Phraseologisms
Phraseologisms are stable combinations of words, figures of speech such as: “knuckle down”, “hang your nose”, “ask a headache”... A figure of speech, which is called a phraseological unit, is indivisible in meaning, that is, its meaning does not consist of the meanings of its constituent words. It only works as a single unit, a lexical unit.
Phraseologisms are popular expressions that do not have an author.
The meaning of phraseological units is to give emotional coloring expression, to enhance its meaning.
Many phraseological units can be easily replaced with one word:
headlong - quickly,
close at hand - close.
Often a direct expression turns into a figurative one, expanding the shades of its meaning.
Bursting at the seams - from the tailor's speech it acquired a broader meaning - to fall into decay.
Confuse - from the speech of railway workers it has passed into general use in the sense of causing confusion.
Examples of phraseological units and their meanings
to beat the knuckles - to mess around
To overeat henbane - to go berserk (applies to people who do stupid things
After the rain on Thursday - never
Anika the warrior - a braggart, brave only in words, far from danger
Give a head wash (bath) - soap your neck, head - strongly scold
A white crow is a person who stands out sharply from environment one or another quality
Living like a Biryuk means being gloomy and not communicating with anyone.
Throw down the gauntlet - challenge someone to an argument, competition (although no one throws down the gloves)
Wolf in sheep's clothing - evil people pretending to be kind, hiding under the guise of meekness
Having your head in the clouds - blissfully dreaming, fantasizing about who knows what
The soul sank into his heels - a man who was afraid, afraid
Don't spare your belly - sacrifice your life
Notch it on the nose - remember it firmly
Making a molehill out of a molehill - turning a small fact into a whole event
On a silver platter - get what you want with honor, without special effort
At the edge of the earth - somewhere very far away
In seventh heaven - to be in complete delight, in a state of supreme bliss
You can’t see anything - it’s so dark that you can’t see the paths, paths
To rush headlong - to act recklessly, with desperate determination
Eat a pound of salt - get to know each other well
Good riddance - go away, we can do without you
Roll up your sleeves - work hard, diligently
Phraseologisms with the word “WATER”
A storm in a teacup - big worries over an insignificant reason
It is written with a pitchfork on the water - it is not yet known how it will be, the outcome is not clear, by analogy: “grandmother said in two”
You can't spill water - great friends, about strong friendship
Carrying water in a sieve means wasting time, doing useless things. Similarly: pounding water in a mortar.
He took water into his mouth - he remains silent and does not want to answer
Carry water (on someone) - burden him with hard work, taking advantage of his flexible nature
Bring to light - expose dark deeds, catch in lies
To get away with it is to remain unpunished, without bad consequences
Money is like water - meaning the ease with which it is spent
Blowing on water after being burned by milk means being too careful, remembering past mistakes
How he looked into the water - as if he knew in advance, foresaw, accurately predicted events
How he sank into the water - disappeared, disappeared without a trace, disappeared without a trace
Like being submerged in water - sad, sad
Like water through your fingers - the one who easily escapes persecution
Like two drops of water - very similar, indistinguishable
If you don’t know the ford, don’t go into the water - a warning not to take hasty action
Like a fish in water - to feel confident, to navigate very well, to understand something well,
Like water off a duck's back - a person doesn't care about anything
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then - a lot of time has passed
Carrying water in a sieve is a waste of time
The seventh water on jelly is a very distant relationship
Hiding loose ends - hiding traces of a crime
Quieter than water, lower than the grass - behave modestly, unnoticed
Pounding water in a mortar is a useless task.
Phraseologisms with the word “NOS”
It is interesting that in phraseological units the word nose practically does not reveal its main meaning. The nose is an organ of smell, but in stable phrases the nose is associated primarily with the idea of something small and short. Remember the fairy tale about Kolobok? When the Fox needed Kolobok to come within her reach and get closer, she asks him to sit on her nose. However, the word nose does not always refer to the organ of smell. It also has other meanings. To mutter under one's breath - to grumble, grumpily, mutter indistinctly.
Lead by the nose - this phrase came to us from Central Asia. Visitors are often surprised how small children manage to cope with huge camels. The animal obediently follows the child leading him by the rope. The fact is that the rope is threaded through a ring located in the camel’s nose. Here you want it, you don’t want it, but you have to obey! Rings were also put into the noses of bulls to make their disposition more docile. If a person deceives someone or does not fulfill his promise, then he is also said to be “led by the nose.”
To turn one's nose up means to be unjustifiably proud of something, to boast.
Notch on the nose - Notch on the nose means: remember firmly, once and for all. It seems to many that this was said not without cruelty: it is not very pleasant if you are offered to make a notch on your own face. Unnecessary fear. The word nose here does not mean the organ of smell at all, but just a memorial tablet, a tag for notes. In ancient times, illiterate people always carried such tablets with them and made all kinds of notes on them with notches and cuts. These tags were called noses.
Nodding off means falling asleep.
Curious Varvara's nose was torn off at the market - don't interfere in someone else's business.
On the nose - this is how they talk about something that is about to happen.
Don't poke your nose into someone else's business - in this way they want to show that a person is overly, inappropriately curious, interfering in what he shouldn't.
Nose to nose - on the contrary, close.
Keep your nose in the wind - in the glorious times of the sailing fleet, movement on the sea was completely dependent on the direction of the wind and the weather. No wind, calm - and the sails drooped, more like a rag. A nasty wind blows into the bow of the ship - you have to think no longer about sailing, but already about dropping all the anchors, that is, “standing at anchor” and removing all the sails so that air flow did not throw the ship ashore. To go out to sea, a fair wind was required, which inflated the sails and directed the ship forward into the sea. The vocabulary of sailors associated with this received imagery and entered our literary language. Now “keeping your nose to the wind” - in a figurative sense, means adapting to any circumstances. “Drop anchor”, “become anchored” - stop in motion, settle somewhere; “Sitting by the sea and waiting for the weather” is an inactive expectation of change; “Full sail” – moving towards the intended goal full swing, quickly as possible; Wishing someone a “fair wind” means wishing them good luck.
Hanging his nose or Hanging his nose - if suddenly a person is depressed or just sad, it happens about him that they say that he seems to be “hanging his nose,” and they can also add: “by a fifth.” Quinta, translated from Latin, means “fifth.” Musicians, or more precisely, violinists, call this the first string of a violin in tone (the highest). When playing, the violinist usually supports his instrument with his chin and his nose almost touches this string closest to him. The expression “hanging your nose on a fifth,” perfected among musicians, entered fiction.
I was left with my nose - without what I was counting on.
Right under your nose - close.
