Winged words have been known to us since childhood. Indeed, who among us has not heard: “A healthy mind in a healthy body” or: “Appetite comes with eating”? And the more mature, well-read, more educated a person becomes, the richer his luggage of winged words. These are literary quotes. and historical phrases, and common word-images.

But there is also a problem here: flashing someone’s thought or a successful turn, people usually or embarrassedly make a reservation: “I don’t remember who said this ...”, or refer to a certain poet (without indicating his name - “as the poet said. ..”), or even without hesitation. ascribe any vivid expression to Napoleon.

But behind every word or statement is its author (a very specific person - a philosopher, poet, historical figure, etc.) or some specific source, for example, the Bible. This is what distinguishes the winged words proper from the stable phraseological phrases (“shouting all over Ivanovskaya”, “Kolomenskaya verst”, etc.), which have an anonymous or folklore origin.

And it is very interesting (and useful) to get exact answers to the following questions: Who said it? When? For what reason? And to know, what, actually, did the author mean?

And interesting discoveries are possible here.

It is not for nothing that at one time the famous American satirist writer Ambrose Bierce joked: "A quote is an incorrect repetition of other people's words." Indeed, isn't that what happens with many "classic" catchphrases? After all, if we turn to history, for example, the same expression “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, it turns out that the author of this phrase, the Roman satirist Juvenal, put a completely different meaning into it, or rather, directly opposite to that which is now considered generally accepted. . In his 7th satire, he wrote that "we must pray to the gods that the spirit be healthy in a healthy body ...". The well-known Roman proverb, which developed on the basis of this Juvenal line, dotted the "i": "A healthy mind in a healthy body is a rare success." And then: how little do we see our contemporaries - very healthy young people of a certain type? And are they living embodiments of a healthy spirit? No, rather, directly according to Juvenal - exactly the opposite ... But this phrase entered Russian speech in a truncated, and therefore distorted form.

It also turns out that the Bible by no means “allows” certain types of lies (“white lies”), and Napoleon, Talleyrand and other celebrities did not say what they were credited with ...

It was this historical injustice that the author-compiler of this publication tried to partially correct, striving to ensure that the book had a dual meaning - both cognitive and purely applied, practical. I wanted it not only to carry information about the origin (history) of each winged word, its exact interpretation, but also recommendations for its correct use, that is, to contribute to the real enrichment of modern public Russian speech.

Of course, collections of winged words have been published in Russia before. The first to do this was S. G. Zaimovsky, who in 1930 published his reference book of quotations and aphorisms called "The Winged Word". The author began this work in 1910 and worked on the book for 20 years - "with inevitable interruptions", having single-handedly processed 90 percent of all the information contained in it. But after its publication, this book was not republished in the USSR, apparently because the preface to it was written by the "right deviator" and "head of the right opposition" L. B. Kamenev.

In 1955, Winged Words was published by literary critics M.G. and N.S. Ashukins, who largely developed and supplemented the work of Zaimovsky. Since that time, their book has been reprinted five times and today remains a bibliographic rarity.

But the Russian language (“alive, like life”) does not stand still - it changes, develops, enriches itself. It is clear that we will not find many popular expressions in the works of Zaimovsky and Ashukins - a lot of time has passed, and many, many changes have happened in our lives. There is an obvious need to offer the interested reader a more complete collection of winged words that have entered the Russian language over the past two centuries - the 19th and 20th - and are currently in use - at the beginning of the 21st century. Let us consider this publication as the beginning, an approximation to the achievement of this goal.

We hope that this book will be of interest to many: both our politicians of various ranks and levels (for a long time we have not heard from the podium a bright, figurative speech rich in literary quotations and historical allusions), and journalists, and our teachers (both secondary and higher schools) , and students, and, of course, parents of inquisitive children - "why-why" - in a word, everyone who appreciates competent, expressive speech and "self-guided" Russian word.

All catchphrases are given in the book in alphabetical order, while the prepositions ("a", "c", "and", etc.), with which these expressions often begin, are considered separate words.

The dictionary entry is built as follows:

Popular expression.

Its original foreign spelling (if it has a foreign source and if its original spelling could be established).

Transliteration - only for Latin expressions.

Interpretation.

Variants of its use (examples).

Bold italics in the text of the articles are winged words, which are devoted to separate articles in the book.

Griboedov A.S.- Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich

Gogol N.V.- Nikolay Vasilievich Gogol

Dostoevsky F. M.- Dostoevsky Fedor Mikhailovich

Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov- pseudonyms Fainzilberg Ilya Arnoldovich (1897-1937) and Kataev Evgeny Petrovich (1903-1942)

Kozma Prutkov- the collective pseudonym of the poet Tolstoy Alexei Konstantinovich (1817-1875) and the brothers Alexei (1821 - 1908), Vladimir (1830-1884) and Alexander (1826-1896) Mikhailovich Zhemchuzhnikov

Krylov I. A.- Krylov Ivan Andreevich

Lenin V.I.- Lenin Vladimir Ilyich (alias Ulyanov Vladimir Ilyich)

Lermontov M. Yu.- Lermontov Mikhail Yurievich

Nekrasov N. A. - Nekrasov Nikolai Alekseevich

Pushkin A. S.- Pushkin, Alexander Sergeyevich

Stalin I.V.- Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich (pseudonym of Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich)

Turgenev I. S.- Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich

Tolstoy L.N.- Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich

Vadim Serov

From an anonymous poem "Before being sent to Siberia" (1887), signed P. Ya.:

The very fate for the Russian Muse

Wanderings, sorrows, bonds are given.

And without the crown of thorns

What is the glory of a Russian singer?

It is allegorical that in Russia people usually notice and remember only those writers (workers of art) who have acquired the halo of martyrdom, who have a reputation as authors persecuted, persecuted, banned by the authorities (pompous, ironic).

The question of the relationship between the so-called winged units (winged words and winged expressions) and phraseological units (with a broad understanding of the latter) remains debatable. It acquires particular urgency in the current situation of the appearance on the book market of a large number of dictionaries of winged words built on different grounds [Shulezhkova 2010]. In the article “Do wingologists have the right to call their reference books dictionaries?” S. G. Shulezhkova, answering the question posed in the title of the article in the affirmative, notes that the dictionaries of winged units must certainly contain information about their origin and a description of the meaning. Winged expressions, “while retaining the genetic memory of their source, must have a certain set of features that are characteristic of any stable, separate-formed language unit (phraseology in the broadest sense of the term)” [Shulezhkova 2010: 25].

The first dictionaries of winged words appeared in the 19th century. (see the section "Origins and traditions of Russian lexicography"). Since the middle of the XX century. For a long time, the main available lexicographic publication describing winged words was the repeatedly reprinted dictionary by N.S. Ashukina and M.G. Ashukina "Winged words". It contains brief quotations, figurative expressions, sayings of historical figures that have become common nouns from literary sources, mythological and literary characters that have become common nouns. (To the doctor, heal yourself, "Drink the cup to the bottom", Jokes of the past, I don't want to study, I want to get married; Sodom and Gomorrah; Khlestakov; Shemyakin Court).

In the last two decades, many dictionaries of winged words have appeared. The most complete, deep and consistent lexicographic development of the Russian "winged expressions" (this term is used by the authors) is presented in the "Big dictionary of popular expressions of the Russian language"

V.P. Berkova, V.M. Mokienko, S.G. Shulezhkova and in a dictionary similar in its theoretical foundations to S.G. Shulezhkova "And life, and tears, and love ...". These publications contain bright, figurative words and expressions used by modern Russian speakers, the authors or sources of which are well known or provable. In addition to traditional popular expressions, these dictionaries include units born at the expense of synthetic types and genres of art (cf. song: What you were, so you remained, So two loneliness met; romance: You are my fallen maple, The chrysanthemums in the garden have faded long ago etc.), due to the statements of state and political leaders (cf .: wet in the toilet, "We wanted the best, but it turned out, as always etc.), in connection with various socio-political events (cf.: velvet revolution, white tights, orange revolution, big eight etc.). Catchwords and catchphrases, arranged in alphabetical order, are characterized in terms of their origin, semantics, fixation in domestic reference books and are accompanied by examples from fiction, journalistic texts and oral colloquial speech.

"Dictionary of popular expressions from the field of art" S.G. Shulezhkova contains units dating back to songs, romances and operas, films, television programs, etc. For example: Beloved city can sleep peacefully", The blue ball is spinning, spinning", Say a word about the poor hussar, "Where can I get such a song", Information for reflection; Nature has no bad weather, We are not stokers, we are not carpenters, "The key is without the right to transfer," Fantomas raged, "Guys, let's live together etc. The rich illustrative material convinces that the sphere of art is a rich source of winged words and shows how these expressions are used, often transformed, in modern speech.

“Dictionary of catchphrases (Russian cinema)” by V. S. Elistratov gives a comprehensive description of a significant phenomenon of the Russian language and culture of the 20th century. - winged words and expressions from domestic cinema and animation. The dictionary entry contains an interpretation or description of the situation in which the use of this word or expression is recorded with reference to the source (movie title), a brief linguistic commentary on the features of the use of this unit.

The dictionaries of A. Yu. Kozhevnikov also describe catchwords, aphorisms, proverbs, sayings, quotes and catchy phrases from domestic feature films, television films and serials. The dictionaries are based on an electronic card index with a volume of more than 72 thousand uses of film quotes in 1300 films. It should be noted, however, that not all of the catchphrases described meet the reproducibility criterion.

The book by L.P. Dyadechko “Winged words of our time” is an explanatory dictionary of expressions that have arisen in recent decades, including those that have become winged before our eyes. These are the names of books, songs, paintings, sculptures, etc. (for example: hard to be a god; distant - close; The last day of Pompeii; everything remains for people, "my affectionate and gentle beast", the rooks have arrived; live until Monday) quotes from fiction, journalistic and other texts (for example: different mothers are needed [all kinds of mothers are important]", we are peaceful people, but our armored train is on a siding), names and replicas of characters in literary and artistic works, operas and operettas, television, film and cartoons (for example: James Bond "Mowgli" in the morning - money, in the evening - chairs; the west [foreign] will help us", it was recently, it was a long time ago), statements of famous figures, heroes of television and radio programs (for example: we wanted the best, but it turned out [it turned out] as always, "soak [wet] in the toilet", I really want to work", we have no sex).

