do with this saying. The inflorescences of burdock, that is, thorns, were called dogs. Which, indeed, can be pinned on someone.

Stop by for a light

An expression associated with the tradition of hospitality - in small towns pre-revolutionary Russia It was a custom to invite people to visit by placing a tall candle in the window. If you can see a light burning on a windowsill from the street, it means that the owners of the house will be happy to have guests. Nowadays this expression means “to come to visit without an invitation,” but back then it was the fire of the candle that served as an invitation.

The horse didn't lie

The saying is related to unusual habit animal. Horses of any color loved to have a good roll on the ground and only after that were allowed to put on a collar. Since this habit significantly delayed the process of starting plowing or laying a cart, now this expression means that important work haven't even started yet.

Socialite

Men who were lucky in women's society began to be called that two centuries ago. Then they were jokingly compared to lions who lived in Tower of London: these animals enjoyed great success from the public. Later the joke was forgotten, but the expression remained.

Let's go back to our sheep

This intricate request to stay on topic comes to us from an anonymous 15th-century French farce about the cunning lawyer Pierre Patlen. He deceived the clothier by taking goods from him and not paying for them. The angry merchant decided to take his anger out on his servant and summoned him to court to answer for the loss of sheep (which, by the way, the servant actually stole).

At the trial, the clothier suddenly recognized the accused’s lawyer as Patlen, who had deceived him, and began to demand repayment of the debt. Since the conversation constantly veered away from the main issue of the litigation, the judge was forced to remind those present several times about the stolen sheep. (illustration: Lawyer Patlen at trial. Medieval French engraving).

Scapegoat

The custom of looking for someone to blame for all failures was invented by the ancient Jews. According to one of the rituals described in the Bible, with the help of a goat, the community from time to time got rid of its sins. It was believed that when the clergyman laid hands on the horned martyr, all human faults were transferred to the animal. After the ritual, the goat was driven into the desert.

You can't ride a goat

Often the phraseological unit is slightly expanded, making the goat lame or crooked. But this does not change the essence: you can hardly find an approach to any person. In the old days, riding a goat was a common entertainment at fairs - this is how jesters and buffoons entertained landowners and merchants. However, very important and stern people did not see such numbers: the artists were afraid to approach them, so as not to provoke righteous anger and subsequent punishment.

Ate the dog

The phrase cultivating cruelty to animals in order to become a professional is a truncated version of the saying “he ate the dog and choked on his tail.” Having culinary differences with the Koreans, the Russian people believed that dog meat was tasteless, and that eating a whole animal was, if not impossible, then extremely difficult. And the one who manages to do something difficult is considered a master of his craft. From here modern meaning phraseology.

On a bird's license

The author of the expression about the precarious position of someone with a large share probably inspired by the sight of birds' nests. If they are nested under the roof of a country house or low on a tree, then it is quite easy to destroy or ruin them.

Chickens don't eat money

The turnover has two sources. On the one hand, it is associated with Christmas fortune-telling. It was customary to place gold, silver, copper rings and other objects in the hut or chicken coop. The groom's wealth was determined by what chickens pecked from what was laid out. On the other hand, the phraseological unit reflects the habits of poultry: chickens do not peck at grain only when there is a lot of it and they are already full.

Kill the worm

A worm “crawled” into a light snack from the French phraseological unit tuer le ver. It is widely used in figurative meaning(“drink alcohol on an empty stomach”), but literally translates as “kill a worm.”

A mosquito won't hurt your nose

A phrase meaning neat and precise work, originally referred to carpentry and jewelry. The highly skilled artisans took great pride in their smoothly polished and polished creations. They claimed that there were not even tiny rough spots on them that a mosquito could touch its nose on.

Quietly

Originally, this expression implied secretly digging a tunnel or secret tunnel. The word "zappa" (translated from Italian) means "shovel for earthwork." Borrowed from French, the word turned into the French “sap” and received the meaning of “earth, trench and submine work”, from this word the word “sapper” also arose.

In Russian, the word “sapa” and the expression “silent sapa” meant work that is carried out with extreme caution, without noise, in order to get close to the enemy unnoticed, in complete secret. After widespread use, the expression acquired the meaning: carefully, in deep secret and slowly (for example, “So he quietly drags all the food from the kitchen!”).

Can't see anything

According to one version, the word “zga” comes from the name of a part of a horse harness - a ring in the upper part of the arch, into which the reins were inserted so as not to dangle. When the coachman needed to unharness the horse, and it was so dark that this ring (zgi) was not visible, they said that “there is no sign of it.”

