Where does the expression "the smoking room is alive" come from? The meaning of the word “smoking room” Where did the expression smoking room come from?

SMOKING ROOM History twenty-second from Vladimir DOBROHOTOVA Here, they say, there are all sorts of celebrities, tall, distant, just like celestials, it seems they don’t even pee, they don’t poop. And I'll tell you so - they do. Both that and another ... After the war, our heroes often traveled all over the country as honorary

Often we pronounce well-established phrases without delving into their meaning. Why, for example, do they say “goal like a falcon”? Who is a "smoker"? Why, finally, do they bring water to the offended? We will reveal the hidden meaning of these expressions.

Hot spot

The expression "hot spot" is found in the Orthodox prayer for the dead ("... in a hot place, in a resting place ..."). So in the texts in the Church Slavonic language is called paradise.
The meaning of this expression was ironically rethought by the raznochintsy-democratic intelligentsia of the time of Alexander Pushkin. The language game was that our climate does not allow growing grapes, therefore in Russia intoxicating drinks were produced mainly from cereals (beer, vodka). In other words, green means a drunken place.

They carry water on the offended

There are several versions of the origin of this saying, but the most plausible seems to be the one connected with the history of St. Petersburg water carriers. The price of imported water in the 19th century was about 7 kopecks of silver per year, and of course there were always greedy merchants who inflated the price in order to profit. For this illegal act, such unfortunate entrepreneurs were deprived of a horse and forced to carry barrels in a cart on themselves.

shabby look

This expression appeared under Peter I and was associated with the name of the merchant Zatrapeznikov, whose Yaroslavl linen manufactory produced both silk and wool, which were in no way inferior in quality to the products of foreign factories. In addition, the manufactory also made very, very cheap hemp striped fabric - mottled, "shabby" (rough to the touch), which went to mattresses, bloomers, sundresses, women's headscarves, work dressing gowns and shirts.
And if for rich people such a dressing gown was home clothes, then for the poor, things from shabby clothes were considered “going out” clothes. The shabby appearance spoke of the low social status of a person.

Sith friend

It is believed that a friend is so called by analogy with sieve bread, usually wheat. For the preparation of such bread, flour is used much finer grinding 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. Therefore, the bread was called sieve. It was quite expensive, was considered a symbol of prosperity and was put on the table to treat the dearest guests.
The word "sitny" in relation to a friend means the "highest standard" of friendship. Of course, this turnover is sometimes used in an ironic tone.

7 Fridays in a week

In the old days, Friday was a market day, on which it was customary to fulfill various trade obligations. On Friday, the goods were received, and the money for it was agreed to be given on the next market day (on 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 considered to be a free day from work before, therefore, a loafer was characterized by a similar phrase, for whom every day is a day off.

Where Makar did not drive calves

One version of the origin of this saying is as follows: Peter I was on a working trip to 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. At first, the tsar was very surprised, and then said: “From now on, you should all be Makars!” Allegedly, since then, “Makar” has become 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”, “bad”, “rogue”). 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.

Not by washing, so by skating

In the old days, skilled laundresses knew that well-rolled linen would be fresh, even if the wash was not done brilliantly at all. Therefore, having sinned in washing, they achieved the desired impression “not by washing, but by rolling.”

Goal like a falcon

“Goal like a falcon,” we say about extreme poverty. But this proverb has nothing to do with birds. Although ornithologists say that falcons really lose their feathers during molting and become almost naked!
"Falcon" in the old days in Russia was called a ram, a tool made of iron or wood in the form of a cylinder. It was hung on chains and swung, thus breaking through the walls and gates of the enemy's fortresses. The surface of this weapon was even and smooth, simply speaking, bare.
The word “falcon” in those days was used to refer to cylindrical tools: iron scrap, a pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, etc. Sokolov was actively used in Russia until the advent of firearms at the end of the 15th century.

Alive smoking room

"Smoking room is alive!" - an expression from the old Russian children's game "Smoking Room". The rules were simple: the participants sat in a circle and passed a burning torch to each other, saying: “The smoking room is alive, alive! Thin legs, short soul. The one in whose hands the torch was extinguished left the circle. It turns out that the "smoking room" is not a person at all, as one might think, but a burning chip of which in the old days they illuminated the hut. She barely burned and smoked, as they said then "smoked".
Alexander Pushkin did not miss the chance to exploit this linguistic ambiguity in his epigram to the critic and journalist Mikhail Kachenovsky:
- How! Is the Kurilka journalist still alive?
- Lively! still dry and boring
And rude, and stupid, and tormented by envy,
Everything squeezes into its obscene sheet
Both the old nonsense and the new nonsense.
- Ugh! Tired of the Kurilka journalist!
How to put out a smelly splinter?
How to kill my smoking room?
Give me advice. - Yes ... spit on him.

