Phraseologisms examples and what they mean. Examples of phraseological units with explanation

Phraseology is a branch of the science of language that studies stable combinations of words. Phraseologism is a stable combination of words, or a stable expression. Used to name objects, signs, actions. It is an expression that arose once, became popular and entrenched in the speech of people. The expression is endowed with figurativeness, it can have a figurative meaning. Over time, the expression may take on a daily basis broad sense, partially including the original value or completely excluding it.

Lexical meaning has a phraseological unit in general. The words included in the phraseological unit separately do not convey the meaning of the entire expression. Phraseologisms can be synonymous (at the end of the world, where the raven did not bring bones) and antonymous (lift up to heaven - trample into the dirt). Phraseologism in a sentence is one member of the sentence. Phraseologisms reflect a person and his activities: work (golden hands, fool around), social relations (bosom friend, put sticks in wheels), personal qualities (turn up your nose, sour mine), etc. Phraseologisms make the statement expressive, create imagery. Set expressions are used in works of art, in journalism, in everyday speech. Set expressions are otherwise called idioms. Many idioms in other languages ​​- English, Japanese, Chinese, French.

To clearly see the use of phraseological units, refer to their list on the page below or.

Each person, usually without knowing it, uses several phraseological units in his speech every day. Some of them exist in the Russian language for several centuries.

What are phraseological units, what are their features and why are they needed? We will try to answer all these questions.

Phraseological units are stable phrases that are used to make speech expressive, dynamic, better convey emotions, etc. Phraseologisms can be found in oral speech, in fiction, they are widely used in journalism and politics. They are perhaps least found only in official documents and specialized literature.

Phraseological units are widespread in Russian. They are necessary so that the speaker can express his attitude to what he is saying, show his temperament and mental alertness. From the point of view of vocabulary, the main meaning of the phrase, which is a phraseological unit, can be conveyed in one word, but without emotional overtones.

Phraseologisms surprise with their stability: it is impossible to make changes in them without destroying their meaning. Even a simple word form destroys a phraseological unit. At the same time, the process of formation of new phraseological units is constantly taking place in the language, and obsolete ones are gradually being phased out.

The main task of these phrases is to influence the imagination of the interlocutor or reader in order to make what was said more prominent, to make him empathize, to feel certain emotions.

Phraseologisms are becoming known carriers language from early childhood. Often we perceive them under other names - sayings, catchphrases, idiomatic expressions, . For the first time they were described by M.V. Lomonosov when drawing up a plan for a dictionary of the Russian language. However, a serious study of Russian phraseological units began only in the middle of the twentieth century.

Most phraseological units used today have distinct historical roots. So, the expression "give the go-ahead" goes back to the signals of the Russian navy. In the pre-revolutionary alphabet, the letter D was called "good". The "goodbye" signal transmitted by the naval signal system, meant consent, permission. Hence the meaning of the expression "give good" - to allow, to agree.

A considerable part of phraseological units is based on the transfer of the properties of one object to another. The expression "pot cooks", denoting a smart person, is based on a comparison of the head with a bowler hat: cooks - it means he thinks.

Often the basis of a phraseological unit is a part of a well-known proverb or a stable professional term.


Philologists subdivide phraseological units into their own, which originated in the Russian language, and borrowed ones, which came through translations of foreign literature.

In Russian, phraseological units are found literally at every step. Examples of popular phraseological units:

- like two drops of water - about a striking resemblance;

- at hand - very close;

- one leg here, the other there - to quickly run away on some business;

- slipshod - do the job somehow;

- to reach the handle - to lose human appearance, to sink.

Each of us can remember many similar expressions and phrases in a few minutes - these are phraseological units.

Many phraseological units have been preserved in the Russian language since ancient times. It often happens that the reason for the formation of a phrase has long been forgotten, but it itself lives in folk speech.

Examples:

- Bosom friend - the expression was formed from the old phraseological unit "pour over the Adam's apple", i.e. drink alcohol, get drunk and denotes a person with whom you can "fill in the Adam's apple" without fear of trouble.

- To hack on the nose - in the old days, a wooden die was called a “nose”, on which a worker was given notches for each day worked. Hack on the nose - firmly remember.

- To beat the buckets - to mess around. Baklush called wooden chocks, which were prepared for cutting spoons, breaking off from a birch log. This occupation was considered an easy task, almost idleness.

- Chasing a long ruble - striving for easy money. AT ancient Russian state basic monetary unit there was a hryvnia - an ingot of silver, which was chopped into pieces - rubles. The largest of these pieces was called a long ruble, and to get it means to earn more without making any effort.

- Not two, not one and a half - about something indefinite, without a clear description.

- A double-edged sword is a business or event that can have good or bad consequences.

- Seven Fridays a week - about a capricious, eccentric, fickle person.


- The seventh water on jelly is a very distant relationship.

- Twenty-five again - about something boring, invariably repeating.

You have probably heard more than once that some phrases are called phraseological units. And, we argue, many times they used such turns themselves. Let's check what you know about them. We bet we know more. And we are happy to share information.

What is a phraseological unit?

Phraseologism- a turnover that is freely reproduced in speech, has a holistic, stable and, often, figurative meaning. From the point of view of the structure, it is built as a coordinative or subordinative phrase(has a non-predicative or predicative character).

In what case does a certain phrase turn into a phraseological unit? When each of his constituent parts loses its independence as a semantic unit. And together they form a phrase with a new, allegorical meaning and imagery.

Phraseological features:

• stability;
• reproducibility;
• value integrity;
• dismemberment of the composition;
• belonging to the nominative dictionary of the language.

Some of these features characterize the internal content of the phraseological phrase, and some characterize the form.

How are phraseological units different from words?