The book of the same author "Around and around advertising" is the first phrase-forming dictionary in lexicography, dedicated to the description of popular quotes of advertising origin and their derivatives (for example: Don't slow down - sneakers; Then we go to you; "Gillette" - there is no better for a man", Ate - and order", Pour it and move away", Your pussy would buy "Whiskas").

Brief reference dictionary V.M. Mokienko and E.I. Zykova "Winged words in the modern Russian language", included in the series "Let's speak correctly!", Contains the most commonly used figuratively expressive lexical, phraseological and aphoristic units of various types, for example: lost sheep(expression from the gospel parable); And the casket just opened(an expression from the fable of I.A. Krylov "Casket"); Derzhimorda(the name of the character in the comedy by N.V. Gogol "The Government Inspector"); The rich also cry(name of the Mexican series); sweet couple(Twix TV commercial), The main difficulty in using such units is inaccurate or erroneous knowledge of their original source, as well as their incorrect reproduction. In order to prevent possible errors and communication failures, the dictionary describes the most common catchwords and expressions with a precisely certified source. They are arranged alphabetically by the reference component, followed by the units being described. After the title winged word and expression, the necessary information about it is placed: control (for verb combinations), variants, stylistic marks, interpretation and information about the source (especially about authorship) of this language unit, which helps to establish its origin, historical and cultural circumstances, in which it arose, and its primary form and meaning. Let's take an example:

YELLOW PRESS. Pub. Contempt. About the base, deceitful, greedy for cheap sensational press. The expression is attributed to Erwin Wardman, editor of the New York Press, who in his article called The World and the New York Journal newspapers "yellow press" (yellow press) (1896). The basis for this was frivolous drawings with humorous texts, which depicted a child in a yellow shirt. A noisy, scandalous dispute arose between these two newspapers over the primacy of the “yellow boy”.

Among the undoubted achievements of recent lexicography are dictionaries created according to uniform principles that describe catch phrases that Russian speech owes to three outstanding writers - A.S. Pushkin, A.S. Griboyedov and I.A. Krylov.

"Pushkin's Dictionary of Popular Expressions" by V.M. Mokienko and K.P. Sidorenko differ significantly from traditional quotation dictionaries. It is well known that precedent texts (winged words, intexts, intertexts, allusions) dating back to Pushkin's word occupy a special place in the linguistic consciousness of a modern native speaker of the Russian language, in his cultural memory. This is convincingly evidenced by the "Russian Associative Dictionary", which fixes Pushkin's quotes or their "fragments" as a reaction to many stimulus words: You are heavy, Monomakh's hat; A dull time, a charm of the eyes, "The science of tender passion," Wanderlust, "Hello, a young, unfamiliar tribe," A feast during the plague, We all look at Napoleons, We all learned a little; There are no others, and those are far away etc. "Pushkinisms", reproduced with varying degrees of accuracy (with varying degrees of knowledge of the citation source), are very frequent in modern texts of various styles and genres. The units of description in the dictionary are expressions belonging to Pushkin (words or superverbal units) that have been used outside of Pushkin's own text. The compilers solve an important task - to demonstrate how "winged Pushkinisms" were used in fiction and partly in scientific and popular science literature, as well as journalism and the press from the first half of the 19th century. to the present day. The solution to this problem is provided by a huge amount of material: the card file on which the publication is based has about 20 thousand uses of Pushkin's winged words and expressions in fiction, journalistic, memoir, epistolary literature, literary criticism, and the press for a century and a half. The breadth and diversity of the material covered expressively demonstrate the functional continuity of the use of Pushkin's word. The authors propose the following classification of the material presented in the dictionary: 1. Pushkin's quotations (of a descriptive everyday or poetic nature): the frost flashed, and we are glad for the pranks of mother winter ( Eugene Onegin); I love friendly lies and a friendly glass of wine ( Eugene Onegin). 2. Pushkin's catchphrases-aphorisms: it is impossible to harness a horse and a quivering doe into one cart ( Poltava); living power is hateful for the mob ( Boris Godunov). 3. Pushkin's expressions of a semi-phraseological type: all flags will visit us ( Bronze Horseman); you would not chase, pop, for cheapness ( Tale of the priest and his worker Balda). 4. Pushkin's turns of phrase-periphrastic nature: the genius of pure beauty (TO***); the science of tender passion ( Eugene Onegin). 5. Pushkin's catch phrases-phraseological units: without further ado ( Boris Godunov); from the ship to the ball ( Eugene Onegin). 6. Pushkin's words-images, words-symbols: prophet ( Prophet); aleko ( Gypsies). The dictionary expressively demonstrates the different types of modifications that Pushkinisms can undergo, thus presenting the intertextual dynamics of the phenomena covered by the general designation "winged word".

Similar in terms of the principles of presenting the richest material are the dictionary of K.P. Sidorenko “Quotes from “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin in texts of different genres”, “A.S. Griboyedov" V.M. Mokienko, O.P. Semenets, K.P. Sidorenko, which is the most complete collection of popular expressions, images, quotes, dating back to the comedy of A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit", V.M. Mokienko and K.P. Sidorenko "Fables of Ivan Andreevich Krylov: quotes, literary images, catchphrases".

In recent years, winged expressions from the Bible have become the object of a special lexicographic description (dictionaries by L. M. Granovskaya, V. F. Pozin and A. V. Pozina, O. V. Dolgopolov, etc.).

Dictionaries of quotes by K. V. Dushenko are reference books of the inventory type; they contain walking quotes and expressions - literary, political, song, movie quotes (with an indication of the source of their origin). Dictionary V.P. Belyanin and I.A. Butenko contains colloquial expressions that occupy an intermediate position between stable units of the language and small folklore works. It contains stable comparisons, slogans, proverbs and sayings, alterations of catchwords, quotes from popular movies, etc. The authors included in the dictionary expressions that are used exclusively in situations of oral informal communication: We will be alive - we will not die; You can't forbid living beautifully; Laughter for no reason is a sign of a fool; Simple, but tasteful.

In recent years, a significant number of educational dictionaries of winged words have also appeared.

Ashukin N.S. and Ashukina M G. Winged words. Literary quotations. figurative expressions. M. : Gospolitizdat, 1955. 668 p. . M.: PAIMS, 1994. 183 p.

Berkov V.P., Mokienko V.M., Shulezhkova S.G. A large dictionary of winged words and expressions of the Russian language [about 5000 units]: in 2 volumes / ed. S.G. Shulezhkova. 2nd ed., rev. and additional Magnitogorsk: Magnitogorsk. state un-t; Greifswald: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt - Universitat, Institut fur Slavistik, 2008-2009. T. 1-2. .

Biblical quotation: a reference dictionary / Ros. acad. Sciences, Institute of Systems. analysis; comp. M.V. Arapov, L.M. Barbotko, E.M. Mirsky. M.: Editorial URSS, 1999. 224 p.

Vartanyan E.A. Dictionary of popular expressions. -Tula: Spring; M. : Astrel: ACT, 2001. 262 p.

Vartanyan E.A. Dictionary of winged words and expressions. Moscow: Russian Word, 2001.414 p.

Vasilevsky A.A. Winged words, sayings and thoughts about military affairs: a reference dictionary. M.: Consultbankir, 1999. 366 p.

Windgolts A.I. By the way ...: (dictionary of aphorisms, literary, journalistic and folklore contexts) [about 4,000 dictionary nests and more than 20,000 phrases, proverbs, sayings]. Novosibirsk: Sibir. university, publishing house, 2004. 688 p.

Galynsky M.S. The most complete dictionary of winged words and expressions. M.: RIPOL classic, 2008. 510 p.

Galynsky M.S. Dictionary of winged words and expressions [more than 1500 expressions and words]. M. : RIPOL classic, 2005. 639 p. (Library of encyclopedic dictionaries).

Granovskaya L.M. Dictionary of names and popular expressions from the Bible [about 400 names, more than 300 expressions]. 2nd ed., rev. and additional M.: ACT: Astrel, 2010. 383 p. .

Grushko E.A., Medvedev Yu.M. Modern winged words and expressions. M.: Rolf, 2000. 544 p.

Dushenko K. V. A large dictionary of quotes and catchphrases: 13,300 quotes and catchphrases from the fields of literature, history, politics, science, religion, philosophy and popular culture. M.: Eksmo, 2011. 1215 p.

Dushenko K. V. Dictionary of modern quotations: 5200 quotations and expressions of the 20th and 21st centuries. 4th ed., rev. and additional M. : Eksmo, 2006. 830 p. .

Dushenko K.V., Bagrinovsky G.Yu. A large dictionary of Latin quotations and expressions / under scientific. ed. O. Torshilov. Moscow: Eksmo: INION RAN, 2013. 972 p. (Behind the word in the pocket).

Dyadenko L.P. Winged words of our time: explanatory dictionary [more than 1000 units]. M.: NT Press, 2008. 797 p.

Dyadenko L.P. New in Russian and Ukrainian speech: winged words krilat1 words: (materials for the dictionary): study guide [more than 1200 winged words (expressions)] / Ukrain. assoc. teacher Russian lang. and lit., Kyiv. nat. un-t im. Taras Shevchenko. Kyiv: [ComputerPress 2001. Part 1-2. [In Russian. lang.].

Elistratov V.S. Dictionary of winged words: (Russian cinema) [about 1000 units]. M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. 181 p.

Knyazev Yu.P. Dictionary of living popular expressions of the Russian language [about 4000 popular expressions]. M.: ACT: Astrel, 2010. 793 p.

Kozhevnikov A.Yu. Big dictionary: catchphrases of Russian cinema. St. Petersburg: Neva; M.: OLMA-PRESS, 2001.831 p.

Kozhevnikov A.Yu. Winged phrases and aphorisms of Russian cinema: materials for the dictionary of domestic cinematography. M.: OLMA Media Group, 2009. 671 p.

Winged words and expressions: explanatory dictionary [more than 2000 words and expressions] / ed. A. Kirsanova. 2nd ed., rev. and additional M.: Martin, 2011. 398 p. .

