Handbook of phraseology. Phraseologisms and their meanings examples of phraseological units Common phraseological units

Stable combinations have existed in the history of language for a long time. Already in the eighteenth century, examples of phraseological units with explanations could be found in collections of idioms, catchphrases, aphorisms, and proverbs, although the lexical composition of the language had not yet been studied so closely. And only with the arrival of V.V. Vinogradov in science, a basis for the comprehensive study of set phrases appeared. It was he who laid the foundation for the development of phraseology and called it a linguistic discipline.

The famous linguist N.M. Shansky presented phraseological units as a fixed unit of language, reproduced in finished form and having two or more stressed components of a verbal nature. In addition to lexical indivisibility, phraseological units also have a lexical meaning and are often synonyms of words. As an example: “the right hand is a helper”, “bite your tongue - shut up”.

The use of phraseological units in Russian, examples with explanation

We use various phraseological units in our native speech unnoticed by ourselves, due to the fact that they have become familiar since childhood. The most famous ones came to us from fairy tales, epics, folk legends, and some from foreign languages. Original Russians include unique combinations that are found only in our native language and reflect Russian life, traditions and culture. Let's try to understand the meaning with the following example and explanation. Bread was considered the main product in Rus' - it managed to become a symbol of prosperity and good earnings. Therefore, phraseological units: “to take bread from someone” or “to eat bread for nothing” are understandable only to Russian people.

Metamorphicity and imagery are the main criteria of Russian phraseological units. It is the nationality inherent in the native language that allows you to understand stable phrases not at the level of speech, but at the level of the language model that you absorb with your mother’s milk. Even outdated phrases, the meaning of which has been forgotten, become understandable and close to us thanks to their imagery. Below we will look at common examples of phraseological units with explanations and their meaning.

Book and literary

The scope of use of literary speech is much narrower than that of colloquial or interstyle speech. Book phraseological units are used mainly in written sources and add a certain shade of solemnity, elation, and formality to the action. Examples, explanations and meaning of book phraseological units are below:

- do not allow the matter to proceed; postpone it for an indefinite period. Cloth refers to the woolen fabric that used to cover a desk. If any paper or folder went under the cloth, it means it remained unsigned and did not go into work.
"Raise on shield"- that is, to show honor, to speak with praise about someone. As an example, in the old days, winners were literally lifted onto a shield and carried high so that everyone could see and thank them.
“Write - it’s gone.” This is what they say about something that is obviously impossible to do due to the lack of certain conditions. In the nineteenth century, officials wrote down items in the expense book about the receipt and consumption of goods. The embezzlers usually ordered their clerk to make a note about the loss of goods with the words “Write - it’s gone.” At the same time, they took credit for the loss itself.
“Was there a boy?”- in this way extreme doubt about something is now expressed. The phraseological unit came from M. Gorky’s novel “The Life of Klim Smagin,” which describes the scene of children skating. When the guys fall under the water, Klim is the first to save the girl. Then he throws his belt to the boy, but, fearing that he himself might drown, he lets him go. While searching for a drowned child, Klim hears a voice uttering the phrase: “Was there a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy?”
"The Muslin Young Lady"- this is how they speak disparagingly about a pampered girl who is absolutely not adapted to life. The passage is taken from N. G. Pomyalovsky’s story “Pittish Happiness.”
"Bear Corner"- remote settlement, outback. The expression was first used by P.I. Melnikov-Pechersky in his novel of the same name about one of the distant towns of Russia.
"Hit a nerve"- another book phraseological unit, the history of which goes back to the times when slaves were branded. Cauterization caused extreme pain, especially when touching the healing wound. This turn of phrase becomes relevant when the conversation touches on topics that cause mental anguish in the interlocutor.
"Scapegoat"- the one on whom responsibility for someone else’s guilt is shifted. The phrase refers to literary phraseological units and has ancient origins. The biblical tradition speaks of the rite of absolution. The priest laid his hand on an ordinary goat, as if transferring sins from a person to an animal, which was later expelled into the desert.
"Like water off a duck's back"- it doesn’t matter. The goose's plumage is covered with a special lubricant that prevents the bird from getting wet. Water does not wet a goose's wings. Thanks to this fat, it remains dry.