First of all, its pronounced stylistic coloring. Most commonly used words from vocabulary the average person is a neutral vocabulary. Phraseologisms, on the other hand, are characterized by evaluative meaning, emotionally expressive coloring, without which the realization of the meaning of phraseological units is impossible.

From the point of view of the stylistics of the language, phraseological units can be divided into:

• neutral ( from time to time, little by little etc.);
• high style ( cornerstone, rest in Bose and etc.);
• colloquial and vernacular good riddance, catching crows etc.).

How do phraseological units differ from phraseological combinations, proverbs and sayings, popular expressions?

Phraseologisms are capable (and actively carry out this) in composition to be combined with words of free use (that is, all other words of the language, “non-phraseologisms”).

How phraseological units are divided by origin:

• primordially Russian- some free phrases were rethought in speech as metaphors and turned into phraseological units ( reel in fishing rods, fish in troubled waters, knead mud, spread wings, grated kalach etc.);
• borrowings from Old Church Slavonic (without hesitation, like the apple of an eye, not of this world, a parable of the town, at the time it is, the holy of holies and etc.);
• set phrases-terms that have turned into metaphors (lead to common denominator = equalize, specific gravity = value, exaggerate= to greatly exaggerate squaring the circle and etc.);
• accepted at home stable names, which do not belong to any terminological system ( Indian summer, goat leg etc.);
• winged words and expressions who came to us from Greek and Roman mythology (Achilles' heel, sword of Damocles, tantalum flour, wash your hands etc.);
• winged words and expressions come from the Bible and other religious texts ( manna from heaven, the abomination of desolation etc.);
• catchphrases come from literature, which have lost touch with the original source and entered into speech as phraseological units ( mage and wizard- comedy A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin "Krechinsky's Wedding" (1855), between hammer and anvil- novel by F. Shpilhagen "Between the hammer and the anvil" (1868), between Scylla and Charybdis- Homer, "Odyssey" (VIII century BC);
• phraseological units-tracing paper, that is, the literal translation set expressions from other languages ​​( smash on the head- it. aufs Haupt Schlagen, not at ease- fr. ne pas etre dans son assiette, dog and wolf time- fr. l'heure entre chien et loup, literally: the time after sunset, when it is difficult to distinguish a dog from a wolf).

Do not apply to phraseological units:

• phrases like scorn, pay attention, win, make a decision; wolfish appetite, maiden memory, bosom friend, sworn enemy, dog cold and the like. The words that make up these phrases retain the ability to connect in meaning and grammatically with another word. Phraseological combinations classified as specific phrases. And actually phraseological units are not phrases in the common sense of this definition. (* in fact, this is a rather controversial point of classification and in the future we will consider some of these expressions);
• set phrases-terms ( Exclamation point, brain, chest, spinal column, progressive paralysis) and compound names (such as red corner, wall newspaper);
• constructs such as: in the form, for the sake of appearance, under the authority, if they cannot be compared with a literal prepositional combination of words (compare: On the nose= very soon and On the nose mole);
• catchphrases, proverbs and sayings ( happy hours not watching; Love for all ages; Who to us with sword will come, he will die by the sword; Do not renounce the bag and prison etc.) - they differ from phraseological units in that they are combined in speech not with words, but with whole sentences (parts of sentences).

Lexico-grammatical classification

Phraseologisms can also be classified from a lexico-grammatical point of view:

• verbal- are used in speech in the form of an imperfect and perfect form: take / take the bull by the horns, hang / hang the nose, stroke / stroke the wrong way etc. A significant number of verbal phraseological units nevertheless entrenched in the language in the form of only one type: perfect ( wave your hand, plug it into your belt, kill two birds with one stone) or imperfect ( lead by the nose, smoke the sky, stand as a mountain(for someone).
• registered- are implemented in nominal phrases ( Indian summer, dark forest, filkina diploma). The proposal may play a role nominal predicate- used in I.p. or sometimes in Etc.
• adverbial- implemented in adverbial combinations ( in all shoulder blades, in all eyes, in one word, in a black body, so-so).
• adjectival - are characterized by the fact that their interpretation requires definitive (adjective) phrases ( skin and bones= very thin wet behind the ears= too young).
• verb-nominal predicative - built on the model of a sentence and implemented in verbal-nominal phrases (in fact, sentences where the role of the subject (grammatical or logical) is indefinite pronoun): eyes on forehead who, and the flag in hand to whom.

Phraseological units and idioms - is there a difference?

Is it necessary to distinguish between phraseological units and idioms? Idioms- these are speech turns that cannot be divided into constituent parts without losing the original meaning and the general meaning of which cannot be deduced from the meanings of the individual words that make up them. We can say that phraseologism and idiom are related as a genus and species. That is, phraseological unit is more broad concept, a special case of which is an idiom.

Idioms are curious in that when they are literally translated into another language, their meaning is lost. An idiom gives such a description of phenomena that is logical for native speakers of a certain language, but relies on definitions and metaphors that cannot be understood outside this language without additional interpretation. For example, in Russian we speak about heavy rain like a shower. The English in this case say it's raining cats and dogs). And, for example, Estonians about a heavy downpour will say that it is pouring like a beanstalk.

About something incomprehensible we will say chinese letter, but for the Danes it is " sounds like the name of a Russian city". German says: “I only understood “station”, Pole - “Thank you, everyone is healthy at my house”, the Englishman will use "It's all Greek to me" (It's all Greek to me).

Or let's take the well-known Russian phraseological unit beat the buckets(= to mess around, to engage in nonsense) - it cannot be translated into another language literally. Because the origin of the expression is connected with the phenomena of the past, which has no analogues in the present. “To beat the buckets” means to split a log into chocks for turning spoons and wooden utensils.

