Where does the expression “man is a wolf to man - homo homini onstrum”? What does the expression “original person” mean?

Alexander Sergeevich, just a minute! Tell Zinaida Mikhailovna that...

I can’t tell Zinaida Mikhailovna anything, she left.

Where did you go?

With a lover to the Caucasus!

What about your lover? And you talk about this so calmly? YOU ARE AN ORIGINAL PERSON!

(dialogue from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich changes his profession”)

What does the expression "original man" mean? Here, the main characteristic of a person is his originality, that is, what distinguishes him from others, makes him noticeable, eye-catching and memorable. Original people can be both respected and outcasts from “decent” society. But in any case, they know about them, talk about them, discuss them (and maybe even condemn them), admire them, are surprised, and even fear them. How do people show their originality? Through appearance (clothes, hairstyle, makeup, etc.), through expressing original thoughts, through actions, behavior or activities.

Examples of some famous “originals”: Zhanna Aguzarova, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Johnny Depp, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Freddie Mercury. Agree: whether we like them or not, all these people distinguished themselves in some way, showed themselves in an unusual way and became famous figures of our time.

We remember original people, sometimes for the rest of our lives. And if this is one of our friends, acquaintances, or perhaps relatives, then there is a great opportunity to communicate with an interesting person, see or hear something unique, special, inimitable! Or perhaps you can be considered an “original”? If you have your own personality in every sense, know how to think unconventionally, or even non-standardly, do not like banalities, trivialities, typicality, are not afraid to be different from others and show your individuality, admit that in addition to traditional views, there are others - then welcome to the club!

In one art school there was a teacher, as they said, with his own oddities, but the students loved him for his unconventionality. Once, at an exhibition of his works, after the “creations” were approved by critics, he put them in a pile and set them on fire, everything burned, and he looked and quietly rejoiced! Nobody understood why. But everyone remembered the “original” for a long time, and there were so many discussions!

In a small Ural town there lived a seemingly ordinary boy: he went to school, hung out with friends. Yes, one fine day he began to show his strangeness: he grew long bangs, dyed his hair black, began to wear black tight-fitting clothes and... sew (yes, with the girls in labor lessons)! At school he became a “black sheep”, did not fit into general standards, violated accepted norms in clothing and behavior. Someone twisted their finger at their temple, someone looked at him contemptuously, but everyone knew who he was. Years have passed... The original boy now lives in the glorious city of Moscow - he is a clothing designer of a famous brand, has his own weight in the field of high fashion. And I retained my love for black. But he claims that a woman should look “delicious”!

My son is an original person. He draws horses with a very long muzzle, occupying almost the entire space of the sheet. The horse's eyes are at the top, and the nostrils are at the bottom, there is also a small round body and legs at the side - I have never seen a more original and beautiful horse! And his square dogs! This is simply a masterpiece! A huge dog on the entire page, consisting of almost one head with cunning eyes and smiling! He composes unusual dance moves especially for me and writes “Mom, I love you” from right to left! At school they don’t understand him much...

An original person is a free, independent person, who has the courage to openly express his originality and originality, who is not afraid to be branded “strange, eccentric”, who has his own distinctive features, zest, and peculiarity! Well, how will you feel if you are called original?

This term has other meanings, see Man to man.

« Man is a wolf to man"(lat. Homo homini lupus est) - a proverbial expression from the comedy “Donkeys” (lat. Asinaria), which is used to characterize such human relationships and morals in which extreme selfishness, hostility, and antagonism predominate.

It means a sarcastic description of an extremely selfish person. Used when discussing vile acts that a person commits towards another person.

The first mention of the expression was found in the work “Donkeys” by the ancient Roman comedian Plautus. In contrast, Seneca wrote that “man is something sacred to man.” Both aphorisms were used by Thomas Hobbes in the dedication to his work De Cive (1651): “If we speak impartially, both sayings are true; man is a kind of God to man, and it is true that man is a wolf to man, if we compare people with each other; and secondly, if we compare cities.” Hobbes's observations, in turn, echo Plautus's assertion that humans are by nature selfish.

The XXII Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1961 decided that “man is man’s friend, comrade and brother.” This principle was supposed to become the basis of communist morality, in contrast to the principle of “man is a wolf to man”, which has prevailed since slaveholding times.

Man to man is a wolf:

Man to man wolf Man to man wolf
From Latin: Homo homini lupus est (Homo homini lupus est|.
From the play “Asinaria” (“Donkey Comedy”) by the Roman writer and playwright Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus, c. 250 - 184 BC).
The expression gained a second life and became popular thanks to the English philosopher and political scientist Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), who used it in his work “Leviathan” (Part 1, Chapter 14). This is how he commented on his thesis about the “war of all against all,” that is, about the condition that was characteristic of the human community before the advent of the institution of the state.

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

Man is a wolf to man An expression from the Asinaria of the Roman writer Plautus (c. 254-184 BC), often quoted in Latin ("Homo homini lupus est" or "Lupus est homo homini "); used as a formula for extreme egoism.

Dictionary of popular words. Plutex. 2004.

What does the saying “Man is a wolf to man” mean?

Prokhorov

Yes, a person evaluates another person the same way as any predator, the same wolf, say, evaluates. That is, he evaluates it either as a possible prey or as a degree of danger. In the first case, he will start to laugh, in the second he will behave gallantly until better times (and the wolf would simply leave). This is something a person has by nature. And if a person is not like that (rarely, but it happens), it means either his parents, or he worked on himself.

Alex coachman

This means the naked truth. A person (as opposed to the same wolf) is envy, anger. revenge, greed, crime, theft, lies, etc. And not every animal treats a person as badly as he (the person) treats him.

What does the saying “man is a wolf to man” mean?

Zvyonka

The saying about “wolf people” means that people often quarrel. Agree. And as long as this happens, they cannot be called brothers or friends. In general.