Examples of colloquial and borrowed phraseological units

Colloquial phraseological units are firmly entrenched in our speech. They are convenient to convey a thought to the interlocutor, especially when ordinary words are not enough to convey the emotional coloring of the phrase. Borrowed phraseological units are calques and semi-calques taken from other languages by literal translation of sayings. There are phraseological units that simply correlate in meaning with set expressions in other languages. Their examples: “white crow” sounds like “rare bird” in English, and the expression “hanging by a thread” is replaced by the combination “hanging by a thread.” Other examples of phraseological units with explanations and meaning:

"First among equals"- that is, the best or leading. Borrowed from the Latin “Primus inter pare”, which is literally translated. Emperor Augustus held this title even before accepting his high title. In this way his prestige was maintained.
“A good (cheerful) face for a bad game”- that is, hide your experiences and failures behind an external calm appearance. Moreover, “mine” is literally translated from the old Breton language as “facial expression”.
“What is allowed to Jupiter is not allowed to the bull.” The phrase was first uttered by Publius Terence Afr. It is used when it is necessary to stop unfounded claims by indicating to the disputant his inferior place.
"Eat a peck of salt"- a common colloquial phraseological unit. This is an example of a long life together. In the system of measures, a pound is equivalent to 16 kg. To consume such an amount of salt, you need to live together for a huge period of time, during which people learn almost everything about each other.
“There is nothing behind the soul”- this is how it is customary to talk about a poor person. According to popular belief, the human soul was located in the dimple in the neck. In the old days, it was customary to store money and jewelry there. If there was nothing to hide in the dimple, then it was believed that there was nothing “behind the soul.”
- that is, have a light snack. The expression is a tracing-paper from the French “tuer le ver”, which has a literal translation - “drink a glass of alcohol on an empty stomach.” It was assumed that alcohol, taken with a minimal snack, destroyed helminths in the body.
“The reins have fallen by the wayside”- a colloquial phraseological unit denoting reckless actions of someone. The expression was once used in the literal sense, and not figuratively, in relation to horses, in which the rein that fell under the tail caused pain and forced them to perform thoughtless actions.
"Hack on the nose"- remember once and for all. In former times, illiterate people carried tablets with them everywhere, on which they wrote notes for memory with notches. The “nose” in this case is not an organ of smell, but a wearable thing.

Medical and other professional expressions with explanation

Some phraseological units are taken from the oral speech of people of various professions. These include the following sentences with phraseological units:

"The Shoemaker's Breast"- a medical term that has its own meaning and explanation. This is what is called a funnel-shaped chest. Due to their professional activities, the lower part of the sternum of shoemakers is pressed inward, due to which the volume of the chest is significantly reduced.
- this is what they say about unproductive work. As an example: in the old days, the pharmacist wrote exactly this recipe directly on the bottles of medicine. This meant that treatment should be carried out slowly in order to respond in time to the appearance of allergic manifestations. If for a patient this approach is completely justified, then for a working person it is an indicator of laziness and indecisiveness.
"Spell your teeth"- distract from the pressing problem with extraneous conversations. Unlike dentists, healers can use spells to temporarily eliminate pain. However, they do not treat the teeth themselves and the problem remains unresolved.
"Sit in the liver"- get bored, poison life. In Ancient Rus', the liver was considered the reservoir of human vitality. It was believed that a person who interferes with life takes away free energy, which means he sits in the liver and directly draws other people’s strength from there.
"With bated breath"- that is, carefully, not missing even the little things. In medicine, to clear the chest for a correct diagnosis, you need to hold your breath for several minutes. It is believed that a person who holds his breath will get the highest quality result.
"Rolling up my sleeves"- act diligently and energetically, without sparing your own strength. If you remember, in the old days it was customary to wear clothes with long sleeves - for some the length reached 95 cm. It was impossible to work in such clothes. To do anything useful, you first had to roll up your sleeves, after which things progressed much faster.
"Through the Sleeves"- lazy, slow, without proper enthusiasm. This phraseological unit exists in contrast to the previous one and has a similar explanation. That is, the lowered long sleeves did not allow the work to be done properly.
"Wait by the sea for weather"- do nothing, expect the situation to resolve itself. This term comes from the speech of sailors who, before going out to fish, always monitored the weather and waited for a favorable period so as not to get caught in a storm.