Phraseologisms, speech stamps and clichés

Do not confuse idioms with speech cliches and stamps. Phraseologisms are a product of language metaphorization. They enrich the speech, make it more expressive and diverse, give the utterance figurativeness. Cliches and clichés, on the contrary, impoverish speech, reduce it to some hackneyed formulas. Although phraseological units have a stable structure and are reproduced, as a rule, in their entirety, without changes and additions, they liberate thinking and give free rein to the imagination. But cliches and clichés make thinking and speech stereotyped, deprive them of their individuality and testify to the poverty of the speaker's imagination.

For example, expressions black gold(= oil), people in white coats(= doctors), soul light- have long been no longer metaphors, but real clichés.

Common mistakes in the use of phraseological units

Incorrect use of phraseological units leads to speech errors, sometimes just annoying, and sometimes even comical.

1. The use of phraseological units in the wrong meaning. For example, with a literal understanding or distortion of the meaning of a phraseological unit - In the forest, I always use repellents, so the mosquito will not undermine the nose. The meaning of this phraseological unit is “you can’t find fault with anything”, in this case the turnover was taken too literally and therefore used incorrectly.
2. Distortion of the form of phraseology.

• Grammatical Distortion - It Works later willows sleeves(right later I sleeves). me his stories imposed on the teeth(right imposed in teeth). It is also wrong to replace in phraseological units short forms adjectives into full.
• Lexical distortion - plug behind mine someone's belt(it is impossible to freely introduce new units into the phraseological unit). live wide(right live wide leg - you can not throw out words from the phraseological unit).

Violation lexical compatibility. He never had his own opinion - he always repeated after everyone and sang to someone else's tune(in fact, there are phraseological units dance to someone else's tune and sing from someone else's voice).

Modern phraseological units

Like any lexical units, phraseological units are born, exist for some time, and some of them sooner or later go out of active use. If we talk about the relevance of phraseological units, then they can be divided into:

• common;
• obsolete;
• obsolete.

The system of phraseological units of the Russian language is not once and for all frozen and unchangeable. New phraseological units inevitably arise in response to phenomena modern life. Borrowed as cripples from other languages. And enrich modern speech new, relevant metaphors.

Here, for example, are a few relatively “fresh” phraseological units, relatively recently (mainly in the 20th century) that have taken root in the Russian language:

On a live thread- to do something not too carefully, temporarily, with the expectation in the future to redo the work as it should, to do it without extra effort. The origin of the phraseologism is quite transparent: when seamstresses sew the parts of the product together, they first sweep them with large stitches so that they just stick together. And then they sew the parts neatly and firmly.

cloudless nature- a characteristic for a calm and unflappable person with a benevolent and balanced character, a person without special flaws and not subject to mood swings. And it can also be used not only to describe a person, but also to characterize abstract phenomena (relationships between people, for example).

How to send two bytes- a characteristic for any action, which is completely easy to perform.

Speak different languages- do not find mutual understanding.

Make lemonade out of lemons- be able to even the most unfavourable conditions and circumstances to apply to your advantage and achieve success in this.

Why do we need phraseological units-synonyms?

By the way, phraseological units can be both synonyms and antonyms among themselves. Having understood what connections exist between phraseological units that are different at first glance, one can more deeply comprehend their meanings. And also to diversify the use of these turns in speech. Sometimes phraseological units-synonyms describe various degrees manifestations of a phenomenon or its different but similar aspects. Look at these examples of phraseological units:

• About a person who means nothing to society and is nothing of himself, they say and small fry, and the last spoke in the chariot, and low flight bird, and bump in place.
• The antonyms for these phraseological units are turns: important bird, high-flying bird, big cone.

Interpretation of phraseological units

We bring to your attention the interpretation and even the history of the origin of some phraseological units. They are included in active stock modern Russian language. And, despite the fact that some are no longer just tens, but even a couple of hundred years old, they remain popular and are widely used in everyday speech and literature.

Augean stables- so they burn about a very dirty place, a neglected and untidy room, things scattered in disorder. Applies also to messy, disordered and neglected cases.

Phraseologism comes from ancient Greek myths. One of the exploits of Hercules was cleaning the stables of the king of Elis Avgii, which had not been cleaned for 30 years.

Ariadne's thread- a wonderful way to find a way out of a predicament.

This turnover also came to us from ancient Greek myths. According to legend, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos, Ariadne, helped the Athenian hero Theseus get out of the labyrinth of the minotaur, giving him a ball of thread so that he could return from the tangled corridors along the thread fixed at the entrance to the labyrinth. By the way, if one day you become interested in ancient literature, you will know that later Ariadne probably regretted that she undertook to help Theseus.

Achilles' heel- the weakest and vulnerable spot, secret weakness.

According to ancient Greek mythology, the hero Achilles was miraculously tempered from any danger. And only one heel remained humanly vulnerable. From the wound inflicted by an arrow in the heel, Achilles subsequently died.

lamb in paper- a bribe.

It is believed that phraseology originated in the eighteenth century. At that time, there was a magazine called "Vssakaya Vsyachina", the editor of which was the Empress Catherine II. The monarch was sharply critical of the bribery common among officials. And she claimed, they say, officials, hinting at a bribe, demand to bring them a "lamb in a piece of paper." The turnover was popular with the Russian writer M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, who, as you know, often ridiculed the vices of contemporary society.

without a hitch, without a hitch– flawlessly, without complications and problems, well and smoothly.

A hitch used to be called roughness, unevenness on the surface of a smoothly planed board.

beat the alarm- attract everyone's attention to something of great social or personal significance, to something dangerous and disturbing.

Nabat - in the Middle Ages and earlier periods of history, to alert people about trouble (fire, invasion of enemies, etc.), an alarm signal was given by the sound of bells, less often drums were beaten.

good obscenity(scream) - shout very loudly, at the top of your lungs.

Phraseologism has nothing to do with modern swear words, i.e. matu. From Old Russian good can be translated as strong, and mat - as a voice. Those. the expression should be taken literally only if you know what each of its parts means separately.

big boss- an important, respected and significant person in society.