Show your nose - tease someone by pointing thumb to the nose and waving to the others.
With a gulkin's nose - very little (a gulkin is a dove, a dove has a small beak).
To poke your nose into other people's affairs is to be interested in other people's affairs.
To leave with your nose - the roots of the expression “to leave with your nose” are lost in the distant past. In the old days, bribery was very common in Rus'. Neither in institutions nor in court was it possible to achieve a positive decision without an offering, a gift. Of course, these gifts, hidden by the petitioner somewhere under the floor, were not called the word “bribe.” They were politely called "bring" or "nose". If the manager, judge or clerk took the “nose”, then one could be sure that the case would be resolved favorably. In case of refusal (and this could happen if the gift seemed small to the official or the offering had already been accepted from the opposite party), the petitioner went home with his “nose”. In this case, there was no hope for success. Since then, the words “to go away with your nose” have come to mean “to suffer defeat, fail, lose, stumble, without achieving anything.
Wipe your nose - if you manage to surpass someone, they say that you wiped your nose.
To bury your nose is to immerse yourself completely in some activity.
Well-fed, drunk and with tobacco on his nose - means a satisfied and satisfied person with everything.
Phraseologisms with the word “MOUTH, LIPS”
The word mouth enters whole line phraseological units whose meanings are related to the speaking process. Food enters the human body through the mouth - a number of stable expressions one way or another indicate this function of the mouth. There are not many phraseological units with the word lip.
You can't put it in your mouth - they say if the food is cooked tasteless.
Lip is not a fool - they say about a person who knows how to choose the best.
Silencing someone means preventing them from speaking.
Porridge in the mouth - a person speaks slurred.
There was no poppy dew in the mouth - this means that the person has not eaten for a long time and needs to be fed urgently.
The milk on the lips has not dried - they say if they want to show that someone is still young and inexperienced.
Taking water into your mouth means silencing yourself.
To pout your lips means to be offended.
To open your mouth is to freeze in amazement at something that has captured your imagination.
Your mouth is full of trouble - they say when there are so many things to do that you don’t have time to cope with them.
A wide open mouth is a sign of surprise.
Phraseologisms with the word “HAND”
To be at hand - to be available, to be in close proximity
Warm your hands - take advantage of the position
To hold in hands - not to give free rein, to hold in strict obedience
As if taken off by hand, it quickly disappeared, passed
Carry in your arms - provide special affection, attention, appreciate, pamper
Working hard - working hard
Turning up your arm means accidentally being nearby
To fall under the hot hand is to run into trouble Bad mood
The hand does not rise - it is in no way possible to perform the action due to an internal prohibition
Hand in hand - holding hands, together, together
Hand washes hand - people connected by common interests protect each other
I can't get my hands on it - I just don't have the energy or time to do anything.
Hands itch - about a great desire to do something
Just a stone's throw away - very close, very close
Grasp with both hands - agree with pleasure with some proposal
To rake in the heat with someone else's hands - to enjoy the fruits of someone else's work
Golden hands - about someone who skillfully, skillfully does everything, copes with any job
Phraseologisms with the word “HEAD”
Wind in the head is an unreliable person.
It slipped my mind - I forgot.
My head is spinning - there are too many things to do, responsibilities, information.
Giving your head to be cut off means promising.
Out of the blue - unexpected.
To fool one's head is to deceive, to divert from the essence of the matter.
Don't lose your head - be responsible for your actions.
Examine from head to toe - everything, carefully, carefully.
Headlong - risky.
If they don't pat you on the head, they'll scold you.
From a sore head to a healthy one - blame someone else.
Upside down - the opposite.
To rack your brains over a task is to think hard.
Headlong - very quickly.
Phraseologisms with the word "EAR"
The word ear is included in phraseological units that are somehow related to hearing. Harsh words primarily affect the ears. In many established expressions, the word ears does not mean the organ of hearing, but only its outer part. I wonder if you can see your ears? Use a mirror in in this case not allowed!
Keep your eyes open - a person is tensely waiting for danger. Vostry is an old form of the word acute.
Prick up your ears - listen carefully. A dog's ears are pointed and the dog erects its ears when listening. This is where the phraseological unit arose.
You can't see your ears - they say about a person who will never get what he wants.
To plunge head over heels into something - they say to a person if he is completely absorbed in some activity. You can be deeply in debt – if there are a lot of debts.
Blushed to the ears - they say when a person is very embarrassed.
Hanging ears - this is what they say about a person who listens to someone too trustingly.
Listening with all your ears means listening carefully.
Listen with half an ear or listen out of the corner of your ear - listen without much attention.
Ears wither - it’s extremely disgusting to listen to anything.
It hurts the ears - they say when something is unpleasant to listen to.
Phraseologisms with the word “TOOTH”
With the word tooth in Russian there is quite a large number of stable expressions. Among them there is a noticeable group of phraseological units in which teeth act as a kind of weapon of defense or attack, threat. The word tooth is also used in phraseological units denoting various deplorable human conditions.
To be in the teeth is to impose, to bother.
Armed to the teeth - they say about a person who is dangerous to attack, because he can give a worthy rebuff.
Talking with your teeth is a distraction.
Tit for tat - abusive (tendency to abuse), unyielding, “as it comes back, so it will respond.”
A tooth doesn't touch a tooth - they say if someone is frozen from extreme cold or from trembling, excitement, or fear.
To give a tooth is to mock, to ridicule someone.
To eat with a tooth - to drive, to squeeze.
To bare your teeth is to mock.
Eating teeth means gaining experience.
Scratching your teeth means talking nonsense, nonsense.
Try it on the tooth - find out, try it directly.
Something is too tough for someone - it’s difficult to bite off, it’s beyond your strength, beyond your abilities.
There is nothing to put on the tooth - they say when there is nothing to eat.
Not even a blow - absolutely nothing (not knowing, not understanding, etc.).
To look someone in the mouth is to find out everything about a person.
To raise a tooth is to mock.
Showing your teeth means demonstrating your evil nature, the desire to quarrel, to threaten someone.
Putting your teeth on a shelf means starving when there is no food left in the house.
Speak through teeth - barely open your mouth, reluctantly.
Grit your teeth - do not lose heart, do not despair, start the fight.
To sharpen or have a grudge against someone is to be angry, to strive to cause harm.
Phraseologisms with the word “CHEST, BACK”
The words chest and back are included in oppositely colored phraseological units. However, there are also positively colored phraseological units with the word back.
To stand up or stand with your chest for something - to rise to defense, to defend steadfastly.
Riding on someone's back means achieving your goals by using someone to your advantage.
