Phraseologism the horse did not lie down. What does the expression “the horse didn’t lie down” mean? Mythical interpretation of the saying “why didn’t the horse lie down”
The saying refers to an unusual habit of the animal. Horses of any color loved to have a good roll on the ground and only after that were allowed to put on a collar. Since this habit significantly delayed the process of starting plowing or laying a cart, now such an expression means that important work has not even begun.
Horses of any color loved to have a good roll on the ground and only after that were allowed to put on a collar. Photo: RIA Novosti / S. Vetchinin
Socialite
Men who were lucky in women's society began to be called that two centuries ago. Then they were jokingly compared to the lions that lived in the Tower of London: these animals enjoyed great success with the public. Later the joke was forgotten, but the expression remained.
Let's go back to our sheep
Such an intricate request not to be distracted from the topic came to us from an anonymous 15th century French farce about a cunning lawyer Pierre Patlen. He deceived the clothier by taking goods from him and not paying for them. The angry merchant decided to take his anger out on his servant and summoned him to court to answer for the loss of sheep (which, by the way, the servant actually stole). At the trial, the clothier suddenly recognized the accused’s lawyer as Patlen, who had deceived him, and began to demand repayment of the debt. Since the conversation constantly veered away from the main issue of the litigation, the judge was forced to remind those present several times about the stolen sheep.
Lawyer Patlen at trial. Medieval French engraving. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Scapegoat
The custom of looking for someone to blame for all failures was invented by the ancient Jews. According to one of the rituals described in the Bible, with the help of a goat, the community from time to time got rid of its sins. It was believed that when the clergyman laid hands on the horned martyr, all human faults were transferred to the animal. After the ritual, the goat was driven into the desert.
"Scapegoat". Painting by William Holman Hunt, 1854. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
You can't ride a goat
Often the phraseological unit is slightly expanded, making the goat lame or crooked. But this does not change the essence: you can hardly find an approach to any person. In the old days, riding a goat was a common entertainment at fairs - this is how jesters and buffoons entertained landowners and merchants. However, very important and stern people did not see such numbers: the artists were afraid to approach them, so as not to provoke righteous anger and subsequent punishment.
Ate the dog
The phrase cultivating cruelty to animals in order to become a professional is a truncated version of the saying “he ate the dog and choked on his tail.” Having culinary differences with the Koreans, the Russian people believed that dog meat was tasteless, and that eating a whole animal was, if not impossible, then extremely difficult. And the one who manages to do something difficult is considered a master of his craft. Hence the modern meaning of the phraseological unit.
On a bird's license
The author of the expression about the precarious position of someone was most likely inspired by the sight of bird nests. If they are nested under the roof of a country house or low on a tree, then it is quite easy to destroy or ruin them.
Chickens don't eat money
The turnover has two sources. On the one hand, it is associated with Christmas fortune-telling. It was customary to place gold, silver, copper rings and other objects in the hut or chicken coop. The groom's wealth was determined by what chickens pecked from what was laid out. On the other hand, the phraseological unit reflects the habits of poultry: chickens do not peck at grain only when there is a lot of it and they are already full.
Kill the worm
A worm “crawled” into a light snack from the French phraseological unit tuer le ver. It is widely used in figurative meaning(“drink alcohol on an empty stomach”), but literally translates as “kill a worm.”
A mosquito won't hurt your nose
The phrase, meaning neat and precise work, originally referred to carpentry and jewelry. The highly skilled artisans took great pride in their smoothly polished and polished creations. They claimed that there were not even tiny rough spots on them that a mosquito could touch its nose on.
Internet marketer, editor of the site "In an accessible language"
Date of publication: December 28, 2017
The horse didn't lie- there is such a phrase in the Russian language, it is clear and understandable to most adult residents of Russia from childhood, but foreigners are often confused by this expression. Having heard this phrase, guests of our country may consider it inappropriate or simply not understand the interlocutor.
The thing is, when pronouncing this phrase, you don’t mean a wallowing animal at all. The expression “the horse did not lie”, like many other phraseological units, has a figurative meaning.
This phrase is usually used when we are talking about some task that needs to be completed within a certain time frame, but has not yet been started or not even thought about starting. Often a phraseological unit is used as a reproach, in order to hint to the performer of some work or task that the deadline for obtaining a result is approaching, but he has not yet started anything.