Stable and neutral phrases and their meaning

In contrast to colloquial expressions, which are more figurative, phrases that do not have an emotional connotation are considered neutral. Examples of such phraseological units with explanation and their meaning:

“He can’t find a place for himself”- that is, he is worried. This is what they say about a person who is in a state of strong concern about someone.
"Without straightening your back"- means working hard and persistently. This is what they said about the plowmen who worked in the fields from morning to night.
- torment you with requests and conversations about the same thing.
"Losing spirit"- to finally lose faith in one’s own abilities.
"Looking at the night"- that is, before dark, when public transport no longer runs and the risk of becoming a victim of bad circumstances increases. In addition, there are many examples that a person will not have time to do anything significant late in the evening, since the body’s daytime resources have been exhausted.
"Stay with your nose" or fail. Examples of using the expression: when someone allows themselves to be fooled and does not get what they expected. In the old days, the word “nose” meant a bow with an offering. “Nose” - that is, “brought.” The rich usually came to the officials with money, the poor brought a pig, chicken, and eggs. In exchange for offerings, clerks made decisions in favor of the one bringing the gifts. A bad sign was that an official would not accept his “nose” if he was too modest. At the same time, the person asking remained with his gift, that is, “without his nose” and did not receive what he wanted.
"Wash the Bones"- that is, to gossip, slander, analyze the actions of another person. It was once believed that a sinner under a curse could emerge from the grave as a ghoul. To free him from the spell, it was necessary to dig up the grave and wash the bones with clean water.

In the examples given above, we see that the appropriate use of phraseological units saturates our speech and allows us to make communication emotionally rich and interesting. Sentences with phraseological units add “zest” to the conversation and are perceived by everyone as a completely natural element of speech, enhancing its meaning.

Of course by itself 1. Involuntarily, involuntarily, without any effort. With verb. nesov. and owls kind of: how? itself (itself, itself, themselves) to arise by itself, close, stick together, arise, close...; clear, clear... how? of course.

They came to visit, and the argument stopped by itself. (A. Chekhov.)

All his life he... could not get out of poverty, and the fact that with the arrival of Stepanida in the house prosperity came by itself seemed to him a miracle. (G. Nikolaeva.)

2. Independently, without anyone’s help, without outside interference. With the verb nes. and owls type: by itself (itself, by itself, by itself) to act, to appear, to move, to reach, to appear...

Gifted with talent, beauty, a living and true feeling, she [Semenova] formed by herself. (A. Pushkin.)

Let man change creatively over the centuries, and cities, states, gods, art will appear by themselves, as a consequence... (B. Pasternak.)

Educational phraseological dictionary. - M.: AST. E. A. Bystrova, A. P. Okuneva, N. M. Shansky. 1997 .

Synonyms:

See what “by itself” is in other dictionaries:

by itself- of course... Spelling dictionary-reference book

by itself- reflexively, reflectively, involuntarily, involuntarily Dictionary of Russian synonyms. by itself adverb, number of synonyms: 4 involuntarily (34) ... Dictionary of synonyms

BY MYSELF- 1) be done without outside interference; involuntarily. This means that the event (p) occurs without outside help, regardless of anyone or anything, without any help. purposeful efforts with whose l. sides. speech standard. ✦ P is done… … Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Language

by itself- adv. qualities circumstances 1. = by itself Without any or without anyone’s efforts; on one's own. 2. transfer; = by itself Spontaneously. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

by itself- yourself/th (sama/, self/) ... Together. Separately. Hyphenated.

Of course- Razg. 1. Involuntarily, without effort. The marriage of Afanasy Ivanovich Totsky and the eldest Epanchina, which was in the project, was completely upset, and its formal proposal did not take place at all. It happened somehow by itself, without much talk and without any... ... Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Literary Language

by itself- by themselves/th, by themselves/; Himself (itself, itself) itself... Dictionary of many expressions

Of course- Razg. 1. Involuntarily, involuntarily, without any words. effort. 2. Independently, regardless of whom or what. FSRY, 407; SRGK 5, 626; Versh. 6, 206… Large dictionary of Russian sayings

by itself- with myself... Russian spelling dictionary

by itself - … Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

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The Russian language is rightfully considered the most perfect, beautiful and rich language in the world, which has absorbed, along with the authentic culture of more than 200 peoples of the Russian world, the best elements of Western and Eastern cultural traditions.

Our language is one of the basic elements of the entire Russian civilization, therefore, in order to be fully considered Russian, we must be able to use it well and master the entire wealth of concepts and expressions of the Russian language no worse than Pushkin, Gogol and Dostoevsky.

We present to your attention the first part of the TOP-50 most interesting phraseological units of the Russian language with their original and current meanings, as well as the history of origin:

1. Goal like a falcon

The expression means extreme poverty, need.

"Falcon"- This is a smoothly planed log of a ram, bound at the end with iron, which could be hand-held or wheeled and was used until the end of the 15th century to break holes in wooden palisades or fortress gates. The surface of this weapon was flat and smooth, i.e. “naked.” The same term also denoted cylindrical tools: iron crowbar, pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, etc.