They bend their back - to work, or to bow.
Hunch your back - work.
To ride on someone's back is to use someone for some of your own purposes.
To do something behind someone’s back - so that he doesn’t see, doesn’t know, secretly from someone.
Place your hands behind your back - cross them at the back.
On your own back (to experience, to learn something) - from your own bitter experience, as a result of troubles, difficulties, adversities that you yourself had to endure.
A knife in the back or a stab in the back is a treacherous, treasonous act, a blow.
Turn your back - leave, leave to the mercy of fate, stop communicating with someone.
To pave the way with one's chest means to achieve a good position in life; he achieves everything through hard work and overcomes all the difficulties that befall him.
Hiding behind someone else's back means shifting your responsibilities or responsibilities onto someone else.
To work without straightening your back is diligent, diligent, hard and hard. They can be used to praise a roughly working person.
Straighten your back - gain self-confidence, cheer up.
Show your back - leave, run away.
To stand behind someone's back is to secretly, secretly lead someone.
Phraseologisms with the word “LANGUAGE”
Language is another word often found in phraseological units, since language is extremely important for a person, it is with it that the idea of the ability to speak and communicate is associated. The idea of speaking (or, conversely, silence) can be traced in one way or another in many phraseological units with the word language.
Running with your tongue out is very fast.
Keep your mouth shut - remain silent, do not say too much; be careful in your statements.
Long tongue - they say if a person is a talker and likes to tell other people's secrets.
How a cow licked it with its tongue - about something that quickly and without a trace disappeared.
Find a common language - achieve mutual understanding.
Step on the tongue - silence.
Hanging your tongue on your shoulder means you are very tired.
To get on the tongue is to become the subject of gossip.
Bite your tongue - shut up, refrain from speaking.
Loosen the tongue - encourage someone to talk; give someone the opportunity to speak.
To loosen one's tongue - without restraining oneself, losing control over oneself, blurting out, saying unnecessary things.
A peck on your tongue is an angry wish to an angry chatterbox.
To pull your tongue is to say something that is not entirely appropriate to the situation.
To shorten the tongue - to make someone silent, to prevent insolence from speaking, unnecessary things.
Scratching your tongue (scratching your tongue) means talking in vain, chattering, idle talk.
To scratch one's tongue is to gossip, slander.
The devil pulled his tongue - an unnecessary word escapes the tongue.
A tongue without bones - they say if a person is talkative.
Your tongue is slurred—you can’t say anything clearly.
The tongue is stuck to the larynx - suddenly become silent, stop speaking.
Swallow your tongue - shut up, stop talking (about someone’s reluctance to talk).
The tongue is well-spoken - they say about a person who speaks freely and fluently.
Phraseologisms with the word “LITTLE”
Almost - about, almost
The spool is small but expensive - value is not determined by size
Small small smaller - one smaller than the other (about children)
The bird is small, but the nail is sharp - insignificant in position, but inspires fear or admiration for its qualities
A small dog until old age, a puppy - a small person always seems younger than his age, does not make a solid impression
You never know - 1. anything, any 2. not significant, not important 3. excitement, what if...
Little by little - slowly, little by little
Slowly - slowly
From young to old - all ages
Little by little (drink) – a little, a small portion
Play small - make a small bet (in games)
From an early age - from childhood
The smallest part is an insignificant part of something.
Correct and appropriate use of phraseological units gives speech special expressiveness, accuracy and imagery.
Phraseology is a branch of the science of language that studies stable combinations of words. Phraseologism is a stable combination of words, or a stable expression. Used to name objects, signs, actions. It is an expression that arose once, became popular and became entrenched in people's speech. The expression is endowed with imagery and may have a figurative meaning. Over time, the expression may come into use broad meaning, partially including the original meaning or completely excluding it.
The phraseological unit as a whole has lexical meaning. The words included in a phraseological unit individually do not convey the meaning of the entire expression. Phraseologisms can be synonymous (at the end of the world, where the raven did not bring bones) and antonymous (raise to heaven - trample into the dirt). A phraseological unit in a sentence is one member of the sentence. Phraseologisms reflect a person and his activities: work (golden hands, playing the fool), relationships in society (bosom friend, putting a spoke in the wheels), personal qualities (turning up his nose, sour face), etc. Phraseologisms make statements expressive and create imagery. Set expressions are used in works of art, in journalism, in everyday speech. Set expressions are also called idioms. There are many idioms in other languages - English, Japanese, Chinese, French.
To clearly see the use of phraseological units, refer to their list or on the page below.
You've probably heard more than once that some phrases are called phraseological units. And, we bet, we have used such phrases ourselves many times. Let's check what you know about them. We guarantee we know more. And we will be happy to share information.
What is a phraseological unit?
Phraseologism- a turnover that is freely reproduced in speech, has a holistic, stable and, often, figurative meaning. From the point of view of structure, it is constructed as a coordinating or subordinating phrase (it is non-predicative or predicative in nature).
In what case does a certain phrase turn into a phraseological unit? When each of its component parts loses its independence as a semantic unit. And together they form a phrase with a new, allegorical meaning and imagery.
Signs of phraseological units:
- sustainability;
- reproducibility;
- integrity of meaning;
- dismemberment of the composition;
- belonging to the nominative dictionary of the language.
Some of these features characterize the internal content of the phraseological unit, and some – the form.
How do phraseological units differ from words?
First of all, its pronounced stylistic coloring. Most commonly used words in the average person's vocabulary are neutral vocabulary. Phraseologisms are characterized by evaluative meaning, emotional and expressive coloring, without which the realization of the meaning of phraseological units is impossible.
From the point of view of language stylistics, phraseological units can be divided into:
- neutral ( from time to time, little by little and so on.);
- high style ( cornerstone, rest in God and etc.);
- colloquial and vernacular ( good riddance, catch crows etc.).
How do phraseological units differ from phraseological combinations, proverbs and sayings, and popular expressions?
Phraseologisms are capable (and actively do this) in composition to be combined with words of free use (that is, all other words of the language, “non-phraseologisms”).