In the collection of phrases by V.I. Dahl - “Proverbs of the Russian People”, the interpretation of the expression is given as follows:
We haven’t even got a horse yet (that is, the business hasn’t even started).
In order to more clearly reflect the meaning of this phraseological unit, we give several examples with explanations:
- Boss to employee:“Sergey, you have to submit the report in an hour, but you haven’t got a horse lying around yet,” the boss reproaches the employee for being slow, reminding him that the report needs to be submitted in an hour. This statement expresses the boss’s doubts that the employee will be able to submit the report on time.
- Wife to husband:“Darling, I promised to prepare dinner for your arrival, but I didn’t have a horse in the kitchen yet - I was late at work” - the wife brings the news to her husband that the dinner he was counting on was not prepared due to the fact that she she was late at work and didn’t have enough time for it.
- Customer to builders:“You promised to finish building the house this week, but you still haven’t got a horse lying around... You haven’t even built the walls” - A customer who contacted a construction organization expresses dissatisfaction with the timing of the work. At the same time, he expresses doubts that the contractor will be able to deliver the finished work on time.
As you can see from the examples, with the help of this phraseological unit you can very briefly, but at the same time succinctly express indignation at deadlines, explanations about the lack of time to complete a task.
How did this expression appear in Russian? Where did the parallel between time to complete work and a horse come from? Let's try to figure it out.
The origin of the phraseological unit “The horse did not lie”
The first mentions of this expression can be found in Russian literary works of the 17th century, but they began to regularly use this phrase in speech only in the 19th century. There are many assumptions about the history of the origin of this phraseological unit, with four versions considered the most common.
According to the most common version, the phraseological unit is associated with winter shoes - felt boots, and has nothing to do with horses. Felt boots were felted from wool, and earlier, the production of such shoes began with the toe, which in those days was called “kon”.
Valenki | Photo: kak2z.ru
Therefore, in those days, the expression “the horse has not yet fallen” literally meant that the work of making felt boots had not yet begun and would still be a long time before its completion. Over time, the phrase acquired a figurative meaning; it began to be used not only in relation to felt boots, but also in relation to other things, and in the process of assimilation, a soft sign was added to the word “kon”.
Some philologists associate the expression with the work of horses on the farm. According to one of these versions, in the old days both people and horses fell off their feet from hard work in the fields. The phrase “the horse is down” said that they had done serious work, and the expression “the horse is not down” said that the work has not yet begun.
A version of the origin of the phraseological unit with a similar meaning is associated with the peasant custom adopted in Rus' - to let the horse lie around before harnessing it - so that it gains strength and is less tired from work. In this interpretation, the figurative meaning of the phraseological unit means not only that the work has not yet begun, but also that preparation for it has not even been carried out yet.
In addition to the versions listed above, there is also a theory associated with the ancient Slavic custom of sacrificing a horse before starting any important undertaking, such as construction or a military campaign. The horse was killed or, in other words, “knocked down” before the start of the business, and the expression “the horse was not killed” or “the horse was not lying down” meant that the business had not yet started.
Initially, philologists did not attach special attention This version, however, began to be examined in more detail when, during archaeological excavations, horse skulls began to be found under the foundations of ancient buildings.
It is worth noting that most scientists are inclined to believe that, with the greatest degree of probability, the phraseological unit “the horse did not lie” came precisely from the expressions used in the manufacture of felt boots.
“There’s not even a horse lying around here!” Everyone has probably heard a cry of reproach when a task that should have been completed long ago has not yet been started. But not everyone will explain in what meadows the horses are lying, on which the completion of the work depends.
Most often, when explaining the origin of this saying, they refer to a certain mysterious peasant custom - to let the horse lie before it is harnessed or saddled. Allegedly thanks to this “ industrial gymnastics»horses get less tired during work.
There is another version - horses ride on the ground so that they do not have to put a saddle or collar on them. This version is presented in the Dictionary of Russian Phraseology.