History teaches us (but it still doesn’t teach us at all) that on Earth more often wars occur than peace. It's burning somewhere. Someone shoots. Someone gets blown up. And what’s most dramatic is that not everyone is ready to cry because of this. And not everyone cares about this at all. Man renounces man. She is alienated from him and doesn’t even think of providing help. And at the same time he is very offended when he himself is not helped. These are the principles of the consumer, the predator, the egoist, the beast. Whoever you want, but not a good person. Those who are idly staggering feel like navels, while those who work are considered fools and idlers. An ignorant person tells an educated person that he is a complete fool. They laugh at the professor because of his funny glasses and shabby briefcase. This is not all friendly. Not like brothers and not like people. And as a result, there is no one to rely on, and there is no one to trust and no one to believe in.

This not very beautiful proverb prompted me to have such unpleasant thoughts.

Vladimir Engelhardt

Russian people have seen packs of wolves, which caused a lot of trouble and were a real threat to life, from very ancient times and observed (perhaps from the stories of hunters) how “a leader was chosen in the pack or order was “established” there. At the same time, brothers were gnawing each other. Here my version of where this comparison and saying comes from: A person sometimes lives according to the laws of a pack of wolves, where anyone will be killed for the sake of power.

Man is a wolf to man, does that mean we are all animals?

Olga Neretina

Everyone chooses for themselves: “to live with wolves - howl like a wolf,” or to treat everyone humanly and always remain human. Each of us has both an animal and a human nature. Which to develop and which to leave in an embryonic state - such is the freedom of choice inherent only in HUMAN...

Alisa Damlamayan

If you live with such an attitude, then you will have corresponding relationships with others, wolves,
People, the world reflects to us our thoughts, expectations, fears. What we sow, so shall we reap. The worst thing is when such an attitude is instilled in children and then little animals are raised, preparing them for survival in modern life.
If we treat each other like people, and not animals, then we will finally live well, and not just survive.

Butch 007

In this matter, everyone is free to consider himself who he feels, that is, how he was raised, how he perceives this world, society, how he treats them. An intelligent person will not sign for everyone, but expresses only his thoughts and feelings.

How to translate back into Latin the expression man is wolf to man and wolf is brother to wolf, I think in our time it is very true.

It's always like this

I don’t know what exactly the Latin translation gave you. But for a change, I’ll answer. Can?
Until the 70s, we were taught that man is a friend, comrade and brother to man, but gradually everything began to resemble the saying that man is a wolf to man. Now it already looks approximately like this - man to man... .

And a little humor. I think the joke is on topic:
A pack of wolves decided to send a congratulatory telegram to the wise hare, who lived a respectable number of years thanks to his cunning. We wrote the text and got stuck, like, how can I sign the congratulations?? ?
A pack of comrades or a group of wolves?:)))

Parviscius

homo homini lupus est
lupus lupo frater est
The expression Homo homini lupus comes from the ancient comedy of Plautus, where it is presented in the variant lupus est homo homini. Over the centuries, this expression has formed many modifications and paraphrases, for example Homo homini deus est or the medieval Homo homini lupus, femina feminae lupior. In Victor Hugo there is a variant of Homo homini monstrum. Man is a monster to man. The statement Homo homini amicus est is one of the more recent paraphrases and was widespread in the Soviet Union. Thus, in the program of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, adopted by the XXX Congress of the CPSU (1961), one of the principles of the “Moral Code of the Builders of Communism” read: “Humane relations and mutual respect between people: man is friend, comrade and brother to man,” that is, Homo homini amicus sodalis fraterque est
In Sergei’s expression the typo should not be lupi, but lupo

Why is man a wolf to man?

John Din

Because every person has almost the same goals as other people - money, food, clothing, sleep, rest, entertainment, knowledge, strength, power, etc. - and in this regard, other people can be considered from the point of view of competition, in struggle for everything that helps to survive. The only difference is in the little things.

It's finished!

We were all waiting for our way,
And everyone is used to living by faith.
We were in such a hurry to get to these distances
And we were late
just for a moment.

Winter is already arguing with nature,
And her days are not far off.
The river has gone into the gray sea,
And the nets dry
fishermen.

We will never feel bad -
We have experienced everything with you.
Let the era follow the era
Coming
one is worse than the other.

Don't gloss the clay!
And I've been ready for a long time
Play yourself at dances all your life
In the land of enraged slaves.

Each of us has at some point wondered what this or that expression means and where it came from. Interesting facts that you may not have known...

with your prayers

This is a colloquial, humorous expression said in response to the question “How are you?” or “How are you?” - in the meaning of “thank you, nothing” as an expression of gratitude for a sympathetic attitude.

All tryn-grass

The mysterious "tryn-grass" is not at all some kind of herbal medicine that people drink so as not to worry. At first it was called "tyn-grass", and tyn is a fence. It turned out to be “fence grass,” that is, a weed that no one needs, everyone is indifferent to.

Lead by the nose

Deceive by promising and not fulfilling what was promised. This expression was associated with fairground entertainment. Gypsies led bears by a ring threaded through their noses. And they forced them, the poor fellows, to do various tricks, deceiving them with the promise of a handout.

After the rain on Thursday

The Rusichi - the most ancient ancestors of the Russians - honored among their gods the main god - the god of thunder and lightning Perun. One of the days of the week was dedicated to him - Thursday. Prayers were offered to Perun for rain during the drought. It was believed that he should be especially willing to fulfill requests on “his day” - Thursday. And since these prayers often remained in vain, the saying “After the rain on Thursday” began to be applied to everything that is unknown when it will come true.

Cut it on your nose

If you think about it, the meaning of this expression seems cruel - you will agree that it is not very pleasant to imagine an ax next to your own nose. In fact, everything is not so sad. In this expression, the word “nose” has nothing to do with the organ of smell. A “nose” was a name given to a memorial plaque or note tag. In the distant past, illiterate people carried such tablets and sticks with them, with the help of which all kinds of notes or notches were made as memories.

Grated kalach

In the old days there really was such a type of bread - “grated kalach”. The dough for it was crushed, kneaded, “grated” for a very long time, which is why the kalach turned out to be unusually lush and noble. That is, a person is taught by trials and experiences.