How phraseological units are divided by origin:
- originally Russian– some free phrases were reinterpreted in speech as metaphors and turned into phraseological units ( reel in fishing rods, fish in troubled waters, knead mud, spread wings, grate kalach and so on.);
- borrowings from Old Church Slavonic (hesitating nothing, like the apple of his eye, not of this world, a proverb, in its time, the holy of holies and etc.);
- stable phrases-terms that have turned into metaphors (lead to common denominator = call, specific gravity= value, exaggerate= to greatly exaggerate, squaring the circle and etc.);
- accepted in everyday life stable names, which do not belong to any terminological system ( Indian summer, goat leg and so on.);
- catch words and expressions who came to us from Greek and Roman mythology (Achilles' heel, sword of Damocles, tantalum torment, wash your hands etc.);
- popular words and expressions from the Bible and other religious texts ( manna from heaven, abomination of desolation etc.);
- catchphrases originating from literature, which have lost connection with the original source and entered speech as phraseological units ( magician and wizard– comedy by A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin “Krechinsky’s Wedding” (1855), between a rock and a hard place– F. Spielhagen’s novel “Between a Hammer and a Hard Place” (1868), between Scylla and Charybdis– Homer, “Odyssey” (8th century BC);
- tracing phraseological units, that is, a literal translation of set expressions from other languages ( smash on your head– German aufs Haupt Schlagen, out of place– fr. ne pas etre dans son assiette, time of the dog and the wolf– fr. l'heure entre chien et loup, literally: the time after sunset when it is difficult to distinguish a dog from a wolf).
Do not apply to phraseological units:
- phraseological combinations like to scorn, to pay attention, to win, to make a decision; voracious appetite, girlish memory, bosom friend, sworn enemy, dog cold and the like. The words that make up these phrases retain the ability to be meaningfully and grammatically connected to another word. Phraseological combinations are classified as specific phrases. But phraseological units themselves are not phrases in the common understanding of this definition (*in fact, this is a rather controversial point of classification and in the future we will look at some of these expressions);
- stable phrases-terms ( exclamation point, brain, chest, spinal column, progressive paralysis) and compound names (such as red corner, wall newspaper);
- designs such as: in the form of, for the sake of appearance, under power, if they cannot be compared with a literal prepositional-case combination of words (compare: On the nose= very soon and On the nose mole);
- catchphrases, proverbs and sayings ( Happy Hours do not observe; Love for all ages; Whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword; Do not renounce money and prison etc.) - they differ from phraseological units in that in speech they are combined not with words, but with whole sentences (parts of sentences).
Lexico-grammatical classification
Phraseologisms can also be classified from a lexico-grammatical point of view:
- verbal- used in speech in the imperfect and perfect form: take/take the bull by the horns, hang/hang the nose, stroke/pat against the grain etc. A significant number of verbal phraseological units have nevertheless become entrenched in the language in the form of only one type: perfect ( wave your hand, tuck it into your belt, kill two birds with one stone) or imperfect ( lead by the nose, smoke the sky, stand like a mountain(for someone)).
- personalized– are realized in noun phrases ( Indian summer, dark forest, Filkina's diploma). In a sentence they can play the role of a nominal predicate - they are used in I.p. or sometimes in the like.
- adverbial– are realized in adverbial combinations ( in all shoulder blades, in all eyes, in one word, in a black body, so-so).
- adjectival – are characterized by the fact that their interpretation requires attributive (adjective) phrases ( skin and bones= very thin wet behind the ears= too young).
- verbal-nominal predicative - built on the model of a sentence and implemented in verbal-nominal phrases (in fact, sentences where the role of the subject (grammatical or logical) is an indefinite pronoun): my eyes are rolling out of my head who, and a flag in your hands to whom.
Phraseologisms and idioms - is there a difference?
Is it necessary to distinguish between phraseological units and idioms? Idioms- these are figures of speech that cannot be divided into component parts without losing the original meaning and general meaning which cannot be deduced from the meanings of the individual words included in their composition. We can say that phraseological units and idioms are related as genus and species. That is, phraseological units are more broad concept, a special case of which is the idiom.
Idioms are curious because when translated literally into another language, their meaning is lost. An idiom gives a description of phenomena that is logical for speakers of a language, but is based on definitions and metaphors that cannot be understood outside of this language without additional interpretation. For example, in Russian we talk about heavy rain it's raining cats and dogs. In the same case, the British say It’s raining cats and dogs). And, for example, Estonians will say about a heavy downpour that it is pouring like from a beanstalk.
We'll talk about something incomprehensible Chinese letter, but for the Danes it’s “ sounds like the name of a Russian city". The German will say: “I only understood “station”, Pole – “Thank you, everyone is healthy at home.”, the Englishman will use “It’s all Greek to me”.
Or let’s take the famous Russian phraseological unit kick your ass(= to idle, to do nonsense) – it cannot be translated into another language word for word. Because the origin of the expression is associated with phenomena of the past that have no analogues in modern times. “Beating the bucks” means splitting logs into logs for turning spoons and wooden utensils.
Phraseologisms, speech stamps and cliches
Do not confuse phraseological units with speech cliches and cliches. Phraseologisms are a product of metaphorization of language. They enrich speech, make it more expressive and varied, and give figurativeness to the statement. On the contrary, clichés and cliches impoverish speech and reduce it to some hackneyed formulas. Although phraseological units have a stable structure and are reproduced, as a rule, in their entirety, without changes or additions, they liberate thinking and give free rein to the imagination. But clichés and cliches make thinking and speech stereotyped, deprive them of individuality and indicate the poverty of the speaker’s imagination.
For example, expressions black gold(= oil), people in white coats(= doctors), light of the soul– are no longer metaphors, but real cliches.
Common mistakes in using phraseological units
Incorrect use of phraseological units leads to the emergence speech errors, sometimes simply annoying, and sometimes even comical.
- Using phraseological units with the wrong meaning. For example, with a literal understanding or distortion of the meaning of a phraseological unit - In the forest, I always use repellents, so a mosquito won't hurt your nose. The meaning of this phraseological unit is “you can’t find fault with anything”; in this case, the phrase was taken too literally and therefore used incorrectly.
- Distortion of the form of phraseological units.
- Grammatical Distortion - It Works later ive sleeves(Right later I sleeves). His stories for me imposed on teeth(Right imposed V teeth). It is also incorrect to replace in phraseological units short forms adjectives into complete ones.
- Lexical distortion – Shut up mine someone's belt(it is impossible to freely introduce new units into a phraseological unit). Live wide(Right live large leg – you cannot throw out words from a phraseological unit).
Modern phraseological units
Like any lexical units, phraseological units are born, exist for some time, and some of them sooner or later go out of active use. If we talk about the relevance of phraseological units, they can be divided into:
- common;
- obsolete;
- outdated.
The system of phraseological units of the Russian language is not once and for all frozen and unchangeable. New phraseological units inevitably arise in response to the phenomena of modern life. Borrowed as cripples from other languages. And they enrich modern speech with new, relevant metaphors.