In the old days, heavy loads on the rivers were rafted with the help of the draft power of people (barge haulers). The most experienced, physically strong and hardy person, who was called a bump in the jargon accepted in this environment, walked ahead of everyone in the strap.

shave forehead- to send to military service, to the soldiers.

Before a new statute was adopted in 1874 on conscription, recruits for the army were recruited (usually under duress) for a period of 25 years. While the recruitment lasted, everyone fit for military service had the front half of the head shaved bald.

Babel- confusion and crowding, disorder.

The biblical traditions describe the construction of a grandiose tower up to the sky (“pillar of creation”), which was started by the inhabitants Ancient Babylon and in which many people from different lands took part. In punishment for this insolence, God created many different languages, so that the builders stopped understanding each other and, in the end, could not complete the construction.

bartholomew's night- massacre, genocide and extermination.

On the night of August 24, 1572 in Paris, on the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day, the Catholics staged a massacre Huguenot Protestants. As a result, several thousand people were physically destroyed and wounded (according to some estimates, up to 30 thousand).

Versta Kolomna- a characteristic for a person of very high stature.

In the past, milestones marked the distance on the roads. This particular expression was born from the comparison tall people with milestones on the way between Moscow and the village of Kolomenskoye (the summer residence of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was located there).

hang dogs- accuse someone, condemn and blame, slander and blame someone else.

By "dog" is not meant an animal, but an outdated name for thorns and thorns.

in all shoulder blades- very fast.

This turnover was born to denote a very fast run of a horse, when it jumps "in all front legs."

free Cossack- a definition for a free and independent person.

In the Muscovite state of the 15th-17th centuries, the so-called free people from central regions countries that fled to the periphery to escape enslavement (i.e., turning into serfs).

newspaper duck- unverified, distorted or generally false information in the media from beginning to end.

There are several versions of the origin of this phraseological unit. Journalists have a popular one: in the past, in newspapers, next to dubious and unverified reports, they put the letters NT ( non-testatum= "not verified" in Latin). But the fact is that the German word for "duck" ( ente) is consonant with this abbreviation. This is how the expression was born.

highlight of the program- the most main part performances, the best and most important number, something very important and significant.

The famous Eiffel Tower was built in Paris specifically for the World Exhibition (1889). To contemporaries of those events, the tower looked like a nail. By the way, it was assumed that 20 years after the exhibition, the tower would be dismantled. And only the development of radio broadcasting saved it from destruction - the tower began to be used as a tower for placing radio transmitters. And the expression has since taken root to denote something unusual, noticeable and significant.

pillars of Hercules(pillars) - the highest, extreme degree of something.

It was originally used to describe something very distant, almost "on the edge of the world." So in ancient times they called two rocks located on the banks of the Strait of Gibraltar. In those days, people believed that the ancient Greek hero Hercules installed the pillars there.

naked as a falcon- a characteristic for a very poor person.

Falcon - the so-called ancient wall-beater used during the siege. It looked like an absolutely smooth cast-iron blank, fixed on chains.

sword of Damocles- constant threat, danger.

In ancient Greek myths, there was a story about a tyrant from Syracuse, Dionysius the Elder. He taught a lesson for envy to his position of one of his associates named Damocles. At the feast, Damocles was seated in a place over which a sharp sword was hung on a horsehair. The sword symbolized the numerous dangers that constantly haunt a person of such high position like Dionysius.

case burned out– i.e. something completed successfully, in a satisfactory manner.

The origin of this phraseological unit is connected with the peculiarities of judicial office work in the past. A defendant could not be charged with anything if his case was destroyed, for example, by fire. Wooden courts, together with all the archives, often burned in the past. And just as often there were cases when court cases were destroyed intentionally, for a bribe to judicial officials.

reach the handle- reach extreme humiliation, extreme need, finally sink and lose self-respect.

When old Russian bakers baked rolls, they gave them the shape of a padlock with a round bow. This form had a purely utilitarian purpose. It was convenient to hold the kalach by the bow while eating. Apparently, they already guessed about the diseases of dirty hands even then, so they disdained to eat the handle of the kalach. But it could be served to the poor or thrown to a hungry dog. It was possible to reach the point of eating a kalach handle only in the most extreme case, in extreme need, or simply not caring at all about one's health and image in the eyes of others.

bosom friend- the closest and most reliable friend, soul mate.

Before the arrival of Christianity in Russia, it was believed that the soul of a person is in the throat, "behind the Adam's apple." After the adoption of Christianity, they began to believe that the soul is located in the chest. But the designation of the most trusted person, who can even be trusted own life and for whom you will regret it, it remains as a “bosom”, i.e. "soul" friend.

for lentil soup- to change their ideals or supporters for selfish motives.

According to biblical tradition, Esau gave up his birthright to his brother Jacob for nothing more than a bowl of lentil stew.

golden mean- an intermediate position, behavior aimed at avoiding extremes and making risky decisions.

This is a tracing-paper from the Latin saying of the ancient Roman poet Horace " aurea mediocritas".

history with geography- a state when things took an unexpected turn that no one expected.

Phraseologism was born from the outdated name of the school discipline - "history with geography".

and no brainer- something that should be clear even to the most obtuse, self-evident.

There are two versions of the origin of this phraseological unit. It is also possible that both are true and one follows from the other. One turn went to the people after the poem by V. Mayakovsky, in which there were such lines: “It is clear even to a hedgehog / This Petya was a bourgeois.” According to another, the expression took root in boarding schools for gifted children that existed in Soviet time. The letters E, G and I denoted classes with students of one year of study. And the students themselves were called "hedgehogs." In terms of their knowledge, they lagged behind students from classes A, B, C, D, E. Therefore, what is understandable to the “hedgehog” should have been all the more understandable for more “advanced” students.

not by washing, so by skating- not one way, but another way to achieve the desired result.