Scapegoat

This is the name given to the person on whom someone else's guilt is blamed. The history of this expression is as follows. The ancient Jews had a ritual for the remission of sins. The priest laid both hands on the head of a living goat, thereby, as it were, transferring the sins of his people onto it. After this, the goat was driven out into the desert.

Unlucky man

In the old days in Rus', “path” was the name not only for the road, but also for various positions at the prince’s court. The boyars tried by hook or by crook to get a position from the prince. And those who did not succeed were spoken of with disdain: a good-for-nothing person.

Beat your head

In ancient times, artisans made cups, bowls, spoons and other utensils from wood. And in order to carve a spoon, it was necessary to chop off a small block from a log. It was precisely this wooden block that was called a baklusha. The preparation of baklushi was entrusted to students or, as they were also called, journeymen, since it was a simple matter, one might say, trivial, not requiring special skill and ability. It was called “beating the buck” when preparing such wooden chocks. And since this work was easy, careless students tried to drag it out longer. Hence the expression “knuckle down” - a mockery of lazy “buckwackers”.

There is nothing behind the soul

In ancient times, it was believed that the soul of a person was located in a depression located between the collarbones, a dimple in the neck. It was also the custom here to hide money so that if necessary, it could be retrieved quickly and safely. But since the poor people had no money, there was nothing to hide. That is why they say that the poor man has nothing in his soul.

Break a leg

This expression first appeared among experienced hunters, and was justified by the superstitious idea that when you directly and openly wish for both fluff and feather, you can jinx the results of the hunt. Evil spirits do not sleep, and will definitely lead you and throw you off the scent. In the language of hunters, a feather meant a bird, while fluff meant an animal. So it was customary to wish “Neither fluff nor feather” in order to deceive evil spirits. To which the breadwinner, following the same scenario, responded “To hell,” so as not to jinx the secret wishes. Evil spirits took everything at face value and did not interfere with the hunters in their work, did not plot and did not steal the prey.

Gehenna fiery

One of the names for hell, a place of great suffering and unbearable torment. The word Gehenna comes from the name of the Gennom Valley near Jerusalem. Once upon a time, pagans performed human sacrifices here, burning people alive. This is the expression to burn in fiery Gehenna and denotes the terrible fate of sinners.

Big boss

Remember the painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga”? Remember how the barge haulers drag the barge with all their strength. The heaviest and most important place in this strap is the place of the first barge hauler. He sets the initiative, he guides the others. Therefore, this place was occupied by the strongest person. This man in a burlatka strap was called a “bump.” This means that a “big shot” is a big and important person.

Blue blood

Aristocrats have always been proud of their white skin. It was considered indecent if the skin tanned even a little in the sun. Ladies always walked with umbrellas to shield their faces from the sun's rays. Therefore, the skin of the nobility was thin and pale, while blue veins under the skin were visible. It seemed that blue blood flowed in their veins. Since then, this expression has been used to refer to people from high society.

And ends in water

This expression has deep roots going back to the time of Ivan the Terrible. During his atrocities, people were killed indiscriminately, without trial or investigation. Sometimes this became so widespread that even Tsar Ivan the Terrible himself was perplexed. At the same time, so that fewer people knew about his atrocities, the corpses of people were thrown into the river at night. The current carried the bodies far from the crime scene. So, ending up in the water meant removing traces of crimes so that no one knew anything.

It's written on the forehead

This expression appeared during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna. She issued a written order to brand criminals. The mark was placed on the forehead “so that one could be distinguished from the righteous.” Looking at such a person, they said that all his bad thoughts were written on his forehead, meaning a stigma.

Soap opera

This is what we used to call TV series. What does this expression mean? In 1932, the opera Betty and Bob was a huge success in the United States. Its sponsors were soap and detergent manufacturers. And later, in order to clarify what kind of opera they were talking about, they talked about a “soap opera,” meaning this one.

In the bag

In the old days, there was no mail as such; there were special people who delivered news with their own hands. These were messengers. And since the roads were unsafe in those days, in order not to lose the messages, they sewed them under the durable lining of a cap or hat. Since then, we have been saying “the job is done,” meaning that the assigned task has been completed.

Shabby look

This expression goes back to the time of Tsar Peter the Great. In those days there was such a manufacturer Zatrapeznikov. His factory produced very coarse and low-quality cloth. This fabric was bought only by poor people who could not buy something better for themselves. And such poor people looked appropriate. Since then, if a person is dressed sloppily, they say that he looks shabby.

Got into trouble

Now we know what it means to find ourselves in an unpleasant situation. This expression comes from Ancient Rus'. In those days, people in villages very often caught fish by setting a kind of snare - traps woven from vines and branches. These traps were called bindings, from the word weave. The fish caught in the bind ended up in the frying pan, which was completely bad for the fish.

Uma ward

In Ancient Rus', chambers were large rooms located in sovereign buildings. Later, the institutions that lived in them began to be called chambers. Remember, the Chamber of Facets or the Armory. And in these chambers various laws were usually discussed and sovereign decisions were made. Therefore, they say “smart chamber”, meaning that a person is smart, his intelligence is like that of a whole assembly of the sovereign’s sages.

You're an old horseradish

Remember how many times we have heard this expression. Now this sounds ironic and is usually addressed to old people. Ever wondered why?

It's really all about horseradish here. Yes, yes, in that vegetable that we still grow in our gardens. Young horseradish is usually smooth and white, but it does not have the same strength and vigor as old horseradish, two or three years old. Try grating old horseradish. Tears will flow long and abundantly.

So, when we tell a man “you’re an old prick,” we are not insulting him, but only emphasizing the strength and experience gained over the years.

Inside out

The history of this expression is connected with the decree of Ivan the Terrible to mark the guilty in a special way. The guilty boyars were dressed in a shirt inside out and put on a horse backwards and so driven around the city, “so that everyone could see the scoundrel, and so that others would be discouraged.”