But in reality, horse breeders, before harnessing a horse, not only do not let it “lounge”, but, on the contrary, thoroughly clean it. The cleanliness of the harness is also carefully checked. When Petro Melekhov in M. A. Sholokhov’s novel “Quiet Don” is about to go to work, his father, Panteley Prokofievich, carefully examines: “It’s a small matter - a crumb or a piece of grass will stick to the sweatshirt, and in one trip it will rub the horse’s back with blood.” There is every reason to trust the testimony of a writer familiar with Cossack life.
A more fantastic explanation is also offered. Allegedly, “fulling” should be understood as the emasculation of a horse. As you know, geldings, unlike stallions, are non-aggressive and obedient - an ideal working animal. The operation, as a rule, was entrusted to self-taught village veterinarians - “farmers”. And before casting, the foals were actually thrown to the ground and their legs were tied. Accordingly, the saying “the horse has not yet fallen” is interpreted as “the horse has not yet been castrated.”
This version is mentioned, in particular, by philologist Jerzy Lisowski. However, he himself criticizes this interpretation. “Such an operation,” writes Lisovsky, “is of a one-time nature, and the fact that it was not carried out could not be constantly used as an explanation for the unstarted business, much less turn into a sustainable turnover.” Let us add that castrating a draft animal immediately before starting work is somewhat frivolous: after such an operation, a long time must pass before the newly minted gelding can return to duty. Lisovsky also notes that if the controversial figure of speech had really been based on emasculation, the phrase would have sounded differently: “the horse was not lying” instead of “the horse was not lying.”
An interesting - although also far from reality - hypothesis about the origin of the expression “the horse has not yet fallen” is put forward by V. Mokienko in the book “Why do they say that?” He connects the origin of the saying with the ritual bathing of a horse in dew. The author refers to the traditions of celebrating St. George's Day, when the horse was allowed to ride to his heart's content on the morning grass, and even to the epic horses that bathe in the three dews.
The description of the magical ritual of bathing a horse is interesting, but still it does not explain the origin of the phraseological unit that interests us. Heroic horses bathe in dew to gain strength, ride on grass, but - for the reasons stated above - do not do this immediately before starting work, before harnessing and leaving.
It turns out that the proverb “the horse did not lie” is in no way connected with horses. Never in Rus' (as well as in other regions) have horses been rolled before work.
But in our country there were felt boots lying around in large quantities. Historian Natalya Mushkatyorova believes that winter footwear made from felt has been known for quite a long time. In any case, by the beginning of the 18th century, felt boots had firmly entered into popular usage and, undoubtedly, left a mark on the history of the language. It is probably in the production of felt boots that one should look for the solution to the “lost horse.”
On Internet forums dedicated to language issues, you can often find the following version: “The Russian felt boot began to fall from the horse’s toe. And the phrase “The horse hasn’t fallen yet” means that the work on the felt boot is very far from being completed.” This version has been wandering around various resources since the 2000s.
The explanation seems plausible, if not for one “but”. Felt boots begin to be felted not from the toe (which, by the way, no one has ever called “kon”), not from the heel and not from the boot. Both in factories and in private workshops, every felt boot is lying around at once - entirely.
The washed and combed wool is laid out and leveled, dumped into soft felt, then blanks are formed from the loose felt, reminiscent of huge woolen stockings. They are deboned, crushed and beaten into a block, giving the material the required density and rigidity, and the product as a whole - the required shape.
The production of the felt boots itself is preceded by the felting of felt - a blank, the basis of future shoes. And according to Vladimir Dahl’s dictionary, in the old days the concepts of “beginning” and “base” were conveyed by the now almost forgotten word “con”. Hence - primordial (original), from time immemorial (that is, from the beginning of time).
Felting the base is the beginning of the whole thing. If “the game has not yet been played,” it means that the master has not started work.
How did “kon” turn into “horse”? The word “kon” meant any beginning, and not just the beginning of making felt boots. Obviously, over time, the connection of the popular expression with this particular work was lost, and the word “kon” fell out of the category of commonly used ones. And the saying has already taken root. And when quickly pronouncing “kon not lying” (“konnevalyasya”), the sound [n] involuntarily softens. So, over time, a mystery arose: a horse lying around before starting work.
The horse didn't lie who, where. Simple Express Nothing has been started yet, nothing has been done by anyone. - And Faust was a scientist, not a graduate student. You could say he's an academician. And you, Richard, don’t have a horse lying around yet. You keep arguing. So you will remain an evergreen tree(D. Granin. I’m going into a thunderstorm).