This phraseological unit describes the old way of washing, adopted in the villages. The linen was rinsed by hand, and then, due to the lack of such benefits of civilization as an iron at that time, they were “rolled back” with a special wooden rolling pin. After that, things became squeezed out, especially clean and even practically ironed.

latest Chinese warning- empty threats that do not entail any decisive action.

This phraseological unit was born relatively recently. In the 50s and 60s, US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft often violated air space China. The Chinese authorities responded to any such violation of the borders (and there were several hundred of them) with an official warning to the US leadership. But no decisive action was taken to stop the reconnaissance flights of American pilots.

on the sly- secretly and gradually do something, act on the sly.

Sapa (from it. zappa= "hoe") - a ditch or dig, imperceptibly pulled out towards the enemy's fortifications in order to take him by surprise. In the past, in this way they often dug under the walls of enemy fortresses, laying gunpowder charges in the trenches. Exploding, the bombs destroyed the outer walls and opened up the opportunity for the attackers to break through. By the way, the word "sapper" of the same origin - that was the name of the people who left the powder charges in the saps.

Conclusion

We hope that we were able to at least slightly open for you the diverse and interesting world of phraseological units. If you continue this journey on your own, there are still many interesting discoveries ahead of you.

Phraseological phrases change over time, new phenomena in life lead to the emergence of new phraseological units. If you know any interesting new phraseological units, tell us about it in the comments. We will definitely supplement this article with them and do not forget to thank those who send us novelty phraseological units.

blog.site, with full or partial copying of the material, a link to the source is required.

Phraseological units are presented on this page different kind, everything is described in detail and laid out on the shelves, so that everything is convenient. Otherwise, they are called phraseological turns. These are phrases that, in terms of the composition of their words, do not correspond to true words, but at the same time are solidary in meaning. Proverbs and sayings do not count :-)

As you have already noticed, sorted into groups. The most popular of them concern water, body parts (nose, tongue, etc.) and bread. And also about animals and food. So let's go.

Phraseologisms with the word "water" and related to it

Storm in a teacup- strong excitement or irritability over trifles.
It is written with a pitchfork on the water- purely theoretical; that is, it is not known what will happen next.
Carry water in a sieve- to waste time in vain, to idle.
Get water in your mouth- to be silent, as if in fact the mouth is full of water.
Withdraw to clean water - reveal the truth, expose, find out the true face.
Come out dry from water- go unpunished, without consequences.
ride the wave- provoke aggression, raise unnecessary noise.
Money is like water- they disappear very quickly, and it is not so easy to return them.
To stay afloat- to continue to develop in spite of difficulties, to successfully conduct business.
Wait by the sea for the weather- expect pleasant events that are unlikely to wait.
Life abounds- when life is full of bright events, it does not stand still.
How to look into the water- predicted, as if he knew in advance. By analogy with divination by water.
How to sink into the water disappeared, disappeared without a trace.
Down in the mouth- about sadness, sadness.
Like water through your fingers- about what goes quickly and imperceptibly. Usually in pursuit.
The same- very similar.
How to drink to give- very simple; exactly, no doubt.
Like water off a duck's back- all for nothing. Similar to phraseologism - Come out dry from water.
Like snow on your head- about an impending event. Suddenly, suddenly, out of nowhere.
Sink into oblivion- to disappear forever, to indulge in oblivion.
Bathe in gold about very rich people.
The ice has broken- about the beginning of any business.
Pour water- to show negativity, to provoke.
A lot of water has flowed- a lot of time has passed.
Reckless- about a brave man who cares nothing.
Darker than clouds- Excessive anger.
muddy the waters- confuse, bewilder.
At the top of the wave- to be in favorable conditions.
Do not spill water- about a strong, inseparable friendship.
Pour from empty to empty
To go with the flow- act passively, obeying the prevailing circumstances.
Underwater rocks- about any hidden danger, trick, obstacle.
After the rain on Thursday Never, or not at all soon.
Last straw- about an event in which a person's patience is running out.
Pass fire, water and copper pipes - go through difficult trials, difficult situations.
a dime a dozen- a lot, a lot.
Don't drink water from your face- love a person not for appearance, but for internal qualities.
Get from the bottom of the sea- solve any problem without looking at any difficulties.
Hide the ends in the water- hide the traces of the crime.
Quieter than water, lower than grass- about quiet, modest behavior.
Pound water in a mortar- do something useless.
Wash your hands- to evade participation or responsibility in any business.
pure water- about something obvious, not having any doubts.

Phraseological units with the word "nose" and other parts of the body

grumble under your breath- to grumble, to speak indistinctly.
hang your nose- to be discouraged, upset.
lead by the nose- to deceive, to lie.
Chin up!- a command not to lose heart, not to be upset.
Turn up one's nose- to put oneself above others, to put on airs, to think of oneself as the main one.
Nick down- to remember completely.
nod off- doze with your head down.
Wrinkle your nose- think about a difficult task.
On the nose- about an event that should happen in the near future.
Can't see beyond your nose- limit yourself, do not notice what is happening around.
Nose to nose or Face to face- very close, on the contrary, very close.
Keep your nose to the wind- be aware of all events, make the right decision.
Stay with your nose or Get away with your nose- do without what you expected.
Right under your nose- Very close.
With a goofy nose- about the dove, which small nose, which is very small.
Poke your nose into other people's business- about excessive curiosity.
Poke your nose- that is, until you poke your nose, you yourself will not see.
Wipe your nose- to prove one's superiority, to win over someone.
bury your nose- Get completely immersed in something.

speak through teeth- that is, to speak indistinctly, barely opening your mouth.
speak teeth- divert attention from the essence of the conversation.
Know by heart- that is, to know firmly, firmly.
Bare teeth or Show teeth- snarl, get angry; mock.
Too tough- not under force.
Not in the tooth with a foot- to do nothing, to know nothing.
Put your teeth on the shelf- starve, annoy, lacking in something.
Grit your teeth- go into battle without despair. Restrain yourself without showing your weakness.