Deaf grouse

During mating games, that is, during mating, the male grouse experiences hearing loss for some time. Sometimes even he stops seeing. Therefore, hunters used this very often. Such birds could be picked up with bare hands. Interestingly, this never happens to females.

Gray-haired like a harrier

The harrier is a bird with bluish-whitish plumage. And her appearance is interesting, feathers frame her entire head like a crown, reminiscent of a gray-haired old man with a beard. This is where the expression “gray-haired as a harrier” came to us, i.e. quite an old man with a gray, almost white head.

Attach your hand

In ancient times in Rus', all illiterate people, instead of their signature, left their fingerprint on a document. This meant that the person had read the document and agreed. This is where the expression “to have a hand” comes from, which means to take part in any business. This is where “assault” comes from, that is, a person got into a fight with someone, put his hand to someone’s face.

It was stupidity

This expression appeared thanks to the gentlemen-school students. The fact is that the word “moros”, translated from Greek, means “stupidity”. This is how teachers told careless students, if they started talking nonsense out of ignorance of the lesson, “you’re talking nonsense.” Then the words were rearranged, and it turned out that out of ignorance the schoolchildren were “freezing in stupidity.”

He's all fucked up

When they say tryn-grass, they mean that a person doesn’t care about anything. And that's why. Initially they said tyn-grass, meaning the grass that grows behind the tyn, that is, behind the fence, and about which no one cares. The grass in the yard was always mowed. And behind the fence it grew haphazardly to enormous sizes.

Gogol walking

And the question immediately arises: does this expression have anything to do with Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. It turns out, no, it doesn’t. But it has the most direct connection to the waterfowl. Gogol is the name of the diving duck. She has a large head and a short, strong neck. She comes out of the water slowly, holding her beak high. Therefore, the expression “walking like a gogol” means holding yourself arrogantly and proudly.

Soul wide open

Even in ancient times, in Rus' it was believed that the human soul has its place on the body, this is the dimple between the collarbones. And if a person wanted to show that he had no bad thoughts, he unbuttoned a button on his shirt, showing off this dimple. This meant that a person lives with an open soul, i.e. he is sincere in his thoughts and actions.

Disservice

This expression is directly related to Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear.” Once a hermit and a bear went for a walk in the forest in hot weather. The hermit was tired, sat down to rest and fell asleep, and at that time the bear drove the flies away from him. And when another fly landed on the hermit’s forehead, the bear took a cobblestone and killed the fly, in the process splitting the hermit’s skull.

So, to provide a disservice means to bring harm instead of the promised help.

Sharashkin's office

What kind of office is this? This expression comes from the words sharan, trash. This has long been the name given to people who engaged in deception, i.e. crooks. And that’s why those organizations that try to deceive people were called sharashka offices. It was not recommended to trust such organizations, as well as any sharani.

Palm of the Championship

The meaning of this expression must be sought in Ancient Greece. The fact is that during the Olympic Games in Greece, the winners were crowned not only with laurels, i.e. laurel wreaths, but also palm branches. Only the winners of the competition could receive the palm branch. This implied subsequent honor and respect.

Get things moving

In mechanics there is such a concept as a dead point, when forces from different sides balance each other. At some point, the mechanism freezes at this critical point. And to make it work, flywheels were used. Those. to move a mechanism from a dead point means to make it move again. It's the same with business. Getting things moving means overcoming difficult stagnation.

Like a goat's milk

The fact is that a goat gives a person both milk and wool. Those. it is doubly useful to a person. But there’s a problem with the goat: it doesn’t give milk or wool. So they say so disparagingly about a useless person, “You are as useful as a goat’s milk.”

Wash your hands

In the east there was such a custom. If a person was accused of a crime and he was innocent, he would wash his hands with water and say, “It is not my fault,” or “My hands are clean.” This was equivalent to an oath. That is, the person absolved himself of the blame placed on him. So the expression “wash your hands” means to abdicate responsibility for some event.

White crow

We have all seen completely white cats, there are also white rabbits and white mice. And you’ve also seen people with completely white hair and eyebrows. Scientists call such creatures albinos. This is caused by the fact that there is no coloring pigment in the skin. Crows can also be albinos, but this happens very rarely. However, as with all other creatures. So the expression “white crow” means something rare and unusual, going beyond the boundaries.

Without a hitch

This expression came into our speech from the professional slang of carpenters and joiners. When processing wood, it was very important that all knots and roughness were removed. Only then was the wood obtained without flaws, that is, it was of high quality processing. So the expression “everything went without a hitch” means that everything went very smoothly, without any interference.

Not a sound, not a breath

This is an expression from the hunters' arsenal. Since ancient times, it has been the custom that when hunters went out hunting and sat in ambush for hours, they were not allowed to talk, and they were not allowed to smoke or make a fire. And the ambush was always made on the leeward side. So that the animal cannot hear a single, even the quietest, sound, and not the slightest smell, that is, the human spirit. It was especially difficult in winter. There was a lot of snow, the frosts were severe, and it was difficult to withstand such cold without fire. So the expression “neither heard nor breath” means that the hunter sits so quietly that nothing is known about him.

Reluctantly

Do you remember how an ungreased cart creaks? Yes, there is such a nasty and annoying sound. That is, an ungreased cart will roll hard and slowly, as if with reluctance. So the expression “reluctantly” means that a person does something against all his desires, with great reluctance.

Alive Smoking Room

In the old days in Rus' there was such a game: everyone sat in a circle, someone lit a torch, and then passed it around the circle from hand to hand. At the same time, everyone present sang the song “The Smoking Room is alive, alive, alive, not dead...”. And so on until the torch burns. The one in whose hands the torch died out lost. Since then, this expression began to be used with those people, and sometimes with things that, it would seem, should have disappeared a long time ago, but they still, despite everything, continued to exist.

Soul in your heels

You've probably noticed that when a person gets scared, he starts running away with incredible speed. It would seem that you have no strength, but your legs carry you on their own. This is exactly what is said in the expression “soul in the heels”, i.e. the soul helps to be saved, because it goes to the feet. And now we just talk like that about when we get very scared.