Mokienko V.M.., Zykova E.I. Let's talk right! Winged words in modern Russian: a short dictionary-reference book/scientific. ed. O.I. Trofimkin. St. Petersburg: Philol. fak. St. Petersburg. state university; M.: Academy, 2006. 352 p.

"Woe from Wit" A.S. Griboyedov: quotes, literary images, catchphrases: educational dictionary-reference book [about 800 entries] / ed. ed. K.P. Sidorenko. St. Petersburg: Publishing house Ros. state ped. un-ta im. A. I. Gertsen, 2009. 463 p.

Mokienko V.M., Semenets O.P., Sidorenko K.P. A.S. Big Dictionary of Popular Expressions Griboyedova: (“Woe from Wit”) [about 200 dictionary entries] / ed. ed. K.P. Sidorenko. M. : OLMA Media Group, 2009. 800 p.

Fables of Ivan Andreevich Krylov: quotes, literary images, popular expressions: a dictionary-reference book / ed. ed. K.P. Sidorenko; Ros. state ped. un-t im. A.I. Herzen. St. Petersburg: Own publishing house, 2013. 682 p.

Mokienko V.M., Sidorenko K.P. Dictionary of popular expressions of Pushkin [about 1900 units]. SPb. : Publishing House of St. Petersburg. state un-ta: Folio-Press, 1999. 752 p.

Mokienko V.M.., Sidorenko K.P. Pushkin's School Dictionary of Popular Expressions [about 3000 units]. St. Petersburg: Neva, 2005. 800 p.

Petrova M.V. Dictionary of popular expressions [more than 2000 units]. M.: RIPOL classic, 2011. 639 p.

Poznin V.F., Poznina L.V. Winged words from the Old and New Testament: a dictionary-reference book. St. Petersburg: Publishing House of St. Petersburg. state un-ta, 1998.136 p.

Prozorov V.V. Winged words and expressions from the works of N.V. Gogol. Saratov: Dobrodeya, 2005. 128 p.

Sidorenko K.P. Quotes from "Eugene Onegin" by A.S. Pushkin in texts of various genres [about 400 units]. St. Petersburg: Education, 1998. 318 p.

Dictionary of biblical winged words and expressions [more than 500 units] / comp. G.A. Ioffe. St. Petersburg: Petersburg - XXI century, 2000. 480 p.

Explanatory dictionary of winged words and expressions / ed.-comp. A. Kirsanova. Moscow: Martin (M), 2007. 316 p. [The same in 2003, 2004, 2006].

Shklyarevsky I. Winged words and aphorisms of A.S. Pushkin. M. : Sunday, 1999. 159 p.

School dictionary of winged words of the Russian language / ed. HER. Margolinskaya. SPb.: Publishing House. house Gromov, 2004. 271 p.

Shulezhkova S.G."And life, and tears, and love ...": the origin, meaning, fate of 1500 winged words and expressions of the Russian language. M.: Flinta: Nauka, 2011. 848 p.

Shulezhkova S. G. Dictionary of popular expressions from the field of art [more than 1000 popular expressions]. M. : Azbukovnik: Russian dictionaries, 2003. 427 p. (Philological dictionaries of the Russian language). [Materials to the dictionary ed. in 1993-1994 issues 1-4 under the heading: Romance and opera catchphrases; Song winged expressions (XVIII - mid-40s of the XX century); Popular expressions from songs of the 2nd half of the 1940s - 1990s; Winged expressions from the field of art].

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Mikhail Sergeevich Galynsky
The most complete dictionary of winged words and expressions. Origin, interpretation, application

About the dictionary

The concept of "winged word" is unusually ancient. Already in the epic poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey" by Homer, whom the great Dante called the "king of poets", the expressions "winged word", "inspired word", "Zeus word" (i.e., the word of Zeus, full of divine wisdom) are repeatedly found ). It is impossible to imagine our language without winged words and expressions; they form the basis of figurative speech. The source of some is short quotes and well-aimed phrases of the sages of Ancient Greece and Rome, sayings of historical figures, the names of mythological and literary characters that have become common nouns. Others entered the cultural circulation from the Bible or from works of art. All of them convey to us through the vast layers of centuries the spirit, customs, color of different historical eras, helping us to understand the way of thinking and traditions of cultures, sometimes no longer existing.

And many of them have found their rightful place in this book.

The dictionary that you are holding in your hands consists of more than one and a half thousand phrases, expressions and words that have become firmly established not only in Russian, but also in other European languages. Its peculiarity is that they are given in the original language with transliteration in Russian and with the arrangement of stresses. This will allow everyone to correctly and appropriately use this or that expression, regardless of the language in which it is pronounced.

The undoubted advantage of the dictionary is the abundance of quotations from literary works. This is what makes it a great help both for humanities teachers of schools, lyceums, colleges and universities, as well as for high school students and students. The dictionary will be useful and simply for every interested person, it will replenish the home library with a curious, unusual and peculiarly constructed book.

The reference section at the end of the publication contains biographical information about the persons mentioned in the dictionary, which will help you quickly find information about a particular historical person.

BUT

Was it a boy?

The expression means that the speaker is absolutely unsure of anything. It comes from the novel by M. Gorky “The Life of Klim Samgin” (1925–1936), where, during an attempt to save children who have fallen through the ice, one of the passers-by asks: "Was there a boy?"

And Vaska listens and eats

So they say about someone who does not pay any attention to the words of others, continuing to commit unsightly acts. Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "The Cat and the Cook" (1812). The cook, having gone away, left the Cat to guard food supplies from mice. But when he returned, he found the watchman eating a chicken. The cook began to reproach the Cat:

“Now all the neighbors will say:
“Cat-Vaska is a rogue! Cat-Vaska is a thief!
And Vaska de not only in the kitchen,
It is not necessary to let it into the yard,
Like a greedy wolf in a sheepfold:
He is a corruption, he is a plague, he is an ulcer of these places!
(And Vaska listens and eats.)

Cm. also: So that there speeches are not wasted in an empty way, where you need to use power.

And yet, he will reach certain degrees

The expression is used in relation to those who, in order to achieve their selfish goals, please the boss, those who are stronger, on whom the career depends. Quote from A. S. Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824):

And yet, he will reach certain degrees,
After all, today they love the dumb.

And yet she turns!

We say so if we are absolutely convinced that we are right. The expression is attributed to the great Italian naturalist and astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), who, being forced to renounce at the insistence of the Inquisition the teachings of Copernicus about the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, after the church court uttered the phrase: Eppur si muove (it. - eppur si muoʼve).

And you, friends, no matter how you sit down, you are not good at musicians

This phrase characterizes inept, worthless performers of any business. Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "Quartet" (1811). Once, as you know, the naughty Monkey, Donkey, Goat and Clubfoot Bear decided to play the Quartet. Since the friends did not succeed, although they sat differently, arguing about who and how to sit, they decided to ask Nightingale for advice. But the Nightingale answered them:

“To be a musician, you need the ability
And your ears are softer ...
And you, friends, no matter how you sit down,
You're not good at being musicians."

And where the shepherd is a fool, there are fools dogs

Quote from I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Wolf and the Wolf Cub” (1811). The wolf, teaching the Little Wolf the rules of his trade, tells him:

"Come on, I'll lead you to the herd,
Where shall we rather save our skins:
Although there are many dogs with the herd,
Yes, the shepherd himself is a fool;
And where the shepherd is a fool, there the dogs are fools.”

And the arcs bend with patience and not suddenly

The expression means that in any business you need patience and time. Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "The Hardworking Bear" (1818). The bear, seeing that the peasant was profitable selling arcs for horse harness, also decided to take up this craft. But he only broke the whole forest, without bending a single arc. Then he decided to ask the peasant what the reason was:

“Tell me, what is the main skill here ??” -
“In that,” answered the neighbor,
What in you, godfather, is not at all:
In patience."

It's a pity that you are unfamiliar with our rooster

So they say about those who categorically judge everything, considering themselves an expert in any matter. Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "The Donkey and the Nightingale" (1818). The donkey, listening to the song of the Nightingale, says to him:

"It's a pity that I don't know
You with our rooster:
Even if you were more aggravated,
If only I could learn a little from him."

And the king is naked!

So we often talk about an insignificant, empty person, who until recently was considered significant, intelligent, omnipotent. Phrase from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The King's New Clothes" (1835–1837). A certain king loved to dress beautifully so much that he spent all the money on outfits. And then one day two deceivers pretended to be weavers who could make such a wonderful fabric, which, in addition to an unusually beautiful pattern, had the property of becoming invisible to any person who is out of place or impassibly stupid. Finally, the deceivers announced that the dress was ready, but neither the king himself, nor his ministers and courtiers dared to admit that they did not see any dress. When the king was walking through the streets to the enthusiastic exclamations of the crowd, a boy suddenly shouted: "And the king is naked!"

And the casket just opened

So they say to someone who, when solving a simple problem, tries to be too philosophic, to apply complex theories, to be wiser. Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "Casket" (1808). Once someone brought a beautiful chest. A certain sage, having determined that he had a secret, volunteered to open it.

Sweat, sweat, but finally tired,
Behind the casket
And I didn't know how to open it.
And the casket just opened.

And he - divit His only anthill

Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "The Ant" (1819). The ant, considered among its relatives as an exorbitant strong man, decided to show himself in the city. But no matter how hard he tried, no one noticed him there. Morality:

So thinks another Entertainer,
That he thunders in the sunflower.
And he is amazing
Your only anthill.

And he furtively nods at Peter

Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "The Mirror and the Monkey" (1816). And among people there are many who, like the Monkey, who saw herself in the mirror, does not recognize her reflection, believing that it is someone else:

There are many such examples in the world:
Nobody likes to recognize himself in satire.
I even saw this yesterday:
That Klimych is unclean at hand, everyone knows this;
They read about bribes to Klimych,
And he furtively nods at Peter.

And he, rebellious, asks for storms, As if there is peace in storms!

These words are used to characterize rebels, those who follow unbeaten paths. Quote from M. Yu. Lermontov's poem "Sail" (1832):

Under it, a stream of lighter azure,
Above him is a golden ray of sunshine...
And he, rebellious, asks for a storm,
As if there is peace in the storms!