2. Arshin swallowed

An expression denoting a person standing at attention or adopting a majestic, arrogant pose with a straight back.

Arshin is an ancient Russian measure of length of 71 centimeters, widely used in sewing before the transition to the metric system of measures. Accordingly, craftsmen used wooden or metal yardsticks for measurements. If you swallow one, your posture will probably become phenomenal...

3. Scapegoat

This is the name given to a person who has been given all the blame for some kind of failure or failure.

An expression that goes back to the Bible. According to the ancient Jewish rite, on the day of remission of sins, the high priest placed his hands on the head of the goat and thereby placed on it the sins of the entire people of Israel. Then the goat was taken into the Judean desert and released so that it would forever bear the sins of the Jews.

4. Screams at the top of Ivanovo

The ensemble of Kremlin cathedrals in Moscow is decorated with the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, where all thirty bells were always rung on holidays. The ringing was extremely powerful and carried very far.

5. The Smoking Room is alive!

We remember this expression from the film “The meeting place cannot be changed” and it meant the joy of meeting a person who has gone through serious trials.

In fact, “smoking room” is an ancient children’s game in Rus'. The children sat in a circle and passed a burning torch to each other, saying: “The smoking room is alive, alive! The legs are thin, the soul is short.” The one in whose hands the torch went out left the circle. That is, the “smoking room” is a torch that burned weakly and “smoked” (smoke) in children’s hands.

In relation to a person, the expression was first used by the poet Alexander Pushkin in an epigram to the critic and journalist Mikhail Kachenovsky: “How! Is the Kurilka journalist still alive?..”

6. Clear out those Augean stables

Deal with an incredibly neglected mess of cyclopean proportions.

Goes back to the ancient Greek myths about Hercules. There lived in ancient Elis King Augeas, a passionate lover of horses, who kept three thousand horses in the stables, but did not clean the stalls for 30 years.

Hercules was sent to Augeas' service, to whom the king instructed to clean the stables for one day, which was impossible. The hero thought and directed the river waters into the gates of the stables, which carried out all the manure from there within a day. This act became the 6th labor of Hercules out of 12.

7. Bosom Friend

Now a positive expression denoting a long-time and trusted friend. Previously it was negative, because I meant drinking buddy.

The ancient expression “to pour on the Adam’s apple” meant “to get drunk”, “to drink alcohol.” This is where this phraseological unit was formed.

8. Get into trouble

Find yourself in an extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous position.

A prosak is a drum with teeth in a machine used to comb wool. If you got into a mess, you could easily get hurt and lose your arm.

9. Dirty place

And again, a biblical expression found in psalms and church prayers and denoting paradise, the heavenly kingdom. In secular usage, it acquired a negative connotation - bars, strip clubs, etc. began to be called “hot spots.”

This refers to a place where cereals grow abundantly, from which the main food (bread) is prepared - a fertile field, the basis of prosperity.

10. Like Buridan's donkey

This means a person who is extremely indecisive.

It goes back to the famous example of the 14th century French philosopher Jean Buridan, who argued that people’s actions depend for the most part not on their own will, but on external circumstances. Illustrating his idea, he argued that a donkey, to the left and to the right of which two identical piles would be placed at equal distances, one of which would contain hay and the other straw, would not be able to make a choice and would die of hunger.

11. Reach the handle

To completely descend, to lose human appearance and social skills.

In Ancient Rus', kalachi were baked not in round shapes, but in the shape of a castle with a round bow. Townspeople often bought kalachi and ate them right on the street, holding this bow like a hand. At the same time, for reasons of hygiene, the pen itself was not eaten, but was either given to the poor or thrown to the dogs. About those who did not disdain to eat it, they said: they got to the point.

12. Go easy on yourself

Find yourself in an uncomfortable and often shameful position.

In Rus', walking bareheaded in crowded places (excluding temples for men) was considered a disgrace. There was no greater shame for a person than having his hat torn off in a public place.

13. Shabby look

Untidy clothing, unshavenness and other signs of carelessness in appearance.

Under Tsar Peter I, the Yaroslavl linen manufactory of the merchant Zatrapeznikov began operating, producing silk and cloth that were in no way inferior in quality to the products of European workshops.

In addition, the manufactory also produced very cheap hemp striped fabric, which was nicknamed “shabby” after the merchant’s name. She went for mattresses, bloomers, sundresses, women's headscarves, work robes and shirts.