Touch the inner core

Previously, it was customary to keep a large number of livestock on the farm. The one who had more livestock was considered a good owner. So, so that not a single cow or horse was lost, the owner put a mark by which he would always be able to find exactly his cattle. And when they branded the cattle, each animal shuddered in pain, because they touched a living body with a hot brand. This is where the expression “to touch a nerve” comes from, that is, to cause pain.

Get it out of the ground

In ancient times in Rus' it was necessary to pay a rent to the master. And the peasant wanted to save at least a little for life. Therefore, they buried some available money in the ground, i.e. made a hiding place. Only the one who hid it knew about the location of this cache. But the master also knew that the peasants were hiding money. And when, when asked to pay the quitrent, the peasant said, “There is no money,” the owner always answered, “Get it out from under the ground,” meaning the stash. This was clear to both the master and the peasant.

Grandma said in two

We use this expression when we are unsure of something and assume that we still don’t know how things will end. “Grandmother said in two” is a truncated part of the saying. And the full saying goes like this: “Grandma said in two: either it will rain or it will snow, either it will happen or it won’t.”

Sleep without hind legs

This expression arose a long time ago. Peasants, often observing animals, noticed that when you wake the animals, when they wake up, they try to stand on their legs and always on their front legs. The hind legs do not obey them at first. That is, the horse rises first on its front legs and then on its hind legs. It seems that when the front legs are already at work, the hind legs are still watching their sleep. So, this is the expression we now use when talking about a person sleeping soundly.

Quietly

We use this expression when we say that a person does something secretly, unnoticed. We received this expression as a gift from the military. In military terminology, a sapoy is called a ditch or a tunnel, with the help of which you can quietly and unnoticed get closer to the enemy. The word sapa was taken from the French language, where “sape” means undermining.

Everything is on ointment

This expression comes from carriers. They had to make sure that the carts were lubricated on time, so that they did not creak, and that nothing would fray or break along the way. And when the merchant asked the carriers if everything was ready for the further journey, they answered “everything is ready,” that is, the carts are ready for the road.

On the seventh heaven

This expression goes back to very ancient times. Then it was believed that the sky consists of seven spheres (this is from the teachings of Aristotle). And on these spheres the stars and planets are attached.

But the farthest sphere is the most mysterious, there is paradise, where every person strives to go after death. And in heaven there is joy, happiness and eternal bliss. So being in seventh heaven means that you are practically in heaven.

Cuckold

The origin of this expression is also very ancient. During the reign of Emperor Komnenos Andronikos (ancient Byzantium), the following rule was in use: those husbands with whose wives the emperor had an affair were allowed to hunt in the emperor’s menagerie, where he kept many exotic animals. And I must say this privilege was in great demand then. So, the gates of the houses where such families lived were decorated with deer antlers - “a sign of special honor.”

In the middle of nowhere

This is what we say when we want to say that this place is very far away. Let's start with the fact that Easter cakes are swampy and sticky places in the forest, where, according to popular beliefs, evil spirits have always been found. And as usual, the devil is in charge, i.e. these very Easterlands are his diocese.

Elbow feeling

This expression also came to us from the military. In formation, it is very important that soldiers clearly mark their steps and wave their hands. And for all this to happen synchronously, you had to very subtly feel the elbow of your comrade standing next to you. Don't touch it, but feel it. Then the entire formation at the parade looked like one creature and the movements were clear and streamlined.

Don't get into trouble

This expression means that you should not do something without thinking it through, under the influence of emotions. So what is trouble? Judging by ancient documents, this was the name of the stake with which experienced hunters went to hunt a bear. This stake was specially made and hewn to make it sharp. And when a bear appeared during the hunt, this stake was put out in front of them as the first weapon against the shaggy one.

Bring to white heat

We owe the origin of this expression to the workers who smelted metal and stood at hot furnaces all day long. The fact is that when metal is heated for forging, it changes color depending on the temperature. At first the color is red, after some time it turns yellow, and then becomes white. This was the highest degree of heating. But to achieve such a metal color required a huge amount of strength and patience. So the expression “bring to white heat” means to bring a person to the highest degree of irritation, to drive him crazy.

There are lees to every wine

This expression is many years old. It appeared back when our ancestors considered the sun to be a deity, they prayed to him and presented gifts. But even in those distant times, people already noticed that the sun is not clearly yellow, there are darker spots on it. Now we know that these are traces of huge vortices, but then people did not know this. So the expression “even the sun has spots” means that there is no absolute perfection in the world.

And there is a hole in the old woman

The word prorukha in ancient times meant a mistake, a mistake. And the wisest and most respected people in the villages were considered to be old people, wise from experience. But they also sometimes made mistakes. So this expression says that even the most experienced people make mistakes.

Indian summer

By this expression we mean that at the beginning of autumn there begins a period of warm, clear, windless weather. And what is your attachment to women, ask? And, it turns out, the most, as they say, close connection. At this time, after hard field work, the time came when the work done by women came to the fore, i.e. This is harvesting the garden, picking berries and mushrooms. During this warm period, women tried to do more housework without putting it off in the cold.

Wait until the carrot spell

The fast is the last day before fasting, when you can still eat meat, fish, and milk. There is a ban on these products during Lent. But there is no ban on eating carrots in any fast. Therefore, the carrot plot is simply something that can never happen. And the expression “wait until the carrot spell” means waiting for a time that will never come.

Steros club

This is what we now call a person, meaning that he is stupid. This expression appeared among seminarians. The fact is that the word “club” was used for a very long time and meant that a person was not very smart and that his head was empty. And stauros was taken from the Greek language, from the word “stauros”, which also means club, pile, stake. So, when the teacher called the seminarian a “stoeros cudgel,” he meant that the seminarian is stupider than stupid, i.e. stupid squared.