And to mix these two crafts There are a multitude of craftsmen; I am not one of them

Chatsky's words from A. S. Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824):

“When in business, I hide from fun;
When I'm fooling around, I'm fooling around;
And to mix these two crafts
There is a darkness of artisans; I am not one of them."

And who are the judges?

So they say about those who, by their moral qualities, are unworthy of judging other people's words and deeds. A similar expression is already found in the Bible: "Who are you, condemning another's slave?" says the Apostle Paul in Romans 14:4. Chatsky's words from A. S. Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824):

“Who are the judges? - For the antiquity of years
To a free life their enmity is irreconcilable,
Judgments are drawn from forgotten newspapers
Remen Ochakovsky and the conquest of the Crimea.

And happiness was so possible, so close!

Tatyana's words from the novel by A. S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin" (1823-1831, full - 1833):

And happiness was so possible
So close!.. But my fate
Already decided. Carelessly
Perhaps I did:
Me with tears of spell
Mother prayed; for poor Tanya
All the lots were equal ...
I got married. You must,
I ask you to leave me;
I know that there is in your heart
And pride and direct honor.
I love you (why lie??),
But I am given to another;
I will be faithful to him forever.

Augean stables

This expression characterizes the extreme neglect of both premises and affairs - everything that requires incredible efforts to rectify the situation. In ancient Greek mythology, the Augean stables are the vast stables of King Augeas, which have not been cleaned for many years. They were cleansed in one day by Hercules.

Augur

So it is customary to call a person who deliberately and cunningly misleads others, a clever deceiver. Augurs - priests in ancient Rome, who interpreted the will of the gods by auspices (from lat. avis - a bird and specie - I look, I observe), that is, by the flight and cries of birds, by the behavior of sacred chickens.

Cm. also: Augur smile.

Aurora

In ancient Roman mythology, the goddess of the dawn, bringing daylight to the gods and people. Corresponds to the goddess Eos in ancient Greek mythology. Aurora was depicted as a young winged woman rising from the ocean in a chariot drawn by bright horses. In figurative and poetic speech, Aurora is a synonym for the morning dawn.

Automedon

The name of this hero of Homer's epic poem The Iliad, the dexterous charioteer who drove the chariot of Achilles, is ironically, jokingly called the coachman, coachman, driver, driver. A. S. Pushkin writes about Russian cabbies in the novel "Eugene Onegin" (1823-1831, full - 1833):

But winters are sometimes cold
The ride is pleasant and easy.
Like a verse without thought in a fashionable song,
The winter road is smooth.
Automedons are our strikers,
Our triplets are tireless,
And versts, amusing the idle gaze,
In the eyes flicker like a fence.

lamb of god

A meek, affectionate, obedient person. Pretend to be a lamb - pretend to be obedient, immaculate. The expression comes from the Bible. Prophet Jeremiah says: “But I, like a meek lamb led to the slaughter, did not know that they were plotting against me.”(Jer. 11:19).

Latin: Agnus Dei (аʼgnus deʼi).

Adam's eyelids

The first man on Earth, according to the Bible, was Adam, who was created by God on the fifth day of creation. On the basis of the biblical narrative, the expressions “Adam's eyelids”, “Adam's times”, used in the meaning: ancient, immemorial antiquity, arose.

Devil's Advocate

This is the name of the one who defends a hopeless cause in which he himself does not believe. The expression arose from the procedure of canonization of a new saint practiced in the Catholic Church, in which a dispute is held between the advocate of God (advocatus Dei), listing the merits of the canonized, and the devil's advocate, who is trying to refute the arguments of the first.

Latin: Advocatus diaboli (advocatus diaboli).

Administrative delight

This expression characterizes the enjoyment of power, the obsequious desire to fulfill the instructions of the boss, regardless of the degree of meaningfulness of these instructions. The expression appeared thanks to the novel by F. M. Dostoevsky "Demons" (1871-1872).

Adonis

In Greek mythology, Adonis is a beautiful young man, beloved of the goddess Aphrodite (Cyprida). His name is used as a synonym for a handsome young man. Adonis is often mentioned in his works by ancient authors (Theocritus "Idylls", Ovid "Metamorphoses").

Hey Moska! Know she is strong, What barks at the elephant!

Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "Elephant and Pug" (1808). Pug, seeing the Elephant, which, as you know, was driven through the streets, began to bark, squeal and get into a fight with him. To Shavka’s remark that the Elephant was walking forward without even noticing her barking, Moska replied:

"That's what gives me and spirit,
What am I, without a fight at all,
I can get into big trouble.
Let the dogs say
"Hey Moska! Know she's strong
What barks at the Elephant!

Cm. also: Without a fight, get into big bullies.

Charity Acrobats

The expression characterizes vain people who, without a twinge of conscience, exaggerate the amount of charitable assistance they provide and benefit from it for themselves personally. The phrase originated at the end of the 19th century. thanks to the story of the same name by D. V. Grigorovich (1885), which satirically depicts the activities of philanthropic societies.

Alexander the Macedonian hero, but why break the chairs?

The expression is used in the sense: why go beyond the measure. Quote from N. V. Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector" (1836), Gorodnichiy's words about the teacher:

“He is a learned head - this is evident, and he has picked up a lot of information, but he only explains with such fervor that he does not remember himself. I listened to him once: well, for now I was talking about the Assyrians and Babylonians - still nothing, but how I got to Alexander the Great, I can’t tell you what happened to him. I thought it was a fire, by golly! He ran away from the pulpit and, that he had the strength, to grab the chair on the floor.

It is, of course, Alexander the Macedonian hero, but why break the chairs?

hallelujah sing

Cm.:Sing alleluia.

Hungry and thirsty

This phrase characterizes people who passionately desire something (to be hungry - to strongly desire, in its original meaning - to feel hungry). The expression is found in the Bible. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount says: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied"(Matthew 5:6).

Alma mater

So, by tradition, graduates of a university or institute call their educational institution. The expression originates in the Latin phrase Alma mater, which means "nourishing mother."

Alpha and Omega

Most importantly, the foundation, the essence. Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, hence the meaning of the expression: the beginning and end of everything, the essence. In the Bible, Jesus says about himself: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end"(Rev. 21:6).

Gigolo

This name, according to the hero of the drama "Monsieur Alphonse" (1873) by Alexandre Dumas-son, is called a man who lives on the means of his mistress. The first performance of Dumas's play in Moscow, at the Maly Theater, took place on October 3, 1874. The Russian translation of the play was entitled "Handsome".

Anika warrior

A bully who boasts of his strength, but is usually defeated. The name of the warrior is taken from the Byzantine story about the hero Digenis, nicknamed anikitos - invincible. In Russia, there were many folk tales and songs about Anika the warrior.

Annibal's Oath

Unbending determination to the end to fight for any ideas, to defend their ideals. According to ancient historians, the Carthaginian commander Hannibal (Annibal) said that when he was ten years old, his father made him take an oath all his life to be an implacable enemy of Rome, which turned Carthage into its colony. Hannibal kept his oath.

Annushka has already bought sunflower oil

We speak in this way about the inevitability of any events, the course of which we cannot change, about the coming inevitable retribution. Woland's words from M. A. Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita (1929–1940, published 1966–1967).

Antey

With this hero of ancient Greek mythology, they compare a person with extraordinary strength and connected with his native land, native people. Antaeus, a giant, the son of the god of the seas Poseidon and the goddess of the earth Gaia, defeated all his opponents, as he drew new strength by touching the earth - his mother. He died in the fight with Hercules (Hercules), who lifted him into the air, making it impossible to touch the ground.

Antigone

Her name became a household name for a girl who devoted herself to caring for a sick old man. In Greek myths, Antigone is the daughter of the blind Theban king Oedipus, who voluntarily followed him into exile and was not separated from him until the day of his death. Her image, embodied in the tragedies of Sophocles (“Oedipus in Colon”, “Antigone”), is the personification of touching daughter love, duty and courage.

Apollo

The name of this ancient Greek god is called a handsome young man. Apollo is the god of the sun, youth, the patron of the arts. Usually he was depicted as a beautiful young man with a kithara in his hands.

Appetite comes with eating

We say this not only about someone's gastronomic addictions, but also when we want to emphasize that the passion for possessing something - knowledge, money, power, success - increases in a person as he acquires what he wants. The expression came from the French language and sounds like this: L "appétit vient en mangeant (l appetiʼ viant-en mangeʼn). It is pronounced by one of the characters in Francois Rabelais' novel Gargantua and Pantagruel (book 1-4, 1533-1552; book. 5 - publ. 1564) A similar idea is found in the "Satires" of the ancient Roman poet Juvenal: Créscit amór nummi, cuant(um) ipsa pecunia créscit (crescit amo'r nummiʼ, quantum iʼpsa pecuʼnia crescit) - greed for a coin grows in proportion to the growth of wealth.

Arabian tales

Something amazing, unexpected, incredible, which can be compared with the wonders of Arabian tales from the collection "A Thousand and One Nights".

Argonauts

So called brave sailors, adventurers. According to ancient Greek mythology, brave heroes set off on the Argo ship led by Jason to Colchis for the Golden Fleece, which was guarded by a dragon. With the help of the sorceress Medea, the Argonauts captured the Golden Fleece and brought it to Greece.

Cm. also: The Golden Fleece.

Argus

The name of this giant, a character of ancient Greek mythology, began to be called a vigilant watchman. According to the myths, his body was dotted with countless eyes, and only two eyes were sleeping at the same time. Hera assigned Argus as a guard to Io, the beloved of Zeus, turned into a cow. Sleepless Argus vigilantly guarded Io. Argus is first mentioned in Homer. The myth is transmitted by Apollodorus ("The Library") and Ovid ("Metamorphoses").

Aredovy eyelids

The expression is used in the meaning: longevity. On behalf of the biblical patriarch Jared, who allegedly lived for 962 years (Genesis 5:20).