Keep your mouth shut- be silent, do not say a word.
Long tongue- about a person who likes to talk a lot.
bite your tongue- refrain from words.
Dissolve language- to say too much without refraining.
Tongue swallow- be silent, not having the desire to speak.

Be careful- be careful to avoid an emergency.
Keep ears up- be careful, careful, do not trust anyone.
For eyes and ears- about giving time with a surplus to complete any business.
Can't see your ears- about an item that will never get.
Blush up to your ears- to be very ashamed, embarrassed.
hang your ears- listen with excessive passion, to trust everything.

Eyes popped out- about sincere surprise, amazement.
Eyes lit up- longing for something.
shoot with eyes- expressively, coquettishly look at someone.
Like an eyesore- to bother someone, to annoy.
Pull the wool over someone's eyes- create a false, overly pleasant impression of yourself. Boast.
From point of view- about someone's opinion, judgment on a particular topic.
See through your fingers- look inattentively at the problem, do not be picky.
Ogle- to attract attention, to suck up.

You won't take it in your mouth- about food cooked tastelessly.
Lip no fool- about a person who knows how to choose something to taste.
pout lips- to make a displeased face, to be offended.
Roll your lip- wanting a lot with minimal opportunities.
With an open mouth- listen attentively; be surprised.

Flew out of my head- about forgetfulness, inattention.
Have a head on your shoulders- to be smart, quick-witted.
Puzzle over- to think hard, hard, trying to understand something.
fool your head- to deceive, fool, confuse.
From head to toes- completely, in full growth.
Put upside down- to give opposite meaning anything to distort.
Breaking my head- very fast.
Hit your face in the dirt- disgrace, disgrace before someone.

be at hand- about something accessible, close.
Keep yourself in hand- to maintain self-control, to be restrained.
How it was removed by hand- about the quickly passed pain, illness.
Bite your elbows- regret what you have done, with the inability to return back.
Hands down- Do the work diligently, without interruptions.
Hand in hand- about a joint, agreed deal or friendship.
At hand- about an object that is nearby, very close.
Grab with both hands- to take pleasure in any business.
Skillful fingers- about a talented person who skillfully copes with any work.

Get up on the wrong foot- Wake up feeling down.
Wipe your feet (about someone)- to harm, to get on your nerves, to annoy.
making feet- go, move.
Step on your heels- to catch up with someone or pursue, hanging on it.
Legs to hands- Do something immediately.
The devil himself will break his leg- about disorder, chaos in business or anywhere.
Get off your feet- very tired in any business or path.

Phraseologisms with the word "bread"

There is a gift of bread- do no good.
And that bread- about the estate of at least something, than nothing at all.
On your bread- live on your salary, without the possibility of anyone.
Not by bread alone- about a person who lives not only materially, but also spiritually.
Beat bread- to deprive the opportunity to earn money by selecting a job.
Survive from bread to kvass (to water)- to live in poverty, starve.
Sit down on bread and water- eat the cheapest food, save on food.
Daily bread- about the necessary for human life, its existence.
Bread and salt- an expensive greeting to guests, an invitation to the table.
Meal'n'Real!– an exclamation about the filing of vital priorities.
Don't feed bread- about a very busy or rich, not hungry person.

Phraseologisms on the topic of cuisine and food

free cheese- bait, luring into a trap.
Boil in your own juice- live your life. Or help yourself without the help of others.
Not worth a damn- about what is insignificant and not worth any cost.
donut hole- about something empty, not having any content.
For seven miles of jelly slurp- go somewhere unnecessarily.
brew porridge- to create a problem, they say, he brewed it himself - and disentangle it yourself.
And you can’t lure with a roll- about someone who can't be forced to change his mind.
Like chickens in cabbage soup- about getting into unexpected trouble. Kur - in old Russian "rooster".
Like clockwork- very simple, no problem.
Live like a lord- about a profitable, comfortable life.
You can't cook porridge- about joint action with someone with whom there will be no use.
Milk rivers, kissel banks- about a fabulous, fully provided life.
Not at ease- feel uncomfortable. In an awkward situation.
Not salty slurping- not getting what you expected. To no avail.
For no rugs- an analogue of a phraseological unit And you can’t lure with a roll.
Neither fish nor fowl- about an ordinary person who does not have anything bright, expressive.
cut off hunk- about a person living independently, independent of others.
Professor sour cabbage soup - about a person who talks about things that he himself does not really know.
Easier than a steamed turnip- nowhere is easier, or very simple.
To fix the mess- Solving complex, advanced problems.
The fish goes out from the head- if the government is bad, then the subordinates will become the same.
Side of the bake- about someone or something unnecessary, optional, secondary.
Seventh water on jelly- about distant relatives, which are difficult to determine.
dog eat- about any business with a rich amount of experience.
Grated roll- about a person with rich life experience, not lost in difficult situations.
Radish horseradish is not sweeter- about an insignificant exchange for something that is not better.
Worse than bitter radish- about something completely unbearable, unbearable.
Nonsense on vegetable oil- that does not deserve any attention. Absurdity.
An hour later, a teaspoon- about inactive, unproductive work.