It's dying out

Frankincense is the sap of resinous trees, it has a strong odor and is usually used in the performance of various church rituals. In particular, a censer with smoking incense was swung in front of a dying person. This implied that the soul would easily leave the body. And the dying man tried with all his might to inhale this smell. So the expression “breathing on its last legs” means to be in a very serious condition, almost dying.

Not a timid one

This expression came from among the military in Ancient Rus'. The fact is that “ten” is the name of a military unit, the smallest military unit, headed by a foreman. Ten such “ten” were called a hundred and were headed by a centurion. And every single dozen warriors had their own reputation. And if a warrior showed courage in battle, they said that he was not a timid person. Then this expression spreads from military speech to everyday speech.

Sing the praises

What is a dithyramb? This is a solemn song in honor of the gods. This song praised the gods and praised their mission. Later, this expression began to be used when someone praised someone excessively, highly appreciating his merits. Those. man was practically equated with god.

This expression appeared in very ancient times. At that time, most of the population of Rus' was illiterate. But people somehow needed to keep basic records. So the first abacus was considered to be a person’s palm and his fingers. When counting, the fingers bent and the number counted increased.

Bring it under the monastery

It just so happened in Rus' that people very often went to the monastery to atone for some of their sins, that is, after major everyday troubles. And the expression “to bring under the monastery” meant that the person had done something, something very bad from the point of view of the church, i.e. something that will take a long time to pray for. Now we use it when someone has put someone else in an uncomfortable position, brought trouble or some kind of trouble to someone.

My husband ate too many pears

This humorous expression is used when we want to say that the husband is not here now. The origin of this phrase has not been fully elucidated. Some language experts claim that this is just a humorous rhyme, such as “well - wildebeest bagels.”

Others claim that this is due to the Chinese pear, which has a bad effect on a man's potency. Those. he doesn't care about his wife.

Still others have their own version, which says that after eating a lot of pears, you will have an upset stomach. Therefore, at this time the husband is busy with important work.

In any case, the answer to the question “Where is your husband?” - “The husband has eaten too many pears!” means that there seems to be a husband, but where he is and what he is doing is unclear.

Green serpent

This expression appeared in Ancient Rus'. Young wine made from grapes has a greenish tint, which is why it was called “green wine.” But we all know that if you drink wine often, you are not far from drunkenness. That is, the young wine is easy to drink, but gives a very good impression to the head. It’s like the biblical tempting serpent, it gently seduces, but it won’t lead to trouble. Therefore, when invited to drink, they say that the green serpent, i.e. alcohol, seduces.

Crazy with fat

This expression originated from observations of animals. If a dog is fed fat for a very long time, it becomes lazy and clumsy. She no longer cares about performing her “dog” service. And if they tried to lift her with a stick, she would rush at her owner. That’s when the expression “A fat dog gets mad” appeared. Nowadays, this expression has been shortened and used when we describe people who are capricious from idleness, from the fact that there is nothing to do.

Showed up, didn't get dusty

Who showed up and why didn’t they get dusty? Let's figure it out. When the owner sent his servant on an errand, he was not supposed to take a cab; he had to walk the whole way. And if the servant appeared after some time in clothes with no dust on them, this indicated that he either did not fulfill the order or was cheating. In any case, the owner was unhappy. “He showed up without getting dusty” denotes an expression of dissatisfaction with the appearance of someone.

Go left

This expression is associated with the belief that we have two angels. The guardian angel chose his right shoulder, and the tempting angel chose his left. And so they sit on our shoulders all their lives and give advice. The guardian angel protects us, and the tempting angel constantly draws us into something.

Since ancient times, the word “right” among the Slavs meant correct, legal, given by God. So, going to the left means doing something wrong, something the tempting angel is tempting you with. And according to tradition, he, like the tempting serpent, usually tempts to treason.

Like looking into the water

This expression is directly related to fortune telling. It was believed that during Christmas week everyone was allowed to guess. And the girls often gathered in groups and told fortunes. The simplest and at the same time surest way was to look into a dish of water with lit candles. You should have asked a question and looked carefully. The images appearing in the water were the answer to the question. And the questions were usually made about the future. So the expression “like looking into water” means to foresee something, to know in advance about some events.

Like Christ in his bosom

What is a sinus? This is the place located between the chest and clothing. If we look at ancient Russian clothing, we will notice that there were no pockets then. They began to be sewn on much later. And the most reliable place was precisely the sinus. Money, documents, in general, everything that was most valuable and important was hidden there. And since Christ is the savior and protector of all believers, in his bosom there was generally the safest, calmest and most reliable place.

Don't lose face in the dirt

This expression is associated with fist fights in Rus'. It was believed that in a fist fight the most shameful thing was to fall face down on the ground or in the mud. That is, if the opponents got up from the ground, and one of them had dirt on his face, it was assumed in advance that he had lost. So even in the most difficult battles, fighters could endure everything: pain, blood, but not dirt on their faces. So the expression “not to lose face” means to come out of any test with dignity.

In no time

We owe the appearance of this expression to the military. From ancient times, it just so happened that all military commands had to be carried out by counting. For example, throwing a rifle onto the shoulder was done in two counts, at the command of the commander: “One, two.” Or you also need to count a step in formation. And since in wartime decisive and quick actions were needed, since the life of a soldier depended on it, now this expression means that the action was carried out very quickly, almost instantly.

You can't spill it with water

This expression appeared a long time ago, and it is connected with this. There should be only one bull in the herd; he is the rightful owner in this herd. When two bulls came together in a pasture, a fight immediately broke out between them. Everyone wanted to show that they were stronger than their opponents. At that moment it was better not to approach the bulls. They could easily mutilate the shepherd. So the shepherds themselves came up with the idea of pouring water on the fighting bulls. While the stunned bulls were coming to their senses, they were pulled in opposite directions. Since then, the expression “you can’t spill water” means that someone is very tightly connected to someone else, just like bulls fighting with horns. Later they started talking about great friends like that.