Aristocracy of Spirit

The expression is used in relation to people who believe that they are superior to others in their cultural development. It originally referred to the adherents of one of the leaders of German romanticism, August Wilhelm Schlegel, and belongs to the German writer Heinrich Steffens (1773–1845).

arcadian idyll

Used (often with irony) to characterize a happy, carefree life. Arcadia is the central mountainous part of the ancient Greek Peloponnese, whose population in ancient times was engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture, in the classical literature of the 17th-18th centuries. portrayed as a country where a carefree, idyllic life takes place. Among the winged Latin expressions found Et in Arcadia ego! (et in arcadia ego) - “And I lived in Arcadia!”, which express regret about the loss of something beautiful.

Armida

The name of this heroine of the poem of the Italian poet Torquato Tasso "Liberated Jerusalem" (ed. 1580), the beautiful sorceress holding the hero of the poem Rinaldo with her charms in a magical garden, began to be called frivolous coquettish beauties, as well as women of easy virtue.

Archive youths

So a friend of A. S. Pushkin, bibliophile S. A. Sobolevsky jokingly called a group of young philosophizing nobles who served in the 20s. 19th century in the Moscow archive of the State Collegium of Foreign Affairs. Among them were: the poet D. V. Venevitinov, S. P. Shevyrev, V. F. Odoevsky, brothers I. V. and P. V. Kireevsky, A. I. Koshelev, Sobolevsky himself. Koshelev noted in his Notes: “The archive was known as a gathering of “brilliant” Moscow youth, and the title of “archival youth” became very honorable, so that later we even got into the verses of A.S. Pushkin, who was then beginning to enter into great glory.” Koshelev is referring to the stanza from the novel "Eugene Onegin" (1823-1831, full - 1833):

Archival young men in a crowd
They stare at Tanya
And about her among themselves
They speak unfavorably.

Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulcheria Ivanovna

The heroes of N. V. Gogol's story "Old World Landowners" (1835), simple-minded, naive inhabitants, gentle spouses leading a serene, "vegetative" existence. Their names have become household names for people of this type.

Asp

So they call an evil, cruel, insidious person. Asp is a genus of venomous snake. But this word acquired the indicated meaning thanks to the Bible, in which the asp is the personification of evil: “Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the way, piercing the leg of the horse, so that his rider will fall back”(Gen. 49:17).

Cm. also: Serpent Tempter.

Attic salt

The expression is used in the meaning: refined wit, elegant joke. The expression belongs to the ancient Roman politician and orator Cicero, who in his writings gave a significant place to the theory of oratory, carefully developed by the Greeks. He especially singled out the inhabitants of Attica, famous for their eloquence.

Oh! My God! What will Princess Marya Aleksevna say!

This quote from A. S. Griboyedov’s comedy “Woe from Wit” (1824) is used to characterize those for whom the opinion of others is more important than real deeds. The play ends with these words of Famusov:

"Well? Can't you see he's crazy?
Say seriously:
Insane! what the hell is he talking about here!
Worshiper! father-in-law! and about Moscow so menacingly!
And you decided to kill me?
Is my fate still not deplorable?
Oh! My God! what will he say
Princess Marya Alexevna!”

Achilles' heel

Vulnerable place; someone's weak side. The expression originates in the ancient Greek myth about the only weak spot on the body of one of the strongest and bravest heroes - the heel of Achilles. In an effort to make her son invincible and thus give him immortality, his mother Thetis dipped the baby Achilles into the waters of the underground river Styx, holding him by the heel, which therefore remained vulnerable.

Foreword

The dictionary contains more than 2000 popular expressions that are widely used in Russian literary speech. The structure of the dictionary is quite convenient: all winged expressions are given an explanation of their semantic content; a certificate of origin is provided; all winged expressions are arranged in alphabetical order; at the end of the dictionary is an alphabetical index with page numbers.

Each dictionary entry includes:

- header expression;

- the value of the expression;

is the source of the expression;

- an indication of the scope or situation of the use of the expression.

The dictionary is divided into two parts: popular expressions in Russian and expressions in Latin. Particularly interesting for many readers will be the second part of the dictionary, the expressions of which have come to us through the centuries.

The dictionary is intended for a wide range of readers, it will be useful for both schoolchildren and philologists, teachers and all those interested.

BUT

WAS A BOY? Doubt, uncertainty in this or that fact.

Origins: M. Gorky's novel "The Life of Klim Samgin".

And Vaska listens and eats. Continue to do business that causes disapproval of others, not paying attention to anyone.

Origins: fable by I.A. Krylov "The Cat and the Cook".

AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED. state of stagnation; situation, problem remaining unchanged over time.

Origins: I.A.'s fable Krylov "Swan, Cancer and Pike".

BUT BY THE WAY, HE WILL REACH TO KNOWN DEGREES. It characterizes a careerist, flattery and servility seeking the favor of people who are higher on the social ladder.

Origins: comedy A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit" (1824).

AND IT IS STILL RUNNING! Firm confidence in one's own right.

Origins: this statement belongs to the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Under pressure from the Inquisition, he renounced the doctrine of heleocentrism, but after the trial he again defended his scientific theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

AND YOU, FRIENDS, NO matter how you sit down, EVERYTHING IS NOT SUITABLE FOR MUSICIANS. Extreme amateurism, not leading to a successful result.

Origins: quote from the fable of I.A. Krylov "Quartet".

AND HAPPINESS WAS SO POSSIBLE, SO CLOSE!.. Regret about lost opportunities, failed happiness.

Origins: novel by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin" (1823-1832), Tatyana's monologue.

AUGEAN STABLES. A neglected, filthy place, for the purification of which incredible efforts are required. A cluttered building in need of restoration and overhaul.

Origins: in Greek mythology - one of the twelve labors of Hercules, who turned the course of the river and cleared the stables of King Avgii in one day.

AGENT 007 (ironic). Scout, spy.

Origins: novels by Ian Fleming, whose hero James Bond is a successful English intelligence officer. Widely known for numerous film adaptations of novels.

AGENTS OF INFLUENCE (professional). Representatives of special services responsible for the formation of public opinion.

Origins: memo Yu.V. Andropov in the Central Committee of the CPSU "On the plans of the CIA to acquire agents of influence among Soviet citizens", published in the 90s of the twentieth century.

THE LAMB OF GOD. Ironic designation of a quiet, modest, meek person. Or so they call a person who sacrificed himself.

Origins: lamb is the Church Slavonic name for a lamb. "The Lamb is a symbolic name given to Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the salvation of man."

HELL IS AWESOME. Terrible place, in which a person feels uncomfortable. Often turmoil, chaos, crowds.

Origins: pitch - edge, edge; hell is the other world in which darkness and chaos reign.

ADMINISTRATIVE DELIGHT (ironic). Enjoyment of one's own significance, omnipotence on a certain scale.

Origins: novel by F.M. Dostoevsky's “Demons”: “You ... without any doubt know ... what it means ... an administrator, speaking in general, and what a Russian administrator means again, i.e. newly baked, newly installed... But you could hardly find out in practice what administrative enthusiasm means and what exactly is this thing? – Administrative delight? I don’t know what it is ... put some very last insignificance at the sale of some ... railway tickets, and this insignificance will immediately consider itself entitled to look at you as Jupiter when you go to get a ticket ... “Give me, they say, I will exert my power over you ... "And this in them comes to administrative delight."

ADONIS (noun). A handsome young man who can win a woman's heart.

Origins: Greek mythology. Adonis is the beloved of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty (Cyprida), who, after the death of her beloved, immortalized his beauty in a flower.

HEY, MUSH! TO KNOW SHE IS STRONG THAT BARKS AT THE ELEPHANT! It characterizes a person who boldly criticizes higher authorities, people, realizing his own impunity.

Origins: I.A.'s fable Krylov "Elephant and Pug". The bully dog ​​Moska barks at the Elephant, who does not pay attention to her:

Seeing the Elephant, well, rush at him,
And bark, and squeal, and tear,
Well, and climbs into a fight with him.
To the bewildered questions of other dogs, she answers:
"That's what gives me and spirit,
What am I, without a fight at all,
I can get into big trouble.
Let the dogs say
"Hey Moska! Know she's strong
What barks at the Elephant!

AKAKY AKAKIEVICH (noun)."Little man", an ordinary, uninitiated, obedient performer of minor assignments, with a lack of self-esteem.

Origins: story by N.V. Gogol's "Overcoat" (1842). Her hero Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin is a petty official, an ordinary person, whose existence is worthy of pity and compassion.

CLEANCY IS THE POLITENESS OF KINGS(See PRECISION - POLITENESS OF KINGS).

ACROBATS OF CHARITY. Characterizes patrons, philanthropists who exaggerate the value of their assistance or engage in philanthropy for their own benefit.

Origins: the title of the story by D.V. Grigorovich (1885), who satirically depicted the activities of philanthropic societies.

AND THE CASKET JUST OPENED. Complex problems, often easily solved.

Origins: I.A.'s fable Krylov "Cabin".

ALGEBRA OF THE REVOLUTION. Literary definition of Hegel's philosophy.

Origins: in the work "The Past and Thoughts" (1855, part 4, ch. 25) A.I. Herzen wrote: "Hegel's philosophy is the algebra of revolution, it unusually liberates man and leaves no stone unturned from the Christian world, from the world of legends that have outlived themselves."

ALEXANDER THE MACEDONIAN HERO, BUT WHY BREAK CHAIRS? (ironic). The need for everything to comply with the measure.

Origins: comedy nv Gogol's The Inspector General (1836, d. 1, yavl. 1). The phrase belongs to Gorodnichiy, who characterizes the teacher: “He is a learned head - this can be seen, and he has picked up a lot of information, but he only explains with such fervor that he does not remember himself. I listened to him once: well, for now I was talking about the Assyrians and Babylonians - still nothing, but how I got to Alexander the Great, I can’t tell you what happened to him. I thought it was a fire, by golly! He ran away from the pulpit and, that he had the strength, to grab the chair on the floor. It is, of course, Alexander the Macedonian hero, but why break the chairs?

Hungering and thirsty. (direct) Someone who feels unbearably thirsty and hungry. (portable) An irresistible desire for something.

Origins: Gospel of Matthew (5:6). "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."

SCARLET SAILS. A symbol of romantic hopes and aspirations, sublime ideas about ideal love.

Source: the title of the story by A. Green, who poeticized romantic relationships.

ALMA MATER (portable). The generalized name of educational institutions, mainly higher ones, that gave young people a start in life.