Phraseologisms with animals

Chasing two rabbits Trying to do two things at the same time.
To make mountains out of molehills- greatly exaggerate.
tease the geese- to annoy someone, to provoke anger.
No brainer (Goat understandable)- about something very clear, obvious.
And the wolves are full, and the sheep are safe- about a situation in which both here and there are good.
look for tails– look for sources for cooperation in any enterprise.
Like a cat with a dog – living together with constant cursing.
Like a chicken paw- to do something carelessly, carelessly, crookedly.
Like a chicken and an egg- about any subject that is difficult to part with.
Like a mouse to groats- to pout, to express dissatisfaction, resentment.
When cancer on the mountain whistles Never, or not at all.
Cats scratch at heart- about a sad, difficult condition or mood.
crocodile tears- crying for no reason, compassion for a non-existent sign.
Chickens for laughter- stupid, absurd, absurd, ridiculous.
Chickens don't peck- a person has a lot of money.
Lion's share- a big advantage in the direction of something. The biggest part.
Martyshkin labor- a useless process of work, vain efforts.
bear stepped on ear- about a person without a musical ear.
bear corner- a remote, isolated place. Far from civilization.
Disservice- help that brings more evil than good.
Cast pearls before swine- to conduct intelligent conversations in front of little understanding fools.
You can't ride on a crooked goat- about any person to whom it is difficult to find an approach.
On a bird's eye- not to have any legal grounds, provisions.
Not in horse food (oats)- about efforts that do not give the expected results.
Don't sew the mare's tail- completely unnecessary, out of place.
I'll show you where the crayfish hibernate- a prediction of revenge, an undesirable position.
Release the red rooster- arson, start a fire
Bird's-eye- from a great height, giving an overview of a large space.
Put a pig- to mischief, to do something unpleasant.
Watch like a ram on a new gate- to look at something with a stupid expression.
dog cold- severe cold, causing inconvenience.
Count the crows- to yawn, to be inattentive to something.
A dark horse- an obscure, little-known person.
Pull the cat's tail- to delay the case, to work very slowly.
Kill two birds with one stone solve two problems at the same time.
Though the wolf howl- about any situation without the possibility of changing it for the better.
The black cat ran- to break off friendly relations, to quarrel.

Phraseological units with objects, other phraseological units

dead hour- long time.
Beat the thumbs- to do simple, not so important business.
Throw to the mercy of fate- to leave somewhere without helping and without being interested.
Put a spoke in wheel to intervene, intentionally interfere with someone.
go around the mountain- do something great.
Keep in line- treat someone strictly, for the good of one's will.
Keep your pocket wider- about too high and unrealizable hopes, expectations.
From dirt to Kings- suddenly and abruptly achieve amazing success.
out of the ordinary- different from the usual, special.
Reinvent the wheel- try to do something from an already proven, reliable means.
From time immemorial- a long, long time ago.
The stone fell from the soul (from the heart)- a feeling of relief when getting rid of something oppressive.
oil painting- Everything is well and beautifully converged.
Roll a barrel- act aggressively towards someone.
Mom don't worry- about something extraordinary, beyond the ordinary understanding of things.
Change the awl for soap It's pointless to change one useless thing for another.
Cover yourself with a copper basin- suddenly and abruptly disappear, deteriorate; perish.
Found a scythe on a stone- Faced with an irreconcilable contradiction of opinions and interests.
Does not burn- not so important, not urgent.
Not far away- nearby, not too far away in time or space.
Not a bastard- not simple, not stupid.
It is too expensive- about the inconsistency with someone's income, financial capabilities.
From our table to yours- the transfer of any property to another person.
Shelving- leave something for an indefinite period of time.
Go too far- to be overzealous in something.
The song is sung- someone or something has come to an end.
Shoulder- about the ability to cope with something.
Essentially- Naturally, of course.
Add fuel to the fire- deliberately aggravate the conflict, provoke.
The train left- lost time to do something.
One, two - and miscalculated- about something in a small amount that is easy to count.
Born in a shirt- about a very lucky person who miraculously escaped tragedy.
Make ends meet- Difficulty coping with financial difficulties.
move a mountain- a lot to do.
Sitting on pins and needles- to be impatient, waiting, if you want to achieve something.
At least henna- about the indifference of a person who does not care about someone else's misfortune.

Winged expressions help to express thoughts more accurately, give speech more emotional coloring. They allow in a few short but precise words to express more emotions and convey a personal attitude to what is happening.

1 sly

Initially, this expression meant to secretly dig a mine or a secret tunnel. The word "zappa" (translated from Italian) means "digging shovel".
Borrowed in French, the word turned into the French "sap" and got the meaning of "earthworks, trenches and undermining works", the word "sapper" also arose from this word.

In Russian, the word "sapa" and the expression "quiet glanders" meant work that is carried out with extreme caution, without noise, in order to get close to the enemy unnoticed, in complete secrecy.

After widespread the expression acquired the meaning: carefully, in deep secrecy and slowly (for example, “So he drags all the food from the kitchen on the sly!”).

2 Can't see anything

According to one version, the word "zga" comes from the name of a part of the horse harness - a ring in the upper part of the arc, into which a rein was inserted so as not to dangle. When the coachman needed to unharness the horse, and it was so dark that this little ring (zgi) could not be seen, they said that "you can't see it at all."

According to another version, the word "zga" comes from the Old Russian "sytga" - "road, path, path." In this case, the meaning of the expression is interpreted - "so dark that you can not even see the road, the path." Today, the expression “nothing is visible”, “nothing can be seen” means “nothing is visible”, “impenetrable darkness”.

A blind man leads a blind man, but both of them cannot see. (last)

“Darkness hangs over the earth: you can’t see it ...” (Anton Chekhov, “Mirror”)

3 dance from the stove

The expression "to dance from the stove" first appeared in the Russian novel writer XIX century Vasily Sleptsov " Good man". The book was published in 1871. There is an episode where the protagonist Seryozha Terebenev recalls how he was taught to dance, but the “pas” required from the dance teacher did not work out for him. There is a phrase in the book:

- Oh, what are you, brother! - Father says reproachfully. - Well, go back to the stove, start over.

