Phraseology "hack on the nose": meaning and history

The Russian language includes many stable expressions, the meaning of which is well understood by its speakers, but puzzles foreigners. "Hack on the nose" is a vivid example of a winged phrase, the translation of which is difficult to give to linguists from other countries. The origin of phraseology, as it is typical for such expressions, has a simple and at the same time an interesting explanation.

Hack on the nose: the meaning of the phrase

The winged expression is so well established that it is used unconsciously by native speakers. The phraseology "to cut yourself in the nose" comes to the person to help when he wants his interlocutor to remember his words forever. For example, this statement can be afforded by parents or teachers who chastise the disobedient child. Also, adults resort to it, quarreling with each other.

This phrase - one of the clearest proof of the emotional wealth of the Russian language. The expression "hack on the nose" better conveys the speaker's emotions and the importance of his words than a simple plea to memorize something. However, it does not conceal in itself the threat of physical violence, as an alien who tries to translate a verbatim word may seem.

The origin of phraseology

Strangely enough, the winged expression did not initially have any emotional coloring. It was absolutely not related to damage to the human body. Offering to hack on the nose, the speaker did not mean the sense of smell, as one might think. Such a name in the people a few centuries ago purchased plates, which served as a wand-help to a person who was not trained in literacy.

How are these attachments connected to one part of the body? Absolutely nothing, because their name came from the verb "to wear". Considering the importance of writing instruments, many residents of that time practically did not part with them. In fact, "hack on the nose" meant to cut the notches on the "notepad-noses", which were always with them.

Why do we need "noses"

Almost before the overthrow of the tsarist power that took place in 1917, literacy remained a privilege of a high society. Most of the population of Russia did not even have the basic skills of writing. Serious gaps in education did not prevent people from actively participating in the trade that flourished in the country. Constantly, new trading houses were founded, fairs were launched, caravans flourished. Transactions were made every minute and sometimes were associated with large amounts.

Planks, which owe their own existence to the phraseology "hack at the nose," were invented to help illiterate traders. With their help they fixed in memory their own financial operations, causing nicks. Decoding "notebook" was made by counting the number of created "sticks". This does not seem convenient, but it's worth remembering that people did not have electronic gadgets in those days.

It is interesting that such adaptations were widespread in medieval Europe, since there the situation with literacy of the population was deplorable in those days.

Emotional coloring

Why do people today threaten an opponent, jokingly or seriously, when asked to be hacked on the nose? Significance acquired emotional color in connection with the main purpose of the plaques, successfully replacing modern notebooks. They became a means for fixing debt obligations.

An example of recording such an operation on a commemorative tag is easy to give. A person lends a friend three bags of flour. To memorize the fact of the loan and timely repay it, three notches are put on the board. It was not excluded and a partial return of the formed debt. In this case, the "notepad" was divided into parts between partners, and each retained half of the notches.

Obviously, debt obligations can conceal a certain threat to the debtor. With this is the gradual acquisition of an inoffensive exposition of emotional color.

Other phraseological units "with a nose"

There are other original winged phrases that seem to be related or really related to the sense of smell. Among them there are phraseological units having a simple explanation, and expressions formed in a complicated way. An example of an "easy" stable phrase can serve as a characteristic "with a gulkin nose", meaning a small amount of something. Under the speckled nose, the speaker means the pigeon beak, which is small in size.

The phrase "go with a nose" has as long a story as "hack on the nose." The offer has remained since the times when bribery flourished in the country. For example, it was difficult to hope for a positive resolution of his issue in court, if a gift was not prepared for a government representative. Of course, such a gift was not called a bribe: it was designated as a nose, a prinos. If a person stays with a nose, this indicates that his gift was refused. Consequently, the achievement of the goal seems unrealistic.

Many winged phrases from the past have been forgotten, but the phraseology "hack at the nose" continues to be actively used in the Russian language.