Origins: translated from Latin alma mater means "nurse, mother" (alma- nourishing, nourishing mater- "mother"). The students of the Middle Ages called universities in which they received "spiritual food" in this way.

ALPHA AND OMEGA. The basis, the essence of something, the beginning and the end, the origins.

Origins: Bible (Apocalypse 1:8). "I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end," says the Lord. Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

GIGOLO (noun). A man who lives on the means of his beloved.

Origins: drama by Alexandre Dumas son "Monsieur Alphonse" (1873). The first performance of the play in Moscow at the Maly Theater took place on October 3, 1874. In the Russian translation, the play was called "Handsome".

AMALFEIN HORN(see horn of plenty).

AND GET HERE LYAPKIN-TYAPKIN! (joking). A command requiring immediate execution.

Origins: comedy nv Gogol's The Inspector General (1836).

AMERICA FOR AMERICANS. Inadmissibility of foreign interference in the affairs of the American continents.

Origins: In 1823, US President John Monroe, in his annual message to Congress, outlined the basic principles of American policy (the "Monroe Doctrine"), which consisted in the fact that the United States would not allow the Holy Alliance of European Monarchs to interfere in the affairs of the American countries, which, after the victory over the Napoleonic France not only to prevent a revolutionary movement in its possessions and the overthrow of monarchies in other countries, but also to strengthen the influence of European powers on the American continents.

AMPHITRYON (noun). Hospitable host.

Origins: in Greek mythology, Amphitrion is the king of Tirinth, the husband of Alcmene, deceived by Zeus, who took the form of Amphitryon himself. The myth was put by the Roman Plautus as the basis for the plot of the comedy "Amphitrion", in which Jupiter (Zeus), posing as Amphitryon, invited one of the characters to his breakfast. Jean Rotre (1609-1650) created the comedy "The Doubles" on the same plot: "He is not Amphitrion who does not dine." Molière transferred this phrase to the play of the same name (1668): “The real Amphitrion is the Amphitrion at whom they dine” (case 3, appearance 5).

ANIKA WARRIOR (noun). The name of a bully who boasts of his own strength, but constantly fails.

Origins: 1) a work of Russian folk poetry, a "spiritual verse" about Anika the warrior. His hero was proud of his strength and cunning, but, having met Death, he was frightened and defeated by her; 2) who came from the West not earlier than the 16th century. military story "Debating the belly with death." The very name Anika is taken from the Byzantine story about the hero Digenis, nicknamed anikitos(invincible). The epithet was taken as a proper name. There are many folk legends about Anika the warrior, the plots of which are reflected in popular prints.

Annibal's Oath(see HANNIBAL'S Oath).

ANTEY (noun). A strong man, firmly connected with his native land, people.

Origins: Greek mythology. Antaeus is a giant, the son of Poseidon (god of the seas) and Gaia (goddess of the earth). He defeated all his opponents, as he drew strength by touching the earth - his mother. Antaeus died in the struggle with Hercules (Hercules), who lifted the enemy into the air and thereby deprived him of support and a source of strength.

ANTIGONE (noun). A symbol of reckless daughter love, duty and courage.

Origins: Greek mythology. Antigone is the daughter of the blind Theban king Oedipus, who voluntarily went into exile to follow her sick father and faithfully looked after him until his death. Her image was used in the tragedies of Sophocles "Oedipus in Colon", "Antigone".

APOGEE OF GLORY. The highest degree of popularity, fame of someone.

Origins: apogee (astronomical term) - the highest point of the lunar orbit, and now also the greatest distance of an artificial satellite from the Earth.

APOLLO (noun). A handsome, physically developed, harmoniously built young man.

Origins: Greek mythology. Apollo is the sun god.

APPETITE COMES WITH EATING. Ever-growing needs that cannot be met.

Origins: Francois Rabelais' novel "Gargantua and Pantagruel" (1532).

ARGONAUTS (noun). The name of sailors, travelers, adventurers.

Origins: ancient Greek legends. The heroes go to Colchis (the eastern coast of the Black Sea) for the golden fleece (the skin that was guarded by dragons and bulls, spewing flames from their mouths). Their leader, Jason, built the Argo (fast) ship, after which the participants in this, according to legend, the first long-distance voyage, were called Argonauts.

ARGUS. EYES OF ARGUS (noun). The name of a vigilant watchman, vigilantly guarding someone, something.

Origins: Greek mythology. The hundred-eyed giant Argus, the all-seeing guard assigned to the daughter of the Argos king Io. Argus' eyes rested alternately, so he did not know sleep. According to legend, after the murder of Argus by Mercury, the goddess Juno adorned the eyes of this guard with a peacock tail.

AREDOVY (ARIDOVY) EYELIDS. Synonymous with longevity.

Origins: Bible (Genesis 5:20). The Biblical Patriarch of Jared lived for 962 years.

ARIADNA THREAD(see ARIADNE'S THREAD).

ARISTARCH (noun). The name of every incorruptible and just critic.

Origins: Aristarchus of Samothrace (III-II centuries BC), ancient Greek philologist and critic, respected by his fellow citizens for his accurate assessment of the work of Homer, Aristotle, Herodotus, the great tragedians Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and other ancient authors.

ARISTOCRACY OF THE SPIRIT. The spiritual elite of society, people whose spiritual authority in society is very high, and moral and intellectual development provides them with the moral right to influence the public consciousness and behavior of the majority.

Origins: the expression belongs to the German writer Heinrich Steffens, who meant the adherents of the leader of German romanticism August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767–1845). Theodor Mundt wrote: "He [Steffens] is the head of that aristocracy of spirit which he himself once so aptly called."

ARCADIA. ARCADIAN IDYLL. Happy, carefree life; Arcadia is the embodiment of universal harmony and contentment.

Origins: Arcadia is the central mountainous part of the Peloponnese, the main occupation of the population is cattle breeding and agriculture. In ancient literature (and later in the classical literature of the 17th-18th centuries), the serene life of the Arcadian shepherds was sung about (“And I was born in Arcadia”, i.e. “and I was happy”).

ARMIDA. GARDENS OF ARMIDA (noun). The name of a beautiful coquette, known for her frivolity.

Origins: poem by an Italian poet of the 16th century. Torquato Tasso Jerusalem Delivered. Armida - the main character, a beauty and a sorceress, kept the hero of the poem Rinaldo in a magical garden with the help of spells.

ARHAROVETS (noun). A person outside the law and public morality, a masterful robber; out of control child.

Origins: N.P. Arkharov was the Moscow police chief under Catherine II and the governor-general of St. Petersburg since 1796, known for his unprecedented dexterity in detective affairs and unraveling the most complex crimes. Initially, detectives and policemen were called Arkharovtsy.

ARCHIVE YOUTH (joking). Young people who consider themselves the spiritual elite of society.

Origins: an expression attributed to a friend of A.S. Pushkin to the bibliophile S.A. Sobolevsky, who jokingly called a group of young philosophizing nobles that in 1820-1821. served in the Moscow archive of the State Collegium of Foreign Affairs. A.I. Koshelev, brothers I.V. and P.V. Kireevsky, S.P. Shevyrev, V.F. Odoevsky, Sobolevsky himself. In his Notes, Koshelev wrote: “The archive was known as a gathering of thinking” Moscow youth, and the title of “archival youth” became very honorable, so that later we even got into the verses of A.S., who was beginning to enter into great glory. Pushkin. Koshelev has in mind an excerpt from "Eugene Onegin" (ch. 7, stanza XLIX):

Archival young men in a crowd
They stare at Tanya
And about her among themselves
They speak unfavorably.

According to N.O. Lerner, Pushkin was attracted by the oxymoron "archival" and "young men". The idea of ​​mustiness and antiquity is associated with the archive, so the expression “archival youth” contains a contradiction. However, this name was something of an official term. So, a certain collective work of young officials had the title: “Diplomatic articles from the general Robinston Dictionary, translated at the Moscow archive by serving noble youths in 1802, 1803, 1804 and 1805. under the supervision of Senior Advisor A. Malinovsky.

ARCHIMEDE'S LEVER. GIVE ME A POINT AND I WILL MOVE THE EARTH. driving force in general.

Origins: Archimedes of Syracuse (III century BC), mechanic and mathematician of Ancient Greece, said this phrase when he deduced the laws of the lever.

ARCHITECTURE IS FROZEN MUSIC. Definition of architecture as an art form.

Origins: a paraphrase of the saying of the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos (556-469 BC): "Painting is silent music, and poetry is talking painting." It sounded in the conversation of the German writer I.V. Goethe with Eckermann in March 1829. In Prose Sayings, Goethe says: "Architecture is numb music." Schelling's "Lectures on the Philosophy of Art" (1842) quotes the aphorism: "Architecture is frozen music." We find the same comparison in a French writer of the 19th century. Madame de Stael in Corinne, where she speaks of admiring St. Peter's in Rome as "continuous and fixed music".

ASPASIA (noun). Inspirer, patron of the arts.

Origins: Aspasia is the famous getter of Ancient Greece, distinguished by her education, intelligence, and delicate taste. Her home in Athens attracted poets, artists, scientists. Later - the wife of the Athenian strategist Pericles.

WHO ARE JUDGES? A critical look at the right to condemn others, granted to certain individuals who are not distinguished by high moral qualities.

Origins:

ATTACKING CLASS. A figurative characterization of the proletariat as the hegemon of the revolution.

Origins: poem by V.V. Mayakovsky "Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1924), dedicated to the leader of the Bolshevik Party:

I will write
And about this and that, but now
not the time for lovemaking.
I am all my sonorous power of a poet to you
I give, attacking class.

ATTIC SALT. Subtle eloquence, witty joke.