According to another version, the word “zga” comes from the Old Russian “s’tga” - “road, path, path.” In this case, the meaning of the expression is interpreted as “so dark that you can’t even see the road or path.” Today the expression “nothing is visible”, “nothing is visible” means “nothing is visible”, “impenetrable darkness”. The blind leads the blind, but both do not see. (last)

Dance from the stove

The expression “dance from the stove” first appeared in the novel by the 19th century Russian writer Vasily Sleptsov “ Good man" The book was published in 1871. There is an episode in it when main character Seryozha Terebenev remembers how he was taught to dance, but he could not do the steps required from the dance teacher. There is a phrase in the book: - Oh, what are you, brother! - the father says reproachfully. - Well, go back to the stove, start over.

In Russian, this expression began to be used when speaking about people for whom the habit of acting according to a fixed script replaces knowledge. A person can perform certain actions only “from the stove”, from the very beginning, from the simplest and most familiar action.

Shabby look

During the time of Tsar Peter I, there lived Ivan Zatrapeznikov, an entrepreneur who received the Yaroslavl textile manufactory from the emperor. The factory produced fabric called “pestryad”, or “pestryadina”, popularly nicknamed “trashy”, “trashy” - coarse and low-quality cloth made from hemp (hemp fiber). Clothing was made from shabby clothes mainly by poor people who could not buy themselves something better.

Sharpen the laces

To sharpen your lasses means to talk idle talk, to engage in useless chatter. Lyasy (balusters) are turned figured posts of railings at the porch. At first, “sharpening balusters” meant conducting an elegant, fancy, ornate (like balusters) conversation. However, there were few skilled people to conduct such a conversation, and over time the expression began to mean empty chatter.

Bullshit

According to one version, the expression “bullshit” comes from “lying like a gray gelding” (in fact, these two phrases are synonymous)
There is also a version that the expression “bullshit” comes from the name of one scientist - Brad Steve Cobile, who once wrote a very stupid article. His name, consonant with the words “bullshit,” was correlated with scientific nonsense.

According to another version, “bullshit” is an expression meaning stupid statement or thought; appeared due to the beliefs of the Slavs that the gray horse (gray with an admixture of another color) was the most stupid animal. There was a sign according to which if you dream gray mare, then in reality the dreamer will be deceived.

It's in the bag

One of eternal problems in Russia, in addition to fools and roads, bribery of officials existed back in the 17th–19th centuries. Petitioners turned to corrupt officials in order to receive a guarantee of a favorable outcome of their business for a certain bribe. Civil servants used to hide this money in their hats. This is where the expression “it’s in the bag” comes from.

Gulkin's nose (navel, etc.)

Gulka is what a pigeon was also called in the old days. Accordingly, all parts of the body of this bird were considered synonymous with something small.

Places not so remote

Places not so remote
Expression from Russian legislation until 1917, in which this expression appeared as an official term. According to the law, exile to Siberia was of two types, which corresponded to a more severe and less severe type of punishment: the first consisted of sending the criminal “to remote places in Siberia”, the second - “to not so remote places in Siberia”.
This formulation has firmly entered the second Russian language half of the 19th century century. Later, these words began to be used as if by inertia - in relation no longer to exile, but to imprisonment.
Ironically: about a prison, a correctional facility, settlement somewhere by a court verdict, etc. Sometimes it is used figuratively, in relation to a trip somewhere.

Encyclopedic Dictionary winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.

See what “Places not so remote” are in other dictionaries:

Noun, number of synonyms: 5 camp (34) logging site (2) place of detention (2) ... Dictionary of synonyms

- (legal) to exile Wed. Leading each of us to the deprivation of special rights and places not so remote is the easiest thing... Gr. L.N. Tolstoy. Resurrection. 2, 11. Wed. He immediately identified Dubensky: with great ambition, the most advanced ideas, maybe already...

places not so remote- often ironic. territories remote from the center; places of reference. Expression from the “Code of Punishments” Tsarist Russia, according to which exile was divided into two degrees: to remote and not so remote places in Siberia. This phrase has firmly entered the language of writers... ... Phraseology Guide

Adj., number of synonyms: 10 expelled (25) driven beyond Mozhai (18) rolled up ... Dictionary of synonyms

Adj., number of synonyms: 5 exiled (22) sent where Makar did not drive the calves (5) ... Dictionary of synonyms

Places (remote) not so remote (legal) into exile. Wed. To bring each of us to the deprivation of special rights and to places not so distant is the easiest thing... Gr. L. N. Tolstoy. Sunday. 2, 11. Wed. He immediately identified Dubensky: with... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)