For rich people, a robe made from “shabby” was home clothing, but for the poor, clothes made from this fabric were used “for going out.” A shabby appearance spoke of a person’s low social status.

14. Caliph for an hour

This is what they say about a person who accidentally and briefly finds himself in power.

The expression has Arabic roots. This is the name of the fairy tale from the collection “One Thousand and One Nights” - “A Dream in Reality, or Caliph for an Hour.”

It tells how the young Baghdadian Abu-Ghassan, not knowing that the caliph Harun al-Rashid is in front of him, shares with him his cherished dream - to become a 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 Hassan 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.

15. Knock you down

Make you lose the thread of a conversation, forget about something.

In Greece there is Mount Pantelic, famous in ancient times, where marble was mined for a long time. Accordingly, there were many caves, grottoes and passages, and once there, one could easily get lost.

16. I figured it out

Those. understood what kind of person he was, noticed a deception or discovered a secret.

The expression came to us from those times when coins made of precious metals were in use. The authenticity of the coins was checked by tooth, because precious metals without impurities were soft. If there is a dent on the coin, then it is real, and if not, then it is fake.

17. The voice of one crying in the wilderness

This is what they say about someone whose sound thoughts and warnings they stubbornly refuse to listen to.

A biblical expression with roots in the prophecy of Isaiah and the Gospel of John. The prophets who predicted the imminent coming of the Savior called on the Jews to prepare for this day: to monitor their lives and correct it, becoming pious, and to be attentive to the gospel preaching. But the Jews did not heed these calls and crucified the Lord.

18. Bury talent in the ground

This means not using and not developing God-given abilities.

And again a reference to the Bible. Talent was the name given to the largest weight and monetary unit in Ancient Greece, Babylon, Persia and other regions of Asia Minor.

In the Gospel parable, one of the servants received money from the master and buried it, being afraid to invest it in a business that could bring both profit and loss. Upon the master's return, the servant returned the talent and was punished for the lost time and the profit lost by the master.

19. Tightened the rigmarole

I started some very long task and began to hesitate.

Gimp is the thinnest wire made of precious metals, which acquired rather the properties of a thread and was used to decorate camisoles, uniforms and dresses with beautiful complex patterns. It was necessary to pull the gimp on ever-shrinking jewelry rollers in several passes, which was a long process. Sewing with gimp is even less fast.

20. Brought to white heat

Angered me to the point of fury, uncontrollable rage.

Goes back to blacksmithing. When metal is heated during forging, it glows differently depending on the temperature: first red, then yellow and finally blinding white. At an even higher temperature, the metal will already melt and boil.

21. Soap Opera

This is what they call a television series with a trivial plot.

The fact is that in the 30s in America they began to produce multi-part (at that time still radio) programs for housewives with melodramatic plots. They were created with money from soap and detergent manufacturers, who advertised their products during breaks.

22. Good riddance!

Nowadays this is how they kick out an annoying guest or visitor. Previously, the meaning was the opposite - a wish for a good journey.

In one of Ivan Aksakov’s poems you can read about a road that is “straight as an arrow, with a wide surface that spreads like a tablecloth.” Knowing our spaces, people wanted an unhindered and easy path.

23. Egyptian plagues

Heavy punishments, disasters, torments that have fallen.

Biblical story from the book of Exodus. For Pharaoh’s refusal to release the Jews from captivity, the Lord subjected Egypt to terrible punishments - ten Egyptian plagues: blood instead of water, execution by frogs, an invasion of midges, dog flies, cattle pestilence, ulcers and boils, thunder, lightning and hail fire, an invasion of locusts, darkness and death. firstborn in Egyptian families.

24. Do your bit

Invest part of your labor, skills or money into creating something important, big.

There is a well-known biblical story about two mites of a poor widow, which she donated to the activities of the Jerusalem Temple. The lepta is one of the smallest coins of that time in the Roman Empire. Two mites were the widow’s only money, donating which she remained hungry until the evening. Therefore, her sacrifice turned out to be the largest of all.

25. Sing Lazarus

Beat people, beg, try to play on sympathy.

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is told by the Savior in the Gospel. Lazarus was poor and lived at the gate of the rich man's house. Lazarus ate the leftover food of the rich man along with the dogs and suffered all sorts of hardships, but after death he went to heaven, while the rich man ended up in hell.

Professional beggars in Russia often begged on the steps of churches, comparing themselves to the biblical Lazarus, although they often lived much better. That's why attempts to pity people are called that way.

Andrey Szegeda