Origins: attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero. A connoisseur of Greek culture, he emphasized oratory and, in particular, the eloquence of the inhabitants of Attica. His correspondent, the writer Titus Pomponius Atticus in 61 BC. Cicero thanked for the letters: "All of them were sprinkled not only with the salt of wit, as the students of orators say, but are also remarkable for the manifestations of your friendship." Known is the work of Cicero "On the Orator" (55 BC), written in the form of a literary conversation. One of its imaginary participants Julius Caesar, expressing his opinion about real jokers, gives priority to the inhabitants of Attica, who are fluent in the gift of eloquence. In particular, he comments on the following phrase of Ennius: “The wise man would rather agree to extinguish a burning coal in his mouth than to keep a good word to himself” (an untranslatable pun; from the poet Ennius bona dicta- wise, instructive words, here bona dicta- sharpness). Of course, a good word, in their opinion, is a word that has salt in it. In Attica, as in other parts of Greece that had access to the sea, salt was obtained by evaporation in the sun or by boiling sea water, and therefore Attic salt was considered the most "fine".

AFANASIY IVANOVICH AND PULCHERIA IVANOVNA (noun). Images of faithful spouses, commoners, whose life is serene and orderly.

Origins: story by N.V. Gogol "Old World Landowners" (1835). Her heroes are simple-hearted landowners, kind spouses, whose “vegetative” existence is worthy of pity and indulgence.

ATHENS NIGHTS. A reckless pastime of people satiated with an idle life.

Origins: religious cults of the deities Demeter and Dionysus in Ancient Greece. Their celebrations began in Athens and other cities in the late evening and lasted until the morning, gradually taking on the character of orgies. Banned in the 2nd century. BC.

OH MY GOD! WHAT WILL PRINCESS MARIA ALEXEVNA SAY! Fear of someone else's opinion, unwillingness to "wash dirty linen in public."

Origins: comedy A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit".

ACHILLES' HEEL. Weak, vulnerable spot.

Origins: Greek mythology. Brave Achilles (Achilles) was invulnerable to enemy arrows, because in infancy, his mother, the sea goddess Thetis, dipped Achilles into the sacred river Styx. However, the water did not touch the heel, for which Thetis held her son, it was in this only vulnerable part of the body of Achilles that the arrow of Paris hit.

B

BA! ALL FAMILIAR FACES. The joy of an unexpected meeting with friends, acquaintances.

Origins: comedy A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit" (d. 4, yavl. 14).

GRANDS KNOCK. Earn money with easy work, without stress.

Origins: a Russian game of grandmas, the main element of which is knocking down pieces.

GRANDMA TWO SAID. Unpredictability of the expected result.

Origins: truncation of the Russian proverb "Grandmother (grandmother) said in two: either rain or snow, either it will or not."

INDIAN SUMMER. Days in early September with clear warm weather.

Origins: with the 1st (14th) of September, popularly called the day of Simeon the Pilot, or Semyon's Day, many old sayings and proverbs are associated, for example: “Semyon sees off summer”, “Semyon Indian summer brings”, “Semyon day - Indian summer ". Indian summer is also counted from Semyonov's day: according to some sources - seven days, according to others - two weeks. Dictionary V.I. Dahl fixes: "Since the Indian summer, the Indian holiday and the Indian work." By this time, the summer field work was completed and the time came for gatherings, evening parties, sittings, lighting - women's leisure, which took place by the light of torches and lamps on long autumn evenings. The poetess Olga Bergholz has a lyric poem "Indian Summer":

There is a time of nature of special light,
The dim sun, the gentlest heat.
It's called Indian Summer
And in charms he argues with spring itself.
Already gently sits on the face
Flying, light web ...
How loudly the belated birds sing!
How magnificently and menacingly the curtains are burning!
Mighty downpours have long died down,
Everything is given over to a quiet and dark field ...
More and more often from the look I am happy,
Rarely and bitterly am I jealous
O wisdom of the most generous Indian summer,
I welcome you with pleasure...

MARKET OF EVERYTHING FUN. bourgeois society.

Origins: translation of the title of the novel by the English writer Thackeray “Vanity Fair. A novel without a hero.

BAZAROV. Representative of the raznochinno-democratic intelligentsia. Materialist, a man of extreme worldview.

BAZAROVSHINA. A categorical rejection of idealistic teachings, romanticism and sentimentality.

Origins: novel by I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons", the main character is Evgeny Bazarov.

BALAKIREV. Joker and joker.

Origins: Ivan Alexandrovich Balakirev is a servant and court jester of Peter I and Catherine I. He is credited with a huge number of jokes, barbs, anecdotes.

BALALAYKIN. A person who is ready to pick up any topic in a conversation is a talker.

Origins: Balalaikin is the hero of the essays by M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin.

BALZAC'S AGE. BALZAC WOMAN. Middle-aged woman in her 30s and 40s.

Origins: novel by the French writer Honore de Balzac "The Thirty-Year-Old Woman".

BARON MUNCHHAUSEN. A harmless dreamer, an inventor.

Origins: the hero of Rudolf Erich Raspe (1786), the image was replicated by Western European writers. In Russia, the popularity of the hero was brought by the film "The Same Munchausen" directed by M.A. Zakharov.

MY FATHERS! An exclamation expressing joy, admiration, surprise.

Origins: the call of the Eastern Slavs to the spirits of their ancestors for help.

BASH ON BASH. Barter, exchange.

Origins: translated from the Turkic language "bash" - "head". Traders exchanged cattle "head for head".

BASHMAKOV HAVE NOT Worn YET. Determination of the variability of the female character, the speed of changing beliefs.

Origins: in ancient times, the number of worn shoes determined the distance traveled, as well as time. The expression came into use after the translation of N.A. Field work of W. Shakespeare "Hamlet".

IVORY TOWER. Characteristics of elite artistic and literary creativity. For French romantic poets, this expression is a symbol of the world of dreams, into which they went in their work from the reality that burdened them.

Origins: for the first time this expression was used by the French poet and critic C. Sainte-Beuve.

BAIUSHKI BYE. BYU-BY. A gentle lullaby.

Origins: the word "bayu" comes from the Old Slavonic "bayati" - "to speak, to tell."

THE TROUBLE IS IF THE PIES SHOULD START THE FURNACE, AND THE BOOTS WILL BE STUFFED BY THE PIE. That's what they say about people who don't mind their own business.

Origins: I.A.'s fable Krylov "Pike and Cat".

POOR AS IR. Extreme poverty.

Origins: Homer's poem The Odyssey.

WITHOUT A PAPER YOU ARE A Bug, AND WITH A PAPER YOU ARE A HUMAN. An expression about the importance and necessity of documents.

Origins: from the pop review "Question with an edge." The author of the words is V.I. Lebedev-Kumach.

WITHOUT GUILT GUILT. This is what they say about an accused but innocent person.

Origins: the name of the comedy A.N. Ostrovsky.

WITHOUT ANGER AND PREDICTION. Fair resolution of a case or dispute. An objective view of the situation.

Origins: expression of the Roman historian Tacitus.

GET INTO THE BIG BATTLE WITHOUT FIGHTING. So they say about the one who undeservedly seeks calling and glory.

Origins: I.A.'s fable Krylov "Elephant and Pug".

WITHOUT FOOLS. Serious attitude to something.

Origins: The expression originated in the Middle Ages. When the boyars were going to make serious government decisions in the royal chambers, their meetings were held in strict secrecy. No one was allowed in there, including sharp-tongued, chatty jesters, who at that time were customary to keep at the royal court. The expression "without fools" literally meant "without jesters."

WITHOUT FATTORY BELIEVED. Ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Origins: the motto of the all-powerful minister A.A. Arakcheev, elevated by Paul I in 1799 to the dignity of a count. Arakcheev did not lose his influence during the change of imperial power.

WITHOUT MANY WORDS. Accurate, concise, short.

Origins: novel by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin".

WITHOUT A RUDDER AND WITHOUT SAILS. Without a goal, without help, arbitrarily (used in relation to a person or a team).

Origins: quote from the poem by M.Yu. Lermontov "Demon".

NO HITCH AND NO HITCH. Flawless, no remarks.

Origins: in the old days, the word "hitch" meant roughness, a hook on the surface of a smoothly planed board. To denote a job well done, joiners used the expression "no hitch."

WITHOUT LONGING, WITHOUT THOUGHT FATAL. Purposefully, without unnecessary doubts.

Origins: poem by A.N. Maykov "Happy"

WITHOUT A KING IN THE HEAD. Stupid, reckless, imprudent person.

Origins: Russian proverb "Your mind is the king in your head."

SINLESS INCOME. A voluntary offering, a bribe disguised as a gift.

Origins: the expression was introduced into literary use by N.A. Nekrasov. The poet probably got it from the bureaucratic environment, where it was considered acceptable to accept what was not prohibited by law. Poem by N.A. Nekrasov "Masha" (1851):

He was a new breed of man.
Exceptionally honor understood
And sinless even income
Called theft, liberal!

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin also used this expression in his works.

CRAZY DAY. A day full of surprises and surprises, a hectic day.

Origins: play by the French playwright Beaumarchais Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro.

WHITE ARAPIA. Land of dreams and dreams, an unknown country.

Origins: according to one version, blacks, representatives of Arabia, were called "black araps" in Russia. In the XVI century. Russian traveler F.A. Kotov, having visited the Arabian land, said that the Araps were white-skinned. According to another version, in 1833 Russia sent ships of the Black Sea Fleet to help the Turkish Sultan against the Egyptian Pasha. The sailors called the campaign to Constantinople a campaign under the "white arap", meaning the Arabs. After that, there were fantastic stories among the people about the "white araps" and the country where they live - White Arapia.

WHITE CROW. Unlike the rest, not like everyone else, a bright personality.

Origins: 7th satire by the Roman poet Juvenal.

BELENY ate. So they say about a person whose behavior goes beyond the generally accepted norms.

Origins: Henbane is a poisonous herbaceous plant with purple-yellow flowers and a stupefying unpleasant odor. A person who has eaten henbane berries loses his mind for a while; severe poisoning can lead to death.

WHITE GOLD. Figurative name for cotton.

Origins: cotton is a valuable and rather expensive material.

WHITE SPOT. Something mysterious, unexplored.

Origins: in the 18th century cartographers left blank spots on the maps where the territory had not yet been explored.

WHITE SLAVES. WHITE NEGROS. Exploited, disenfranchised masses.

Origins: so in England they called the workers of large industrial enterprises. The expression came into use in Russia in the 19th century. - so called serfs.

WHITE TERROR. Extermination of leaders and participants of the revolutionary movement.