Drunk in zyuzyu

We find this expression in Alexander Pushkin, in the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin", when it comes to 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, "zyuzey" is called a pig. In general, “drunk like a zyuzya” is an analogue of the colloquial expression “drunk like a pig.”

Sharing the skin of an unkilled bear

It is noteworthy that back in the 30s of the 20th century it was customary in Russia 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 the “divided” skin, it is valued only when it remains intact. The original source is the fable "The Bear and Two Comrades" by the French poet and fabulist Jean La Fontaine (1621-1695).

dusty story

In the 16th century, during fisticuffs, dishonest fighters took sandbags with them, and at the decisive moment of the fight they threw it into the eyes of their rivals. In 1726, this technique was banned by a special decree. At present, the expression "show off" is used in the sense of "create a false impression of one's capabilities."

Promised three years waiting

According to one version - a reference to the text from the Bible, to the book of the prophet Daniel. It says: “Blessed is he who waits and reaches a thousand and thirty-five days,” that is, three years and 240 days. The biblical call to patient waiting was jokingly rethought by the people, because the whole proverb sounds like this: “The promised three years are expected, and the fourth is denied.”

Retired goat drummer

In the old days, among wandering troupes, the main actor was a learned, trained bear, followed by a “goat” dressed up with a goat skin on its head, and only behind the “goat” was a drummer. His task was to beat a homemade drum, calling the audience. Surviving by odd jobs or handouts is rather unpleasant, and here also the “goat” is not real, retired.

leavened patriotism

The expression was introduced into speech by Peter Vyazemsky. Leavened patriotism is understood as a blind adherence to obsolete and ridiculous "traditions" of national life and peremptory rejection of someone else's, foreign, "not ours."

Good riddance

In one of Ivan Aksakov's poems, one can read about the road, which is "straight, like an arrow, with a wide smooth surface that the tablecloth lay down." So in Russia they saw off on a long journey, and they did not put any bad meaning into them. This initial meaning of the phraseological unit is present in the Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov. But it is also said there that in the modern language the expression has the opposite meaning: "An expression of indifference to someone's departure, departure, as well as a wish to get out, anywhere." An excellent example of how ironically stable etiquette forms are rethought in the language!

Scream all over Ivanovskaya

In the old days, the square in the Kremlin, on which stands the bell tower of Ivan the Great, was called Ivanovskaya. On this square, clerks announced decrees, orders and other documents relating to the inhabitants of Moscow and all the peoples of Russia. So that everyone could hear well, the clerk read very loudly, shouted all over Ivanovskaya.

dance from the stove

To dance from the stove means to act according to an approved plan once and for all, without using any of your knowledge and ingenuity. This expression became famous thanks to the 19th century Russian writer Vasily Sleptsov and his book The Good Man. This is the story of Sergei Terebenev, who returned to Russia after a long absence. The return awakened childhood memories in him, the most vivid of which are dance lessons.
Here, he stands by the stove, legs in third position. Parents, yard servants are nearby and watch his progress. The teacher gives the command: "One, two, three." Seryozha begins to make the first “pas”, but suddenly he loses time, his legs tangle.
- Oh, what are you, brother! - Father says reproachfully. “Well, go about five to the stove, start over.”

Often we pronounce well-established phrases without delving into their meaning. Why, for example, do they say “goal like a falcon”? Who is a "smoker"? Why, finally, do they bring water to the offended? We will reveal the hidden meaning of these expressions.

Hot spot

The expression "hot spot" is found in the Orthodox prayer for the dead ("... in a hot place, in a resting place ..."). So in the texts in the Church Slavonic language is called paradise.
The meaning of this expression was ironically rethought by the raznochintsy-democratic intelligentsia of the time of Alexander Pushkin. The language game was that our climate does not allow growing grapes, therefore in Russia intoxicating drinks were produced mainly from cereals (beer, vodka). In other words, green means a drunken place.