He is my right hand

This expression reflects the way of peasant life in Rus'. In those distant times, all family members had their assigned place at the table. The head of the family, usually the eldest man in the family, sat at the “top edge of the table” under the images. The eldest son usually sat on the right hand, since he was considered his father’s main assistant and the greatest hopes and greatest responsibility were always placed on him. He had to be obeyed if the head of the family left somewhere.

There is another version. This is the meaning of the right hand for a person. Usually, unless a person is left-handed, of course, for him the right hand is the main one. He performs all his actions better with his right hand than with his left.

Sprinkle ashes on your head

Now this expression means that a person bitterly repents of what he has done. So where did this expression come from?

In ancient times, Jews had the following custom: if someone died in the family, or some other misfortune occurred, then family members sprinkled earth or ashes on their heads. This told others that the family was in deep sorrow. And as usual, family members blamed themselves for what happened. Therefore, there is a feeling of guilt and remorse.

Let's not be foolish

This expression was born during the time of the Moscow Tsars. Then each king had jesters in his service, or “fools” as they were called, who entertained both the king and the guests. So, when the boyars close to him gathered at the hour appointed by the tsar in the tsar’s chambers to “think the sovereign’s thoughts,” no one in excess was allowed there. That is, this happened behind closed doors. Even jesters were not allowed. The boyars were informed about the secrecy of such a meeting: “No fools.” And now this expression means that the matter is serious, no joke.

Onion grief

When do we cry? When some misfortunes happen in life. So there must be a reason for tears, right? But you can cry for no reason if you just peel the onion. Tears will be abundant, but there is no reason for them. So we use the expression “woe is my onion” in relation to a person who has invented for himself a lot of unnecessary difficulties that actually do not exist.

A good face for a bad game

This expression appeared among gamblers. A very good card player must be able to control his face very deftly. No matter what happened, no matter what cards were dealt to him, he had to maintain a calm and detached expression on his face, i.e. mine so that the enemy does not guess which layout of cards in the game has fallen. This demonstrated the professionalism of a true master.

Dressed to perfection

This expression appeared among tailors. When the sewn clothes were handed over to the customer, they had to be completely ready and ironed. A good master tailor was considered to be one whose clothes fit his figure like a glove.

When the customer put on this outfit, they said that he was dressed to the nines, i.e. The clothes are just from the master, new and fit very well.

Such masters were worth their weight in gold.

Walk on hind legs

Do you have a dog? Do you remember how you raise, educate, train her? And, of course, we all feel moved when our pets stand on their hind legs and stretch out their front legs towards us. And we tell them “Come on, serve!” And he serves. This happens very often. And our pets, seeing our admiration and tenderness for this, try again and again to please us, to please us. The expression “walking on your hind legs” means that someone is pleasing someone, or someone is currying favor with someone.

a fool

In the old days, it was customary to place a scarecrow (or jester) in the garden so that it would scare away birds and hares from the fields. And in order for the effect to be stronger, the scarecrow was dressed in straw from last year's peas. At the slightest wind, these straw clothes began to rustle and the birds scattered in fear. Since then, a poorly and ugly dressed person has been called a fool. This expression speaks of bad taste or old-fashioned clothing.

Easy to find

This expression is associated with a folk custom. If a person died, it was customary to mention him with a “kind word” at his wake. That is, they mentioned him “for his repose,” so that in the next world he would be well received and his soul would be at peace.

And those who left or were far from home were always mentioned at feasts “for their health.” Remember the toast “To those at sea”? This is a classic "health" reference. If after such a mention a person suddenly returned, they said that he was easy to remember.

Cut off slice

This expression is part of the saying “You can’t put a cut piece back on bread.” A cut off piece is what they called a daughter in Rus' who got married and left her home. Now she no longer belonged to her father, but belonged to her husband.

Later, this expression is used to refer to any family member who decides to live his own life.

They are smeared with the same world.

This expression appeared in ancient times. The fact is that myrrh is a fragrant substance that is used in the church for ritual events. For example, a baby is anointed with myrrh at baptism. This means that he came into the world of God's faith. Therefore, in ancient times, the expression “smeared with the same world” meant that these were people of the same faith. Nowadays it is used rather with a negative connotation.

Play first fiddle

This expression came to us from among musicians. Every large orchestra must have not one, but several violins. The main violin is always considered to be the “prima”, the second is the “second”, then the “viola”, and so on. But the first violin is always the leader, and all the others follow it, complementing its sound. So, going beyond music, this expression came to mean a person who is a leader, leading others. And other people look up to him.

Persona non grata

This expression was given to us by gentlemen diplomats. The fact is that, translated from Latin, the word “persona” means a person or a person, a person. And “grata” is desire. Further, in the meaning, “persona grata” is a person who was received with great desire in a foreign country. And accordingly, “persona non grata” is someone who is undesirable, whom they do not want to see, i.e. an undesirable person for whom the road is closed.

Put it in its place

At the Moscow royal court there was a rule that at all ceremonial events the boyars were obliged to stand in places strictly defined by their nobility and rank. But sometimes the kings brought closer people who seemed to be not noble, but apparently very important. Then this man was placed closer to the king, and this was considered the greatest honor for this man, but this also caused discontent among all the other boyars.

Now this expression means that someone has been pointed out about his behavior, sometimes very unworthy.

Fail

Translated from Italian, the word “fiasca” means a large bottle (2 liters). The fact is that in Italy there was a fairly famous comedian Bianconelli, and he had a funny act in which he tried to hold this bottle with one hand, while making funny movements. Everything would have been fine and the audience would have been happy and cheerful, but in one of these performances Bianconelli dropped a bottle and water splashed all those present. The indignant audience began to leave without watching the performance to the end. After such an acting failure, the word “fiasco” began to mean failure. And the expression “to fail” means to fail, to fail in some matter.

I've got you figured out

This expression is connected, oddly enough, with money, but not with paper money, but with coins. In ancient times, in order to protect themselves from counterfeit coins, ordinary people checked their authenticity in the following way - they bit the coin with their teeth, and then looked to see if there were teeth marks on the coin. If there is, then the coin is fake. And then this expression began to be used in relation to people. “I figured you out” means that someone understood everything about another person, figured out the true motives of his actions.