Here, for example, are several relatively “fresh” phraseological units that relatively recently (mainly in the twentieth century) took root in the Russian language:
On a live thread- to do something not too carefully, temporarily, with the expectation of redoing the work properly in the future, to do it without extra effort. The origin of the phraseology is quite clear: when seamstresses sew pieces of a product together, they first baste them with large stitches so that they just hold together. And then the parts are sewn together carefully and firmly.
Cloudless character– a characteristic for a calm and calm person with a friendly and balanced character, a person without any special flaws and not subject to mood swings. It can also be used not only to describe a person, but also to characterize abstract phenomena (relationships between people, for example).
How to send two bytes- a characteristic for any action that is completely easy to perform.
Speak different languages– not finding mutual understanding.
Make lemonade out of lemons- be able to use even the most unfavorable conditions and circumstances to your advantage and achieve success in this.
Why are synonymous phraseological units needed?
By the way, phraseological units can be both synonyms and antonyms. Having understood what connections exist between phraseological units that are different at first glance, you can better understand their meanings. And also diversify the use of these phrases in speech. Sometimes synonymous phraseological units describe different degrees of manifestation of a phenomenon or its different but similar aspects. Look at these examples of phraseological units:
- They also say about a person who means nothing to society and represents nothing of himself small fry, And the last spoke in the chariot, And low flying bird, And lump out of the blue.
- Antonyms for these phraseological units are the following phrases: important bird, high flying bird, big shot.
Interpretation of phraseological units
We bring to your attention the interpretation and even the history of the origin of some phraseological units. They are part of the active stock of the modern Russian language. And, despite the fact that some are not just tens, but even a couple of hundred years old, they remain popular and are widely used in everyday speech and literature.
Augean stables- this is how they burn about a very dirty place, a neglected and untidy room, things scattered in disarray. It also applies to affairs that have become disordered, unorganized and neglected.
Phraseologism comes from ancient Greek myths. One of the labors of Hercules was cleaning the stables of King Augeas of Elis, which had not been cleaned for 30 years.
Ariadne's thread- a wonderful way to find a way out of a difficult situation.
This phrase also came to us from ancient Greek myths. According to legend, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos, Ariadne, helped the Athenian hero Theseus get out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth, giving him a ball of thread so that he could use a thread fixed at the entrance to the labyrinth to return from the tangled corridors. By the way, if you're ever interested ancient literature, you will find out that later Ariadne probably regretted that she undertook to help Theseus.
Achilles' heel– the weakest and most vulnerable place, secret weakness.
According to ancient Greek mythology, the hero Achilles was miraculously hardened against any danger. And only one heel remained humanly vulnerable. Achilles subsequently died from a wound inflicted by an arrow in the heel.
lamb in a piece of paper- bribe.
It is believed that phraseological units originated in the 18th century. At that time, there was a magazine called “All sorts of things”, the editor of which was Empress Catherine II. The monarch sharply criticized bribery, widespread among officials. And she claimed that the officials, hinting at a bribe, demanded that they bring them “a lamb in a piece of paper.” The turn of phrase was popular with the Russian writer M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, who, as you know, often ridiculed the vices of his contemporary society.
without a hitch, without a hitch- flawlessly, without complications or problems, good and smooth.
A snag used to be called roughness, an unevenness on the surface of a smoothly planed board.
sound the alarm- to attract general attention to something of great public or personal meaning, to something dangerous and disturbing.
Alarm - in the Middle Ages and more early periods stories to notify people of trouble (fire, invasion of enemies, etc.) the alarm signal was given by the sound of bells, less often by beating drums.
swear words(shout) – scream very loudly, at the top of your lungs.
Phraseologism has nothing to do with modern swear words, i.e. mat. From Old Russian, good can be translated as strong, and mat as voice. Those. The expression should be taken literally only if you know what each of its parts means separately.
big boss– an important, respected and significant person in society.
In the old days, heavy loads were floated on rivers using the draft power of people (barge haulers). In the strap, the most experienced, physically strong and hardy man walked in front of everyone, who in the jargon accepted in this environment was called a big shot.
shave forehead- send to military service, to become a soldier.
Before the new regulations on conscription were adopted in 1874, recruits were recruited into the army (usually under duress) for a period of 25 years. While the recruitment process lasted, everyone fit for duty military service the front half of the head was shaved bald.
Babel- confusion and crowding, disorder.
Biblical legends describe the construction of a grandiose tower reaching to the sky (“pillar of creation”), which was started by the inhabitants Ancient Babylon and in which many people from different lands took part. As punishment for this insolence, God created many different languages, so that the builders ceased to understand each other and, in the end, were unable to complete the construction.
St. Bartholomew's Night– massacre, genocide and extermination.
On the night of August 24, 1572 in Paris, on the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day, Catholics carried out a massacre of Protestant Huguenots. As a result, several thousand people were physically destroyed and injured (according to some estimates, up to 30 thousand).
Versta Kolomenskaya– a characteristic for a very tall person.
In the past, mileposts marked distances on roads. This particular expression was born from a comparison of tall people with milestones on the road between Moscow and the village of Kolomenskoye (the summer residence of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was located there).
hang dogs- to accuse someone, to condemn and blame, to slander and to blame someone else.
By “dog” we do not mean an animal, but an outdated name for thorns and thorns.
to the fullest extent- very fast.
This phrase was born to denote the very fast running of a horse when it gallops “with all its front legs.”
free Cossack– definition for a free and independent person.
In the Moscow state of the 15th-17th centuries, this was the name given to free people from the central regions of the country who fled to the periphery to escape enslavement (i.e., becoming serfs).
newspaper duck– unverified, distorted or completely false information in the media.
There are several versions of the origin of this phraseological unit. This is a popular one among journalists: in the past, newspapers used to put the letters NT next to dubious and unverified reports ( non testatum= "not verified" in Latin). But the fact is that the German word for "duck" ( ente) is consonant with this abbreviation. This is how this expression was born.
highlight of the program- the most important part of the performance, the best and most important number, something very important and significant.
The famous Eiffel Tower was built in Paris specifically for the World Exhibition (1889). To contemporaries of those events, the tower resembled a nail. By the way, it was assumed that 20 years after the exhibition the tower would be dismantled. And only the development of radio broadcasting saved it from destruction - the tower began to be used as a tower for placing radio transmitters. And the expression has since taken root to denote something unusual, noticeable and significant.
pillars of Hercules(pillars) – the highest, extreme degree of something.
It was originally used to describe something very distant, almost “on the edge of the world.” This is what in ancient times they called two rocks located on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. In those days, people believed that the pillar rocks were installed there by the ancient Greek hero Hercules.
goal like a falcon- a characteristic for a very poor person.