Phrasebook Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008.
See what “The horse didn’t lie” in other dictionaries:
the horse didn't lie- adverb, number of synonyms: 2 the horse has not yet rolled (2) nothing has been done yet (2) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin... Synonym dictionary
the horse didn't lie- The horse is not lying (yet) Nothing has been done yet... Dictionary of many expressions
The horse didn't lie- 1. next to something. About something, not comparable with anything, not subject to comparison. 2. where. What is l. about? unfinished, far from complete... Dictionary of Russian argot
We still don't have a horse lying around.- (i.e. the case has not been started). See START END... IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people
[Also] the horse did not lie- 1. Simple. Disapproved About work that is far from complete, has not yet begun. BTS, 111; SHZF 2001, 73; ZS 1996, 109, 474; Glukhov 1988, 76. 2. Mord. Very early, far before dawn. SRGM 1982, 64 ... Big dictionary Russian sayings
the horse wasn’t lying around yet- simple. , often ironic. or unapproved Nothing has been done yet, the work is still far from starting. 1. The proverb reflects the Russian peasant custom of letting a horse lie around before harnessing it, so that it gets less tired while working. 2.… … Phraseology Guide
the horse hasn't rolled yet- adverb, number of synonyms: 2 the horse is not lying (2) nothing has been done yet (2) ASIS Dictionary of Synonyms. V.N. Trishin. 2013… Synonym dictionary
horse- noun, m., used. often Morphology: (no) whom? horse, who? horse, (see) who? horse, by whom? horse, about whom? about the horse; pl. Who? horses, (no) who? horses, who? horses, (I see) who? horses, by whom? horses, about whom? about horses 1. A male horse is called a horse. Voronoi... Dictionary Dmitrieva
horse- I, pl. horses, her, m. 1. Horse (mainly about a male; in the speech of the military, in horse breeding practice, as well as in poetic speech). War horse. Trotting horse farm. □ Why are you neighing, my zealous horse, Why are you hanging your neck, Don’t shake your mane, Don’t... ... Small academic dictionary
Why do people procrastinate? For many reasons: they don’t know where to start, the work is unpleasant for them, or simply accumulated fatigue does not allow them to act. But the result is ultimately the same. When the deadline for a project approaches, a person who has not even started to complete the task may hear the phrase: “But there’s no horse lying around yet!” Today we will analyze the meaning of phraseological units.
Origin: main version
When people start looking for the roots of catchphrases and instructive folk expressions, most often it turns out that their searches lead nowhere. Today you can find many versions regarding the meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “the horse did not lie down.” One of them gained the greatest popularity due to its apparent authenticity.
Horses, like other animals, suffer greatly from fleas, mosquitoes and other insects that live off mammals. That is why, during its leisure hours, the graceful animal is not averse to lying on the grass in order to clean its skin from annoying pests. The peasants, fully understanding the reasons for this behavior, did not condemn the horse. But the wayward animal managed to wallow not only in his free time, but also just before work. After all, it will not be possible to do this with a belly harnessed to the harness. Therefore, the following situation often happened: a peasant overslept, approached the horse to put a collar on it, and it began to lie around. The peasants were unhappy with this ritual. Even the phraseology “the horse was not lying” appeared, the meaning of which is very simple: they did not even start work.
And a few more theories about the origin of phraseological units
Where did the expression “the horse never lie” come from? There are several other theories. One of them says that all the difficult work in the fields was done with the help of horses. They plowed, sowed, and harvested crops on horses. The meaning of the phraseological unit “the horse was not lying” is connected precisely with that part of the work when it was necessary to plow. People did not always harness their horses at home. Sometimes they rode them to the field, let the animal lie, and only then put a collar on it. So, when plowing work had not yet begun, they often said that the horse had not yet been lying there.
Meaning
What is the interpretation of the phraseological unit “the horse is not lying”? Its meaning is actually very simple, and to understand the etymology, let’s take a tour of history. What was the horse resisting when it began its grooming ritual? That's right, work. That’s when they didn’t even start working on it, and they said that “the horse wasn’t even lying around,” that is, they hadn’t even put the collar on it yet. People understand this expression as a definition of an uninitiated action. Moreover, this is not a synonym for the word laziness.