Origins: mass arrests of revolutionaries and Bonapartists in France in 1815

PROTECT AS THE APPLE OF THE EYE. Preserve, preserve, preserve.

Origins: from Church Slavonic "zenitsa" - "pupil", and "eye" - "eye". The expression is often used in the Bible.

OIL OF BIRCH. Rods.

Origins: in the old East Slavic school, the beginning of a new stage of education was marked with porridge from one boiler. The guilty students, instead of treating them to porridge, were flogged with birch rods, i.e. "We were treated to birch porridge."

TAKE IT BIG THERE IS NO SCIENCE HERE. So jokingly called a greedy person.

Origins: an expression from the song "Yabeda" by the poet V.V. Kapnista.

TAKE THE OVERCOAT, GO HOME. An offer to complete a task.

Origins: lyrics by B. Okudzhava.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE. A place where inexplicable phenomena occur; something mysterious, inexplicable.

Origins: Charles Berlin's Bermuda Triangle (1974).

THE DEMON HAS INVITED. A state in which a person behaves inappropriately, a violation of generally accepted norms of behavior.

Origins: according to ancient legends, madness was caused by evil spirits that inhabited a person - demons.

THE BARRELT fig tree. 1. Childless woman. 2. A person whose activity is useless, fruitless.

Origins: Gospel of Matthew (21:19). Finding no fruit at a roadside fig tree, Jesus said, "Let there be no fruit from you forever." And immediately the fig tree dried up.

NON-MEANING DREAMS. Fruitless illusions, unfulfilled fantasies.

Origins: Nicholas II, in a speech to representatives of the nobility, zemstvos and cities, delivered on January 17, 1895, said: “I know that recently in some zemstvo meetings the voices of people who were carried away by senseless dreams about the participation of representatives of the zemstvos in matters of internal administration were heard. Let everyone know that, devoting all my strength to the good of the people, I will guard the beginning of autocracy as firmly and unswervingly as my unforgettable late father guarded it. Initially, in the written speech, instead of the word “meaningless”, it was listed as “unrealizable”. But in the excitement, the king made a slip of the tongue. Since then, the expression "meaningless dreams" has gained popularity. At the same time, the “Song” was distributed among the people, in which Nikolai, referring to the “grooms of demagoguery”, “sans-culottes from Tver”, says:

For good wishes
I thank you all
But dreams are meaningless
Cut the power to me, the king.

L.N. Tolstoy, outraged by the speech of Nicholas II, wrote an article-pamphlet "Senseless Dreams", directed against the autocracy. The article was first published in 1918.

Dictionaries of winged words and expressions

Dictionaries of winged words and expressions, until very recently, were exclusively monolingual. Translation dictionaries have appeared quite recently. Therefore, it is natural to limit their consideration to monolingual dictionaries.

They are very different both in size and structure. Dictionary N.S. Ashukina and M.G. Ashukina, for example, with additions contains about 1,800 units, various German dictionaries - about 4,500 units, a Norwegian catchword dictionary - about 13,000 units, and an Oxford quotation dictionary - about 40,000 units.

Of course, these figures in no way reflect the real number of winged words and expressions that exist in a particular language community. Differences in the volume of dictionaries of dictionaries of catchphrases and expressions or quotations are explained by differences in the attitudes of lexicographers, different approaches to the concept of "covert expressions", dissimilarity in the interpretation of the criterion of usage, etc. At the same time, from these figures it is clear that the task of creating a sufficiently complete dictionary of Russian winged words and expressions cannot yet be considered finally solved.

Further, designed for an educated Russian reader, N.S. Ashukina and M.G. Ashukina in a number of cases does not explain the meaning and does not indicate the scope of the units included in it, compare such articles as “Who are the judges?”; "Unusual lightness in thoughts"; “He speaks about high honesty”, etc.

In the world practice of lexicography of winged words and expressions, several basic types of material arrangement are used, which can be reduced to two basic principles: “from source to quotation” and “from quotation to source”.

The first principle is particularly well represented in English quotation dictionaries of the type mentioned above by Oxford. The material is arranged alphabetically by the authors of the citations. In alphabetical order, i.e. interspersed with the names of the authors, such sections of the dictionary as Anonymous (author unknown), Ballads (ballads), Holy Bible (Holy Scripture), Nursery Rhymes (children's poems), Prayer Book (prayer book), Scottish Psalter (Scottish psalter), Punch (comic magazine "Punch"). Quotations of each individual author are arranged in alphabetical order of the titles of his works.

In dictionaries published in Germany, according to a tradition dating back to the 1st edition of the G. Buchmann dictionary, the material is arranged in chronological order according to individual literatures or types of literary works. So, in modern editions of the Buchmann dictionary, at the beginning there are quotations from the Bible, then folklore quotations follow, then - quotations from the works of German writers (of course, there are most of them), Scandinavian, French, English and American, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish , "Eastern", Greek, Latin, followed by quotations of historical origin. In some German dictionaries of winged words and expressions, the corpus is divided into chapters on a chronological basis (Ancient World; Middle Ages; Renaissance, Humanism, Reformation; Feudal Absolutism; from the French Revolution to the October Socialist Revolution; XX century), within which the material is divided by country . Quotations and explanations to them are connected by more or less related text. Also, dictionaries are not only reference aids, but are also designed to be read in a row.

The principle "from quotation to source" is consistently carried out in the dictionary of N.S. Ashukina and M.G. Ashukina: all quotes are in strictly alphabetical order. There is a modification of this principle: winged words or expressions are placed under the supporting thematic words, which are arranged in alphabetical order. So, in one Norwegian dictionary of quotations for the letter B, the headings are placed ... Blod (Blood), Blomst (Flower), Blonde piker (Blondes), etc. Combinations of alphabetical and thematic-alphabetical arrangement are also used: the Norwegian dictionary "Bevingede ord" the date of the quote, in general, alphabetically, but also contains separate thematic nests. On the contrary, the Swedish Dictionary of Catchwords and Phrases gives quotations under alphabetical reference words, but includes foreign quotations as separate entries, as well as some Swedish ones.

Of course, each of these principles of material arrangement has its own advantages. Without going into a detailed discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the various presentations used in dictionaries of catchphrases and expressions, we note that, in our opinion, the alphabetical arrangement of quotations is most preferable. The presence of various indexes with a dictionary organized in this way - alphabetical (in which, we note in passing, you can not include the first words of catchwords and expressions) and a list of authors - with a link to the corresponding article - allow not only with a minimum investment of time to find the catchword or expression you need and to clarify its source, meaning and scope, but also to establish the entire complex of quotations with a given key word (i.e., the thematic core), determine the entire set of quotations belonging to a given author, etc.

The dictionaries of winged words and expressions differ greatly in the structure of the article. The English "quotation dictionaries" do not contain any explanations at all, they only indicate the source of the quote. Other dictionaries cover in detail the origin and fate of the winged expression, but their common drawback is that the meaning and scope of the quotation are not fully disclosed in all cases: they are, in general, designed for an educated reader with a certain cultural background. It seems that such an approach is wrong, and the entry of a dictionary of winged words and expressions should contain accurate information about both the origin of the quotation and its meaning, use, stylistic coloring, except, of course, in cases where the meaning of the quotation is self-evident.

The foregoing, of course, does not mean that all entries in the dictionary of winged words and expressions should be built according to a single structural pattern. The material itself in many cases suggests the expediency of a particular presentation. In general, apparently, all the variety of interpretations of winged words and expressions can be reduced to a dozen or one and a half typical schemes that should be followed.

The translated lexicography of winged words and expressions has a whole range of its own specific problems. Although the genre of translation dictionaries is very young, some experience has already been accumulated in this area. But this is a separate issue.

What is the array of quotations actually used in modern Russian speech? Naturally, it is impossible to give an exact answer to this question; we can only talk about an approximate figure. One thing is clear - this array, if we include here both indisputable winged words and expressions, and those quotations that were called "colloquial" above, in fact, it has not yet been fully lexicographed.

The creation of a sufficiently complete dictionary of Russian winged words and expressions, built on thoughtful, clear lexicographic principles and at the same time accessible to the general reader, is an urgent and very important problem. The description of the best in the treasury of Russian and world literature, cast in concise, capacious formulations and expressing the ideals and aspirations of the people, their ideas about good and evil, about man and society, about sad and cheerful, is an urgent cultural task. This task seems to be even more urgent, if we keep in mind that the Russian language is also the language of interethnic communication, it is studied by tens of millions of citizens, it is becoming more and more widespread throughout the world. Apparently, the creation of a complete, scientific dictionary of Russian winged words and expressions is also an important patriotic task for Russian lexicographers.

Features of the translation of popular expressions into Ukrainian

It is impossible to overestimate the translation of literature, since with its help different peoples exchange ideas and thoughts with each other. And when we read the text of the translation, we perceive it as artistic and do not think about how much work the translator has put in to convey the meaning of the original work of literature as accurately as possible.

The translation of literary texts is complicated by high semantic load, and the translator is often forced to create a text in another language anew, and not reproduce it from another language. Many things influence the perception of a text: culture, way of life, subtext, national characteristics, etc., so it is important for a translator to correctly adapt the text to all these conditions.

If the translation were literally literal, then it would not be capable of reflecting all the depths of a work of art. It should be noted that often a literary translation may not coincide with the original. The main rule is that native speakers of the target language should understand what the original statement said to native speakers of their own language. And the writer-translator, as a native speaker, offers us his understanding of the original text.

Therefore, literary translation must be comprehensively comprehended from the point of view of the original, here it is no longer possible to get by only with the knowledge of another language, here you need a special flair, skill - to be able to anticipate language forms, a play on words and be able to convey an artistic image.

However, among translators there are various opinions about the transfer of the "spirit" of the work. Some believe that it is important that the translation correspond to the spirit of the native language, while others, on the contrary, insist that the reader should be taught to perceive someone else's opinion and culture. The second sometimes because of this they have to go to the violence of their native language.

In connection with this position, translators have an opinion that there is no literary translation. More precisely, it is impossible. After all, one person interprets and translates in one way, and the other in a completely different way. How to be here? However, people have always tried to understand each other and enrich their souls with the literary world, which means that translators, again and again asking themselves the question “Is it possible?”, Will try to do the impossible.