Falcon was the name of an ancient battering gun used during the siege. It looked like an absolutely smooth cast iron block attached to chains.
sword of Damocles– constant threat, danger.
In ancient Greek myths there was a story about the tyrant from Syracuse Dionysius the Elder. He taught one of his close associates, Damocles, a lesson for envy of his position. At the feast, Damocles was seated in a place above which a sharp sword was suspended from a horsehair. The sword symbolized the numerous dangers that constantly haunt a person like this. high position, like Dionysius.
the case burned out– i.e. something completed successfully, satisfactorily.
The origin of this phraseological unit is associated with the peculiarities of judicial records management in the past. No charges could be brought against a defendant if his court file was destroyed, for example, by fire. Wooden courts, along with all archives, often burned in the past. And there were also frequent cases when court cases were destroyed deliberately, for a bribe to court officials.
reach the handle- to reach the extreme degree of humiliation, extreme need, to completely descend and lose self-respect.
When ancient Russian bakers baked kalachi, they gave them the shape of a padlock with a round shackle. This form had a purely utilitarian purpose. It was convenient to hold the roll by the handle while eating. Apparently, they already knew about the diseases of dirty hands even then, so they disdained eating the handle of the roll. But it could be given to the poor or thrown to a hungry dog. It was possible to go so far as to eat the handle of a roll of bread only in the most extreme cases, in extreme need, or simply without caring at all about one’s health and image in the eyes of others.
bosom friend– the closest and most reliable friend, soul mate.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Rus', it was believed that the human soul was in the throat, “behind the Adam’s apple.” After the adoption of Christianity, they began to believe that the soul is located in the chest. But the designation of the most trusted person who can even be trusted own life and for whomever you feel sorry for her, she remains as a “sidekick”, i.e. "soul" friend.
for lentil soup- betray your ideals or supporters for selfish reasons.
According to biblical legend, Esau gave up his birthright to his brother Jacob for just a bowl of lentil stew.
golden mean– an intermediate position, behavior aimed at avoiding extremes and making risky decisions.
This is a tracing paper from the Latin saying of the ancient Roman poet Horace “ aurea mediocritas".
history with geography- a state when things took an unexpected turn that no one expected.
The phraseological unit was born from the outdated name of the school discipline - “history with geography.”
and it's a no brainer– something that should be understandable even to the most incomprehensible, self-evident.
There are two versions of the origin of this phraseological unit. It is also possible that they are both valid and one follows from the other. One by one, a turn of phrase went to the people after a poem by V. Mayakovsky, in which there were the following lines: “It’s clear even to a no brainer / This Petya was a bourgeois.” According to another, the expression took root in boarding schools for gifted children that existed in Soviet time. The letters E, Zh and I denoted classes with students of the same year of study. And the students themselves were called “hedgehogs.” In terms of their knowledge, they lagged behind students from classes A, B, C, D, D. Therefore, what was understandable to a “no brainer” should have been even more understandable to more “advanced” students.
don't wash, just ride– to achieve the desired result in more than one way.
This phraseological unit describes the old way washing, accepted in villages. The laundry was rinsed by hand, and then, due to the lack of such benefits of civilization as an iron at that time, they were “rolled out” with a special wooden rolling pin. After this, things became wrung out, especially clean and even practically ironed.
latest Chinese warning– empty threats that do not entail any decisive action.
This phraseological unit was born relatively recently. In the 50s and 60s, US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft often violated Chinese airspace. The Chinese authorities responded to any such border violation (and there were several hundred of them) with an official warning to the US leadership. But no decisive action was taken to stop the reconnaissance flights of American pilots.
quietly- do something secretly and gradually, act on the sly.
Sapa (from it. zappa= “hoe”) - a ditch or tunnel, imperceptibly dug towards the enemy’s fortifications in order to take him by surprise. In the past, in this way they often undermined the walls of enemy fortresses, placing charges of gunpowder in the trenches. Exploding, the bombs destroyed the external walls and opened up the opportunity for the attackers to break through. By the way, the word “sapper” is of the same origin - this is the name given to people who left gunpowder charges in saps.
Conclusion
We hope that we were able to reveal for you at least a little the diverse and interesting world phraseological units. If you continue this journey on your own, many more interesting discoveries await you.
Phraseological units change over time, new phenomena in life lead to the emergence of new phraseological units. If you know any interesting new phraseological units, tell us about it in the comments. We will definitely supplement this article with them and will not forget to thank those who send us new phraseological units.
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There are so many phrases and phrases in the Russian language that with a literal translation, we won’t go far - the new generation of the Russian people is no worse than the same foreigners. We are forgetting the powerful and rich Russian language, we are borrowing more and more Western words and terms...
Today we will look at examples of the most famous set expressions; Let's learn together to understand, “decipher” and understand the meaning and secret meaning of Russian phraseological units. So, what is a “phraseological unit”?
Phraseologism- this is a stable combination of words characteristic only of a given language, the meaning of which is not determined by the meaning of the words included in it, taken individually. Due to the fact that a phraseological unit (or idiom) cannot be translated literally (the meaning is lost), difficulties in translation and understanding often arise. On the other hand, such phraseological units give the language a bright emotional coloring...
We often say established phrases without delving into their meaning. Why, for example, do they say “goal like a falcon”? Why is it “they bring water to the offended”? Let's understand the real meaning of these expressions!
"Goal like a Falcon"
“As naked as a falcon,” we say about extreme poverty. But this saying has nothing to do with birds. Although ornithologists claim that falcons actually lose their feathers during molting and become almost naked!
“Falcon” in ancient times in Rus' was called a ram, a weapon made of iron or wood in the shape of a cylinder. He was hung on chains and swung, thus breaking through the walls and gates of enemy fortresses. The surface of this weapon was flat and smooth, simply put, bare.
In those days, the word “falcon” was used to describe cylindrical tools: an iron crowbar, a pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, etc. Falcons were actively used in Rus' before the advent of firearms at the end of the 15th century.
"Hot spot"
The expression “green place” is found in the Orthodox funeral prayer (“... in a green place, in a place of peace ...”). This is how heaven is called in texts in Church Slavonic.
The meaning of this expression was ironically rethought by the democratic intelligentsia of the times of Alexander Pushkin. The language game was that our climate does not allow growing grapes, so in Rus' intoxicating drinks were produced mainly from cereals (beer, vodka). In other words, a hot place means a drunken place.
“They carry water for the offended”
There are several versions of the origin of this saying, but the most plausible seems to be the one associated with the history of St. Petersburg water carriers.