Tale. Published: Nedra, M., 1925, No. 6. Included in the collections: Bulgakov M. Diavoliada. M.: Nedra, 1925 (2nd ed. 1926); and Bulgakov M. Fatal eggs. Riga: Literature, 1928. In an abbreviated form called “Ray of Life”, the story by R. I.... ... Bulgakov Encyclopedia

Novel. During Bulgakov's lifetime it was not completed and was not published. For the first time: Moscow, 1966, No. 11; 1967, No. 1. Bulgakov dated the start of work on M. and M. in different manuscripts as either 1928 or 1929. Most likely, it dates back to 1928... ... Bulgakov Encyclopedia

In Russia, the forced removal of persons accused of political crimes. crimes, in court or in administration. order to a remote area for a certain period of time or indefinitely for settlement or hard labor. The first legislator. the mention of S. p. dates back to 1582, but ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

- (foreign language) interrogate, scout, torture (asking about something) Wed. Torture interrogation with torture. Wed. The judge seeks out the truth and considers as it what he hears from the mouth of the accused, parched from screaming and suffering, who is being squeezed in a vice... ... Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

Books

• My father-in-law Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Churbanov. The last son-in-law of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, whose centenary of birth was celebrated in 2006, was Yuri Mikhailovich Churbanov, who turned 70 that same year. Dizzying...

D I’ve been hatching an idea for a long time: it appears in posts or comments (it doesn’t matter whether they’re mine or not) catchphrase or interesting (with linguistic point view) word, phrase, expression - under the cut I will leave for inquisitive readers the origin of these expressions (etymology, how to speak correctly).
I've finally gathered my courage and... I'm starting!
In my comment on wonderful story (Here: ) used a catchphrase "places not so remote". Since I vaguely remember the meaning of this expression, I decided to refresh my memory. I hope you were interested in remembering or learning for the first time about the meaning of this expression.
***
1. “It would be wrong, for example, to say: he was sent to a colony or into exile. Instead, we say something long and mysterious - to places not so remote. And, by the way, we don’t bother ourselves too much with thinking: why are we talking about in places that are not so remote, if they are just remote, and even remote? After all, it is known that it is customary to locate colonies, settlements and other correctional institutions the farther away, the better... Okay, we decide, is this some kind of quote from work of art, that’s not what happens in them!
Well, it's time for us to finally deal with these not so remote places, which have become so firmly established in our language to denote distant links. I may surprise many now, but it is what it is: this is not a quote from any story or novel. The places are not so remote, as the book “Winged Words” by Maria and Nikolai Ashukin tells us - this is a completely official term of pre-revolutionary legislation. In accordance with it, exile to a settlement was divided into two degrees: to remote places (Sakhalin, Western Siberia) and not so distant (the same Siberia, but closer to the center, on European territory Russia).
And here is a quote from Leo Tolstoy’s novel “Resurrection”: “Hereby it is announced to the bourgeois Ekaterina Maslova that His Imperial Majesty, according to the most submissive report to him, condescending to Maslova’s request, has deigned to command the highest to replace her hard labor with a settlement in places not so remote in Siberia.”
Here the phrase “places not so distant” is used in a completely strict territorial sense. Much stricter! However, the language writers of the XIX century, this formulation has already entered as a substitute for the very concept of “link”. And following the writers, we began to use it in our speech, especially since in Russia we often need this formula."
From the Internet; link lost.

2. From dictionaries:
" An expression from Russian legislation before 1917, in which this expression appeared as an official term. According to the law, exile to Siberia was of two types, which corresponded to a more severe and less severe type of punishment: the first consisted in sending the criminal "to remote places of Siberia ", the second - "to not so distant places in Siberia."
This formulation became firmly established in the Russian language in the second half of the 19th century. Later, these words began to be used as if by inertia - in relation no longer to exile, but to imprisonment.
Ironically: about a prison, a correctional facility, settlement somewhere by a court verdict, etc. Sometimes used figuratively, in relation to a trip somewhere."
***
P.S. I’ve been nurturing the idea for so long, and its first incarnation turned out to be quite symbolic, isn’t it, my dear friends and, of course, guests?
Our powerful lads have become greedy and overindulged...
Oh, and there will be a universal holiday in Russia, when our “masters of life”, together with their “mad printer,” go to government apartments!

“The Tambov wolf is your comrade” - everyone heard this phrase Soviet Union in 1956 in the film “The Rumyantsev Case” and it firmly entered into popular usage. Its meaning lies in the reluctance to make close acquaintances with anyone, even if the person himself is trying to become friends. Where did she even come from? Is this just a clever phrasing by the writers?