They carry water on the offended

There are several versions of the origin of this saying, but the most plausible seems to be the one connected with the history of St. Petersburg water carriers. The price of imported water in the 19th century was about 7 kopecks of silver per year, and of course there were always greedy merchants who inflated the price in order to profit. For this illegal act, such unfortunate entrepreneurs were deprived of a horse and forced to carry barrels in a cart on themselves.

shabby look

This expression appeared under Peter I and was associated with the name of the merchant Zatrapeznikov, whose Yaroslavl linen manufactory produced both silk and wool, which were in no way inferior in quality to the products of foreign factories. In addition, the manufactory also made very, very cheap hemp striped fabric - mottled, "shabby" (rough to the touch), which went to mattresses, bloomers, sundresses, women's headscarves, work dressing gowns and shirts.
And if for rich people such a dressing gown was home clothes, then for the poor, things from shabby clothes were considered “going out” clothes. The shabby appearance spoke of the low social status of a person.

Sith friend

It is believed that a friend is so called by analogy with sieve bread, usually wheat. For the preparation of such bread, flour is used much finer grinding 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. Therefore, the bread was called sieve. It was quite expensive, was considered a symbol of prosperity and was put on the table to treat the dearest guests.
The word "sitny" in relation to a friend means the "highest standard" of friendship. Of course, this turnover is sometimes used in an ironic tone.

7 Fridays in a week

In the old days, Friday was a market day, on which it was customary to fulfill various trade obligations. On Friday, the goods were received, and the money for it was agreed to be given on the next market day (on 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 considered to be a free day from work before, therefore, a loafer was characterized by a similar phrase, for whom every day is a day off.

Where Makar did not drive calves

One version of the origin of this saying is as follows: Peter I was on a working trip to 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. At first, the tsar was very surprised, and then said: “From now on, you should all be Makars!” Allegedly, since then, “Makar” has become 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”, “bad”, “rogue”). 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.

Not by washing, so by skating

In the old days, skilled laundresses knew that well-rolled linen would be fresh, even if the wash was not done brilliantly at all. Therefore, having sinned in washing, they achieved the desired impression “not by washing, but by rolling.”

Goal like a falcon

“Goal like a falcon,” we say about extreme poverty. But this proverb has nothing to do with birds. Although ornithologists say that falcons really lose their feathers during molting and become almost naked!
"Falcon" in the old days in Russia was called a ram, a tool made of iron or wood in the form of a cylinder. It was hung on chains and swung, thus breaking through the walls and gates of the enemy's fortresses. The surface of this weapon was even and smooth, simply speaking, bare.
The word “falcon” in those days was used to refer to cylindrical tools: iron scrap, a pestle for grinding grain in a mortar, etc. Sokolov was actively used in Russia until the advent of firearms at the end of the 15th century.

Alive smoking room

"Smoking room is alive!" - an expression from the old Russian children's game "Smoking Room". The rules were simple: the participants sat in a circle and passed a burning torch to each other, saying: “The smoking room is alive, alive! Thin legs, short soul. The one in whose hands the torch was extinguished left the circle. It turns out that the "smoking room" is not a person at all, as one might think, but a burning chip of which in the old days they illuminated the hut. She barely burned and smoked, as they said then "smoked".
Alexander Pushkin did not miss the chance to exploit this linguistic ambiguity in his epigram to the critic and journalist Mikhail Kachenovsky:
- How! Is the Kurilka journalist still alive?
- Lively! still dry and boring
And rude, and stupid, and tormented by envy,
Everything squeezes into its obscene sheet
Both the old nonsense and the new nonsense.
- Ugh! Tired of the Kurilka journalist!
How to put out a smelly splinter?
How to kill my smoking room?
Give me advice. - Yes ... spit on him.

Drunk in zyuzyu

We find this expression in Alexander Pushkin, in the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin", when it comes to 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, "zyuzey" is called a pig. In general, “drunk like a zyuzya” is an analogue of the colloquial expression “drunk like a pig.”

Sharing the skin of an unkilled bear

It is noteworthy that back in the 30s of the 20th century it was customary in Russia 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 the “divided” skin, it is valued only when it remains intact. The original source is the fable "The Bear and Two Comrades" by the French poet and fabulist Jean La Fontaine (1621-1695).

dusty story

In the 16th century, during fisticuffs, dishonest fighters took sandbags with them, and at the decisive moment of the fight they threw it into the eyes of their rivals. In 1726, this technique was banned by a special decree. At present, the expression "show off" is used in the sense of "create a false impression of one's capabilities."