The price of imported water in the 19th century was about 7 kopecks in silver per year, and of course there were always greedy traders who inflated the price in order to make money. For this illegal act, such unfortunate entrepreneurs were taken away from their horse and forced to carry barrels in a cart on themselves.
"Sieve Friend"
“We’re not at the front here, dear friend!” We don’t need “languages”... It is believed that a friend is called this by analogy with sieve bread, usually wheat. To prepare such bread, much finer flour is used than in rye. To remove impurities from it and make the culinary product more “airy”, not a sieve is used, but a device with a smaller cell - a sieve. That's why the bread was called sieve bread. It was quite expensive, was considered a symbol of prosperity and was put on the table to treat the most dear guests.
The word “sieve” when applied to a friend means the “highest standard” of friendship. Of course, this phrase is sometimes used in an ironic tone.
"7 Fridays a week"
In the old days, Friday was a market day, on which it was customary to fulfill various trading obligations. On Friday they received the goods, and agreed to give the money for it on the next market day (Friday of the next week). Those who broke such promises were said to have seven Fridays a week.
But this is not the only explanation! Friday was previously considered a day free from work, so a similar phrase was used to describe a slacker who had a day off every day.
“Where Makar didn’t drive his calves”
One of the versions of the origin of this saying is as follows: Peter I was on a working trip to the Ryazan land and communicated with the people in an “informal setting.” It so happened that all the men he met on the way called themselves Makars. The king was very surprised at first, and then said: “You will all be Makars from now on!”
Allegedly, from then on, “Makar” became a collective image of the Russian peasant and all peasants (not only Ryazan) began to be called Makars.
"Sharashkin's office"
The office got its strange name from the dialect word “sharan” (“trash”, “golytba”, “crook”). In the old days, this was the name given to a dubious association of swindlers and deceivers, but today it is simply an “undignified, unreliable” organization.
“If we don’t wash, we just roll”
In the old days, skilled laundresses knew that well-rolled linen would be fresh, even if the washing was not done at all brilliantly. Therefore, having made a mistake in washing, they achieved the desired impression “not by washing, but by rolling.”
"Drunk drunk"
We find this expression in Alexander Pushkin, in the novel “Eugene Onegin”, when talking about Lensky’s neighbor, Zaretsky:
Falling off a Kalmyk horse,
Like a drunk Zyuzya, and the French
Got captured...
The fact is that in the Pskov region, where Pushkin was in exile for a long time, “zyuzya” is called a pig. In general, “as drunk as a drunk” is an analogue of the colloquial expression “drunk as a pig.”
"Dividing the skin of an unkilled bear»
It is noteworthy that back in the 30s of the 20th century in Russia it was customary to say: “Sell the skin of an unkilled bear.” This version of the expression seems closer to the original source, and more logical, because there is no benefit from a “divided” skin; it is valued only when it remains intact. The original source is the fable “The Bear and Two Comrades” French poet and the fabulist Jean La Fontaine (1621 -1695).
"Retired Goat Drummer"
In the old days, among traveling troupes, the main actor was a learned, trained bear, followed by a “goat,” and behind her a mummer with a goat skin on his head—a drummer.
His task was to beat a homemade drum, inviting the audience. Eating odd jobs or handouts is quite unpleasant, and then the “goat” is not real, it’s retired.
“The promised one has been waiting for three years”
According to one version, it is a reference to a text from the Bible, to the book of the prophet Daniel. It says: “Blessed is he who waits and attains one thousand and thirty-five days,” that is, three years and 240 days. The biblical call for patient waiting was humorously reinterpreted by the people, because the full saying goes like this: “They wait for the promised for three years, but refuse the fourth.”
"Good riddance"
In one of Ivan Aksakov’s poems you can read about a road that is “straight as an arrow, with a wide surface that spreads like a tablecloth.” This is how they saw off in Rus' long journey, and they didn’t put any bad meaning into them.
This original meaning of the phraseological unit is present in Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary. But it also says that in modern language the expression has the opposite meaning: “An expression of indifference to someone’s departure, departure, as well as a desire to get out, wherever.” An excellent example of how ironics rethink stable etiquette forms in language!
“Shout to the entire Ivanovskaya”
In the old days, the square in the Kremlin on which the bell tower of Ivan the Great stands was called Ivanovskaya. On this square, clerks announced decrees, orders and other documents concerning the residents of Moscow and all the peoples of Russia. So that everyone could hear clearly, the clerk read very loudly, shouting throughout Ivanovskaya.
"Pull the gimp"
What is a gimp and why does it need to be pulled? This is a copper, silver or gold thread used in gold embroidery for embroidering patterns on clothes and carpets. Such a thin thread was made by drawing - repeated rolling and pulling through increasingly smaller holes.
Pulling out the rigmarole was a very painstaking task, requiring a lot of time and patience. In our language, the expression “pull the ropes” has been fixed in its figurative meaning - to do something long, tedious, the result of which is not immediately visible.
Nowadays, it is understood as a boring conversation, a tedious conversation.
"Japanese policeman!"
"Japanese policeman!" - a stable curse word in Russian.
Appeared after the Otsu Incident, when policeman Tsuda Sanzo attacked Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich.
In his youth, Tsarevich Nicholas, the future Tsar Nicholas II, traveled to the countries of the East. The Tsarevich and his friends had as much fun as they could. Their riotous fun, which violated oriental traditions, was not very popular local residents, and finally, in the Japanese town of Otsu, a local policeman, outraged by the tactlessness of the Europeans, rushed at the crown prince and hit him on the head with a saber. The saber was in its sheath, so Nikolai escaped with a slight fright.
This event had a significant resonance in Russia. A Japanese policeman, instead of ensuring the safety of people, rushes at a man with a saber just because he laughs too loudly!
Of course, this minor incident would have long been forgotten if the expression “Japanese policeman” had not also turned out to be a successful euphemism. When a person utters the first sound in a drawn-out manner, it seems that he is about to swear. However, the speaker is just remembering an old political scandal, which, most likely, he has never heard of.
Disservice
“Your constant praise is a real disservice.”
Its meaning is unsolicited help, a service that does more harm than good.
And the Primary Source was I. A. Krylov’s fable “The Hermit and the Bear.” It tells how the Bear, wanting to help his friend the Hermit smack a fly that had landed on his forehead, killed the Hermit himself along with it. But this expression is not in the fable: it developed and entered folklore later.
Shelve
“Now you’ll put it on the back burner, and then you’ll forget it completely.”
The meaning of this phraseological unit is simple - to give the matter a long delay, to delay its decision for a long time.
This expression has a funny story.