Sometimes work did not start, not because the peasant did not want to wake up, but because yesterday he worked until late at night, and today sleep took its toll. Therefore, the expression “the horse has not yet rolled” was used not as a reproach, but as a statement of fact.
Historical usage
We figured out what the expression “the horse didn’t lie down” means, but now we need to understand in what meaning it was used. When it came to field work, it goes without saying that the animal was often mentioned. Where else has the horse not been lying? As you know, in Rus', ordinary people had two main ways to get food for themselves: the first was to work in the field themselves, the second was to engage in crafts and buy or exchange their products for food.
Therefore, the horse was remembered not only by peasants, but also by people who sculpted pots, forged weapons and knitted bast shoes.
Modern interpretation
People no longer plow their own fields, so to speak, by hand, and don’t knit bast shoes. But, despite this, you can often hear the expression that the horse was not lying somewhere. What are the uses of this phraseological unit today? Oddly enough, everyone uses it - from young to old. A mother can use such parting words to accompany her son to do his homework, and the head of the family can force his wife to help him with repairs.
The old meaning of the expression is still alive. That is, people who have plots of land, be it a dacha, a village or a vegetable garden next to their house, say with the onset of spring and the beginning of field work that a horse has not yet been lying on the ground.
Future phraseological units
We found out where the expression “the horse didn’t lie” came from, and now let’s talk about the further fate of the phrase. Nothing can be predicted with certainty, but it is worth taking the past into account. Today, few people understand where the phraseological unit came from. And if you ask a person who has just used a phrase about a horse in a speech, whether he knows at least one of the versions of the origin of the popular expression, then the answer will be negative. But the very fact that even losing its roots, a phraseological unit continues to live, suggests that it is unlikely to go out of use in the near future. People love ornate phrases; it seems to them that by using all sorts of colorful words, the meaning of which is half-hidden by a ghostly veil, their speech will be considered more refined. Maybe. The main thing is to understand what you are talking about and use phraseological units correctly, in the right context.
The main reasons for procrastination
They say that laziness is in the genes of some people. But that's not true. All people are active by nature. Some simply prefer useless fuss, while others live measuredly, pre-thinking their actions. But each of us had at least one moment in our lives when we didn’t want to get down to business. We put it off until later and started working on it as the last thing. Although many have encountered this situation more than once. Some people have gotten into the habit of doing everything at the last minute. But few people thought that behind laziness there are a lot of psychological reasons why a person procrastinates. Here are a few of them:
- Difficult task. If a person cannot imagine the whole process of work from start to finish, then he will be confused. It will be unclear to him where to start and where to end. Moreover, this does not necessarily have to be a work assignment. Many people try unsuccessfully to go on a diet or exercise.
- Fear of failure. Perhaps the person has already had a negative experience: he took on a similar task, and the result was negative. In such a situation, a psychological anchor is placed. A person thinks that if it didn’t work out once, it means it won’t work out again. This is wrong. You would not be reading this article now if our ancestors had not tried again and again to invent electricity, the Internet and the computer.
- Perfectionism. Some people try to do everything perfectly. Their motto in life is: “Either good or nothing!” We will not condemn anyone, we will simply say that very often things are not done precisely because a person cannot perform them perfectly. But remember that poorly prepared food is still food. And if you don’t feed someone, but continue to achieve the ideal result, the poor fellow will simply die of hunger.
- Lack of resources. Sometimes, before starting a task, you need to collect everything you need to solve it. And this can be not only materials, but also knowledge and skills. Sometimes a person puts off completing a task simply because he is not physically able to complete it yet.
How to work successfully without losing strength
To feel good and not be lazy, you need to rest productively. And if many people think that a day off spent at the computer is The best way relax, then this is not so. There is one thing though. If a person is engaged in physical labor, then, indeed, he needs to rest at home. But most people work in an office and don't overwork their bodies. Therefore, weekends should be spent outdoors or playing sports. It is a change of activity that is the key to successful work without loss of strength. It is always worth remembering the wonderful lines said by V. Mayakovsky: “Comrade, remember the simple rule: work while sitting, rest while standing!”