Promised three years waiting

According to one version - a reference to the text from the Bible, to the book of the prophet Daniel. It says: “Blessed is he who waits and reaches a thousand and thirty-five days,” that is, three years and 240 days. The biblical call to patient waiting was jokingly rethought by the people, because the whole proverb sounds like this: “The promised three years are expected, and the fourth is denied.”

Retired goat drummer

In the old days, among wandering troupes, the main actor was a learned, trained bear, followed by a “goat” dressed up with a goat skin on its head, and only behind the “goat” was a drummer. His task was to beat a homemade drum, calling the audience. Surviving by odd jobs or handouts is rather unpleasant, and here also the “goat” is not real, retired.

leavened patriotism

The expression was introduced into speech by Peter Vyazemsky. Leavened patriotism is understood as a blind adherence to obsolete and ridiculous "traditions" of national life and peremptory rejection of someone else's, foreign, "not ours."

Good riddance

In one of Ivan Aksakov's poems, one can read about the road, which is "straight, like an arrow, with a wide smooth surface that the tablecloth lay down." So in Russia they saw off on a long journey, and they did not put any bad meaning into them. This initial meaning of the phraseological unit is present in the Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov. But it is also said there that in the modern language the expression has the opposite meaning: "An expression of indifference to someone's departure, departure, as well as a wish to get out, anywhere." An excellent example of how ironically stable etiquette forms are rethought in the language!

Scream all over Ivanovskaya

In the old days, the square in the Kremlin, on which stands the bell tower of Ivan the Great, was called Ivanovskaya. On this square, clerks announced decrees, orders and other documents relating to the inhabitants of Moscow and all the peoples of Russia. So that everyone could hear well, the clerk read very loudly, shouted all over Ivanovskaya.

dance from the stove

To dance from the stove means to act according to an approved plan once and for all, without using any of your knowledge and ingenuity. This expression became famous thanks to the 19th century Russian writer Vasily Sleptsov and his book The Good Man. This is the story of Sergei Terebenev, who returned to Russia after a long absence. The return awakened childhood memories in him, the most vivid of which are dance lessons.
Here, he stands by the stove, legs in third position. Parents, yard servants are nearby and watch his progress. The teacher gives the command: "One, two, three." Seryozha begins to make the first “pas”, but suddenly he loses time, his legs tangle.
- Oh, what are you, brother! - Father says reproachfully. “Well, go about five to the stove, start over.”

How! Is the Kurilka journalist still alive?
- Lively! still dry and boring
And rude, and stupid, and tormented by envy,
Everything squeezes into its obscene sheet -
Both the old nonsense and the new nonsense.
- Ugh! Tired of the Kurilka journalist!
How to put out a smelly splinter?
How to kill my Smoking Room?
Give me advice. - Yes ... spit on him.

Pushkin, 1825

In a letter dated March 3, 1825, Pletnev wrote to Pushkin: “ Kachenovsky keeps fussing about the “Prisoner of the Caucasus”, but he, the poor one, is no longer in the shops».

Pletnev was referring to a note published in Vestnik Evropy, 1825: A true writer will not dare to publish a work from which you will learn nothing more, except that someone was taken prisoner; that some young girl fell in love with a prisoner who could not love her mutually, having lost her life of voluptuousness, and finally, that the same girl freed him and drowned herself».

The note was signed by a pseudonym Yust Veridikov, behind which was hidden not the editor-publisher of the magazine Kachenovsky, as Pletnev and Pushkin thought, but probably M. A. Dmitriev.

On March 14, Pushkin wrote to his brother: Kachenovsky rebelled against me. Write to me if the tone of his critic is decent - if not, I will send an epigram". Lev Pushkin's answer, unknown to us, evoked Pushkin's epigram: Alive, alive smoking room!».

The text of the epigram is based on a song known at the time, which was sung during divination (it was included in the collection of Russian folk songs with notes, published by Prach in the 18th century, and also existed at the end of the 19th century):

Alive, alive smoking room
Alive, alive, but not dead.
At our smoking room
thin legs,
The soul is short.

Divination: they think of a desire, light a torch, you need to sing a song while the torch burns, then the plan will come true.