Put the pig down

The origin of this expression has two options. The first is a gift from the military. In ancient times, there was such a formation of troops during military operations as a “pig”. At the same time, the troops lined up in a wedge, and this formation was very successful during the offensive. The appearance of such a wedge was so formidable that the enemy very often rushed to his heels. And this was not just a nuisance, it was a big disaster and even death.

The second version is related to the ban for Muslims to eat pork. Sometimes it happened that a person ate a piece of meat without even suspecting that it was pork. And when he found out, it caused such anger that no one was hardened enough.

So the expression “to put a pig” in any case means that someone was in big trouble.

Tip on your tongue

Sometimes these hard and very painful pimples appear on the tongue. They were called tipuns. In ancient times in Rus' they said that this is a sign of a person’s deceit. And they scared the children, saying that if you tell a lie, a pip will immediately appear on your tongue. Since then, this expression has been used as a spell against a liar and any unkind person who, with his words, can bring about some kind of misfortune.

Set your teeth on edge

Do you remember how your mouth feels when you eat a lot of green apples or plums? It’s such an unpleasant feeling from the acidity of green fruits, isn’t it? Even sometimes there is a slight pain in the teeth. This is what sets the teeth on edge. Anyone who likes to feast on green apples knows very well what it is like to set one's teeth on edge.

Later, this expression began to be used for all sorts of boring matters. So “to set one’s teeth on edge” now means that something that is being discussed in a conversation is very tired and boring.

Wander around

This expression appeared at a time when almost all men in Rus' wore beards and mustaches. When they had to make a decision, men very often began to twirl their mustaches to keep their hands busy. Or maybe it came from thoughtfulness. But, nevertheless, this habit was noticed by the people. And now when we say to someone “take your time,” we mean that the person should think carefully, take into account all the facts before coming to a final decision.

Wouldn't hurt a fly

In our minds, a fly is a creature associated with something dirty, which you don’t even mind killing so as not to spread infection. And that’s why we have a slightly disgusted attitude towards them. And a person who cannot offend even a fly, despite all its dirt and harmfulness, is the standard of human meekness.

That is, this expression is used to describe very kind, meek people, who by their nature cannot bring harm or pain to anyone.

If we don't wash, we'll just ride

In Rus', laundresses usually washed clothes near a pond. This process took place in two stages: first, they were soaped and washed in water, and then, if it was not washed, they were also rolled on boards using rolling pins.

So the expression “if we don’t wash it, we ride it” means that goals are achieved in any way, using different means. At the same time, they are not shy in choosing these very means.

Burn one's boats

This expression came to us from among the military. During hostilities, bridges were burned in two cases:
- so that there is no temptation to retreat;
- so that you can escape the pursuit of the enemy and detain him in front of this bridge.

Later this expression turned into peaceful speech. But the meaning remained the same - to commit an act that will not allow you to return to the past. This is an act whose point of no return has been passed.

Fed up with

This expression has been used since ancient times to describe the degree of satiety of a person. That is, it was used only in relation to how much a person ate. And it meant that the person had completely satisfied his hunger.

Later, this same expression began to be used when there was something beyond all measure, when everything was tired, boring or annoying. And this applied not only to the concept of food, but also to other things.

Catch on the fly

If you have a dog, you've probably seen more than once how deftly it catches a piece of meat you throw. She doesn't wait for him to plop down on the ground, no. The dog catches him in flight.

So the expression “catch on the fly” means that a person very easily assimilates the information he needs, as if playfully. And in order to understand everything, he just needs to listen carefully, while the other needs years of training for this purpose.

Suck it from your finger

You've probably noticed how some people, when they're worried or thinking about something, start biting their nails. But from the outside it seems that the person is sucking his finger. This is how this expression “suck it out of thin air” appeared and it means that a person came up with something incomprehensible to himself and came to a false conclusion without any reason.

That is, this conclusion was literally pulled out of thin air.

Hello. Tell me, please, what does the phrase “all people are equal before God” mean? So everyone should be treated as equals? So, one person is no worse and no better than another? And the second question is whether you need to respect yourself and how to respect yourself? Thanks a lot. Sergey.

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers:

Hello, Sergey!

This means that the Lord looks at a person’s heart, and not at some external signs. The Lord does not care what nationality a person is, what position in society he occupies, whether he is a man or a woman, etc. Each of us is created in the image and likeness of God. In this sense, we are truly equal, and that means one person is no worse or better than another. All people are sinners, but even a great sinner can repent and become a great saint - remember, for example, the story of the Venerable Mary of Egypt (you can read her life, for example). We can only judge ourselves, and this judgment must be very strict. We must remember not so much about our merits as about our sins, and we must repent of these sins before God and try to correct them. We need to respect the image and likeness of the Lord in ourselves, and this respect must be manifested in our behavior: we must behave in such a way that this image is not distorted by passions and sins.

Sincerely, Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko.

The history of the phrase "unlucky person"

If you analyze the roots of the words from this phrase, you can highlight the word “path”, that is, road.
The meaning of the first version of the meaning of the saying " unlucky person" lies in the fact that a person chose the wrong path in life, went down an inclined path.

However, in medieval Rus' this word “path” had a completely different meaning. Then at the royal court there was a special position, which was called that way. Moreover, this position should not be simple, but very honorable and profitable.
For example, the position of stablemaster meant guarantee for carriages and royal horses, the position of falconer meant the head of the royal hunt, and the path of hunter meant the chief among the royal hunters during hound hunting.
It was very prestigious and very lucrative. Many boyars tried by hook or by crook to get such positions for their children. Many did not succeed, but there were lucky ones who somehow attracted the tsar. Those who were not able to bargain for a “traveling” position with evil irony and called it a mockery" unlucky people".

Time has passed and this phraseology " unlucky person“became a common noun among the people. It began to be associated with the concept of a person’s personal properties and the inability to find a sensible and necessary position in life.

Read more.