Origin of phraseological units Prepared by Mr Raimjonov and Miss Ashirova

Origin of phraseological units

Prepared by Mr Raimjonov and Miss Ashirova

The consideration of the origin of phraseological units contributes to a better understanding of phraseological meaning. According to their origin all phraseological units may be divided into two big groups:

• Native
• Borrowed

The main sources of native phraseological units are:

• 1) terminological and professional lexics, e.g. physics: center of gravity
• 2)British literature, e.g. the green-eyed monster — 'jealousy"
• 3) British traditions and customs, e.g. baker's dozen — 'a group of thirteen'.

• 4) superstitions and legends, e.g. a black sheep — 'a less successful)

• 5) historical facts and events, personalities, e.g. as well be hanged {or hung) for a sheep as a lamb — 'something that you say when you are going to be punished for something so you decide to do something worse because your punishment will not be any more severe'.

• 6) phenomena and facts of everyday life, e.g. carry coals to Newcastle — 'to take something to a place where there is plenty of it available'.

Borrowed

• the Holy Script, e. g. the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing — 'communication in an organization is bad so that one part does not know what is happening in another part'; the kiss of Judas — 'any display of affection whose purpose is to conceal any act of treachery'

• 2) ancient legends and myths belonging to different religious or
• cultural traditions, e.g. to cut the Gordian knot — 'to deal with a
• difficult problem in a strong, simple and effective way'

• facts and events of the world history, e.g. to cross the Rubicon — 'to do something which will have very important results which cannot be changed after'.

• 4) variants of the English language, e.g. a heavy hitter— 'someone who is powerful and has achieved a lot'

• hosed — 'to have completed something successfully' (Australian);
• 5) other languages (classical and modern), e.g. second to none —
• 'equal with any other and better than most'

Some more examples

• let the cat out of the bag — 'reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake'
• ); every dog is a lion at
• home — 'to feel significant in the familiar surrounding'
• ; be home and hosed — 'to have completed something successfully'