Once Tsar Alexei, the father of Peter I, ordered a long box to be installed in the village of Kolomenskoye in front of his palace, where anyone could drop their complaint. Complaints were received, but it was very difficult to wait for a solution: months and years passed. The people renamed this “long” box “long”.
It is possible that the expression, if not born, was fixed in speech later, in “presences” - institutions of the 19th century. The officials of that time, accepting various petitions, complaints and petitions, undoubtedly sorted them, putting them in different boxes. “Long” could be called the one where the most leisurely tasks were postponed. It is clear that the petitioners were afraid of such a box.
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Man's tongue plays main role in the formation of speech. And it is quite natural that in the Russian language it gathered large collection phraseological units using the word “language”. What characteristics do people give to language? It turns out that it is sharp, and lively, and long, and it can also be broken or swallowed. How fragile he turns out to be!
Keep your mouth shut
Sometimes it doesn't hurt to keep your mouth shut. What does this phraseological unit mean? This means being silent or being careful in what you say.
Long tongue
It turns out that languages can be short and long. Who is luckier - the owner of a short or a long tongue? But let's not split hairs. “He has a long tongue” - this is what they say about a person who likes to talk a lot and blurt out other people’s secrets.
Quick-tongued
About a person who has a ready answer for everything, who won’t go into his pocket for a word.
Sharp tongue
Don't expect sweet words from a man with a sharp tongue. This is not his hobby! What kind of individual do they say has a sharp tongue? This is how they characterize a caustic, sarcastic person who knows how to use speech as a weapon. His phrases cause the same damage to opponents as a sharp blade does. That's why his tongue is sharp and not dull.
It's on the tip of your tongue
This is what they say about something you know well, but at the moment you can’t remember.
— What is the name of this hotel? It’s on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t remember.
Tip on your tongue
An angry wish to a person who has said something unpleasant or unwanted. Pip is an inflammation at the tip of the tongue that causes discomfort to a person. In the old days, it was believed that pip appears in deceitful people.
Untie your tongue
Talk to someone. Others do not fall for verbal tricks. You won't get a word out of him. And sometimes you need to talk to someone.
Aesopian language
The language of allegory, when the main meaning is masked with the help of allegories. The ancient fabulist Aesop was a slave and did not have the opportunity to openly and directly ridicule his masters in his fables. He imagined them in the form of various animals. Over time, the language of allegories began to be called Aesopian language.
Hold your tongue, hold your tongue
Don't say anything unnecessary, watch what you say.
- Hold your tongue. You shouldn't have gotten so upset!
Jump off the tongue
This is what they say about words that are uttered by the speaker involuntarily or accidentally.
- Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that, it slipped off my tongue.
- And watch your language, too much chatter won’t lead to anything good.
To wag your tongue, to wag your tongue
A disapproving review of someone who talks a lot in vain.
Vasily talks a lot with his tongue, and too much at that.
Get on the tongue
Become the subject of discussion.
Pull the tongue
You can pull the rubber, the cat by the tail, it turns out you can also pull the tongue. In what cases is this expression applicable? Applies to a person who has said something unnecessary or inappropriate.
“No one pulled your tongue,” Varvara Pavlovna said to her neighbor.
Tongue without bones
And it pleases! A tongue without bones is about a person who likes to talk a lot, often without thinking about the consequences of what he said.
You'll dislocate your tongue
About hard to pronounce words.
Language will bring you to Kyiv
It’s interesting to know what other cities in the world can the language reach? A wish to a traveler or someone looking for a specific place to ask for the right direction more often.
- Don't worry, you won't get lost! Language will take you to Kyiv.
Tongue is tied
This is what they say about the inability to speak clearly and coherently. The origin of the phraseological unit is associated with the “tongue” of the bell, which is driven by ropes. The ropes sometimes become entangled, and the bell ringing loses its rhythm and melody.
You can break your tongue
Applies to difficult to pronounce words.
Tongue like a broom
About a person talking verbal "garbage".
Tongue on the shoulder
When a person is very tired, they say that he hangs his tongue on his shoulder.
He came tired, he couldn’t sing or draw, his tongue was on his shoulder.
Tongue won't turn
Used in cases where a person is hesitant to provide any information.
I can’t bring myself to tell my parents about the bad grade in algebra.
Tongue withered
A rude wish to leave someone speechless.
You'll swallow your tongue
This is what they say when they want to praise very tasty food.
- It’s delicious, you’ll swallow your tongue! How did you manage to cook such a wonderful dish!
Loosen your tongue
Saying unnecessary things, not controlling the content of your speech.
The tongue hangs well
This is what they say about a person who is fluent in speech and has the makings of a speaker.
- I'm not worried about him! He has a good tongue, he won’t be embarrassed.
Speak different languages
It is used in cases where people do not understand each other.
Until recently everything was fine! But here again we speak different languages.
speak the language
About good ownership orally, both in native and foreign languages.
Run with your tongue out
Run very quickly, swiftly, without looking back.
Speak Russian
To express oneself, in the speaker’s opinion, is clear and intelligible.
I told you in Russian that the pasta is in the cupboard and the juice is in the refrigerator.
Find a common language
About achieving mutual understanding between people.
The children quickly found a common language.
Tongue swallow
It is used in a situation when a person is expected to speak, but he remains silent.
- Did you swallow your tongue?
Bite your tongue
Abruptly fall silent, refraining from continuing the phrase.
Matryona bit her tongue, realizing that she had blurted out too much.
Tongue stuck to larynx
Suddenly stop talking.
The devil pulled his tongue
This is what they say when you accidentally say something that you shouldn’t have said.
- The devil pulled my tongue. If I had remained silent, everything would have ended well!
Shorten your tongue
To correct a person who says something inappropriate or unnecessary, to force someone to shut up.
Angry with tongue
You can be good or evil with your tongue. Who do they say “angry-tongued”? About a person who likes to speak negatively about other people.
Weave with tongue, scratch with tongue
Engage in idle chatter, gossip.
Gossips
This is what they say about people who spread negative, unpleasant information about a person ( "Evil tongues brought...")
How a cow licked it with her tongue
So the noble animal, the cow, has appeared in the world of phraseological units. In what case do they say “Like a cow licked her tongue”? This is what they say about something that quickly and without a trace disappeared, evaporated.
broken tongue
Used when knowledge is poor foreign language, when a person constructs phrases in this language that are grammatically incorrect and primitive (“ I do not understand you»).
Step on your tongue
This expression is used in a situation where someone has been silenced.
The tongue has become paralyzed
This is what they say when the ability to speak is temporarily lost due to some circumstances.
- Have you lost your tongue?
- No, I prefer to remain silent.