Vasily Alekseevich Sleptsov. 1870

In Russian, this expression began to be used when talking about people whose habit of acting according to a hardened scenario replaces knowledge. A person can perform certain actions only “from the stove”, from the very beginning, from the most simple and familiar action:

“When he (the architect) was ordered to plan, he usually drew the hall and the hotel first; just as in the old days, college girls could only dance from the stove, so his artistic idea could proceed and develop only from the hall to the living room. (Anton Chekhov, "My Life").

4 shabby look

During the time of Tsar Peter I, Ivan Zatrapeznikov lived - an entrepreneur who received the Yaroslavl textile manufactory from the emperor. The factory produced a cloth called “stripe”, or “stripe”, popularly called “mesh”, “mesh” - a coarse and low-quality cloth made from hemp (hemp fiber).
Clothes were sewn from shabby clothes mainly by poor people who could not buy something better for themselves. And the appearance of such poor people was appropriate. Since then, if a person is dressed sloppily, they say about him that he has a shabby appearance:

“The hay girls were poorly fed, dressed in shabby clothes and given little sleep, exhausting them with almost continuous work.” (Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, "Poshekhonskaya antiquity")

5 Sharpen laces

To sharpen folly means to idle talk, to engage in useless chatter. Lassy (balusters) are chiseled curly columns of railings at the porch.

At first, “sharpening balusters” meant having an elegant, whimsical, ornate (like balusters) conversation. However, there were few craftsmen to conduct such a conversation, and over time, the expression began to mean empty chatter:

“They used to sit in a circle, some on a bench, some simply on the ground, each with some kind of business, a spinning wheel, a comb or bobbins, and they would go and go to sharpen their laces and babble about a different, experienced time.” (Dmitry Grigorovich, Village).

6 Lying like a gray gelding

To lie like a gray gelding means to speak fables without being embarrassed at all. In the 19th century, an officer, a German named von Sievers-Mehring, served in one of the regiments of the Russian army. He liked to tell the officers funny stories and fables. The expression "lies like Sievers-Mering" was understandable only to his colleagues. However, they began to use it throughout Russia, completely forgetting about the origins. Sayings appeared among the people: “lazy as a gray gelding”, “stupid as a gray gelding”, although the horse breed has nothing to do with this.

7 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" came from the name of one scientist - Brad Steve Cobile, who once wrote a very stupid article. His name, consonant with the words "bullshit" correlated with scientific nonsense.

According to another version, "bullshit" is an expression denoting a stupid statement or thought; appeared due to the beliefs of the Slavs that the gray horse (gray with an admixture of a different 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.

8 Androns ride

"Androns are coming" means nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, complete nonsense.
In Russian, this phrase is used in response to someone who tells a lie, inappropriately puts on airs and boasts about himself. In the 1840s, on the territory of almost all of Russia, andretz (andron) meant a wagon, various kinds of carts.

“And you don’t have to scold my house! “Do I scold you?.. Cross yourself, Petrovnushka, the androns are coming!” (Pavel Zarubin, "Dark and bright sides Russian life")

9 Biryuk live

Mikhail Golubovich in the movie Biryuk. 1977

The expression "to live with biryuk" means to be a hermit and closed person. In the southern regions of Russia, a wolf is called a biryuk. The wolf has long been considered a predatory animal dangerous for the economy. The peasants perfectly studied his habits and habits and often remembered them when speaking about a person. “Oh, and you have grown old, little brother! Dunyashka said regretfully. “Some kind of gray has become like a biryuk.” (Mikhail Sholokhov, Quiet Flows the Don)

10 to play with spillikins

Spillikins are various small household items that were used during the ancient game. Its meaning was to pull out one toy after another from a pile of toys with fingers or a special hook, without touching or scattering the rest. The one who moved the adjacent spillikin passes the move to the next player. The game continues until the whole pile is taken apart. By the beginning of the 20th century, spillikins became one of the most popular games in the country and were very common not only among children, but also among adults.

AT figuratively the expression "playing spillikins" means to engage in trifles, nonsense, leaving aside the main and important:

“After all, I came to the workshop to work, and not to sit back and play spillikins.” (Mikhail Novorussky "Notes of the Schlisselburger")

11 Pies with kittens

In Russia, they never ate cats, except in severe famine. During prolonged sieges of cities, their inhabitants, having exhausted all food supplies, people used domestic animals for food, and cats and cats were the last to go.

Thus, this expression means a catastrophic state of affairs. Usually the proverb is shortened and they say: “These are the pies”, in other words, “these are the things”.

12 Leave unsalted slurping

In Russia in the old days, salt was an expensive product. It had to be transported from afar off-road, taxes on salt were very high. When visiting, the host salted the food himself, with his own hand. Sometimes, expressing his respect for especially dear guests, he even added salt to the food, and sometimes those who were sitting at the far end of the table did not get salt at all. Hence the expression - "to leave without salty slurping":

“And the more she spoke, and the more sincerely she smiled, the stronger the confidence became in me that I would leave her without salty slurping.” (Anton Chekhov "Lights")

"The fox missed the live and went away slurping unsalted." (Alexey Tolstoy "The Fox and the Rooster")

13 Shemyakin Court

Illustration for the fairy tale "Shemyakin Court". Copper engraving, first half of the 18th century. Reproduction.

The expression "shemyakin court" is used when they want to emphasize the unfairness of any opinion, judgment or assessment. Shemyaka is a real historical person, the Galician prince Dimitri Shemyaka, famous for his cruelty, deceit and unrighteous deeds. He became famous for his tireless, stubborn struggle with the Grand Duke Vasily the Dark, his cousin, for the Moscow throne. Today, when they want to point out the partiality, unfairness of some judgment, they say: “Is this criticism? Shemyakin court of some kind.

According to aif.ru