Not at all. There are several versions of the appearance of this in Russian. The most common one dates back to the peasant uprising that happened in Tambov province at the very beginning of the 20s of the twentieth century. This so-called “Antonov rebellion” was characterized by the fact that its participants, led by Ataman Antonov, attacked the “Reds” from the forest, and then hid there. For such tactics, Antonov was nicknamed the Tambov wolf. Kotovsky and Tukhachevsky were able to expose their place of refuge and catch Antonov. Later, when interrogating participants in the rebellion, when they addressed the security officers as “comrade,” they, in turn, answered: “The Tambov wolf is your comrade.”

However, it turns out that the Tambov wolf also has a brother - the Bryansk wolf. Both expressions denote a lone enemy. The phrase “Bryansk wolf” can be found in the song of Yuz Aleshkovsky, the main character of which associates himself with it “And my comrade is the gray Bryansk wolf.”

According to one legend, there were many wolves in the Bryansk and Tambov forests and they were especially different large sizes. This is where the expressions “Tambov wolf” and “Bryansk wolf” came from.

There is another option for the appearance of the “Tambov wolf” in our homeland. Tambov and its environs were predominantly agricultural. Late autumn and in winter there was practically no work there, and in search of work, residents left for neighboring regions to work, taking away income from the locals. And they, in turn, called them Tambov wolves for this.

Thus, there are many versions of the appearance of the expression “Tambov wolf”. You can choose any one that you like the most.

Squatting

How often do children hear “squat down” in physical education lessons? How many people think about what exactly they need to sit on? On a bench? This is not a shop. On your knees or feet? Doesn't fit either. So what should you sit on? Let's try to figure it out. To do this, let’s analyze what explanations are given by various explanatory dictionaries for the Russian language.

Ushakov in his explanatory dictionary presents the word “squatting” as colloquial, uncountable noun plural. This word cannot be used in singular. You should also use it with the preposition “on” and the words “sit”, “sit down” and so on. Squat down, squat down.

Thus, Ushakov’s dictionary gave a description of the word “kortochi” from the point of view of the grammar of the Russian language and possible options its use. However, no explanation of the meaning of the word “squat” itself was found.

Let's turn to Dahl's Dictionary. It provides an explanation of the single-root verb “cortet” - to wait impatiently for something, lurking. So this is where the explanation of the word “squatting” lies. What body position is best for curling? Of course, on your haunches! That is, squatting is a body position in which a person is quietly lying in wait for something.

And if you also look at Vasmer’s etymology dictionary or ask experts on the translation website, you can find related Greek and Latin words kurtos and curvus, respectively, translated as the word “crooked”.

Places not so remote

How often in modern speech we use the phrase “places not so distant” and don’t even think about the contradiction that is inherent in it. After all, it means exile, frankly speaking, not to nearby territories and settlements. And, nevertheless, it is exile, as a rule, to Siberia that is meant when the expression “places not so remote” is used. Where did this contradiction come from?

The whole point is that the phrase “places not so remote” during Tsarist Russia was official legal term. You can read about this in the book of the Ashukins Maria and Nikolai “Winged Words”. This term denoted a settlement on western territory Siberia or in its central part. Along with this, in those days there was another term - “remote places”. These words meant a reference to Sakhalin and eastern Siberia. In terms of its distance and difficult living conditions, it differed significantly from exile to places not so remote.

Over time, the concepts of “exile” and “places not so remote” became identical, and the phrase “remote places” sank into oblivion. And already in the 19th century, writers in their works use the first two expressions interchangeably. However, for example, in the work “Resurrection” by L. Tolstoy, a similar phrase is found in the very literally, When we're talking about about the replacement of hard labor for the bourgeois Maslova with settlement in places not so remote in Siberia.

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Places not so remote
An expression from Russian legislation before 1917, in which this expression appeared as an official term. According to the law, exile to Siberia was of two types, which corresponded to a more severe and less severe type of punishment: the first consisted of sending the criminal “to remote places in Siberia”, the second - “to not so remote places in Siberia”.
This formulation became firmly established in the Russian language in the second half of the 19th century. Later, these words began to be used as if by inertia - in relation no longer to exile, but to imprisonment.
Ironically: about a prison, a correctional facility, settlement somewhere by a court verdict, etc. Sometimes it is used figuratively, in relation to a trip somewhere.

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• - Iron. Places of exile, settlements, imprisonment...

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• - 1. Unlock often Iron. Territories remote from the center. Maksimov, 245. 2. Razg. Iron. Place of exile, imprisonment; jail. BMS, 374; BTS, 536; FSRY, 243; ZS 1996, 488; ShZF 2001, 30. 3. Zharg. school Joking. School toilet. Maksimov, 244. 4...

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"Places not so distant" in books

Radiation changes in hematopoiesis in the immediate and long term