Ivan Andreevich Krylov was born on February 2 (13), 1769 in Moscow in a military family, a Russian publicist, publisher of the satirical magazine “Mail of Spirits”, author of comedies and tragedies, and since 1841 - academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. But he became famous for writing fables, which were distinguished by their acuity and sharp satire. Big influence The work of I.A. Krylov was influenced by the French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine (July 8, 1621 - April 13, 1695), who, in turn, borrowed plots and ideas mainly from the great ancient Greek fabulist Aesop, who lived around the 600s BC, as well as the Roman poet Phaedrus (20s BC-50s AD). For all this time, I.A. Krylov wrote 236 fables. Many expressions and quotes from these fables became popular and became popular among the people. Some phraseological units that we use in ordinary colloquial speech have not ceased to be relevant today.

Mention should be made of the writer and teacher of Russian language and literature Vladislav Feofilovich Kenevich (1831-1879), who researched and systematized the works of I.A. Krylov in the literary field, writing a treatise “Bibliographical and Historical Notes on Krylov’s Fables.”

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “and Vaska listens and eats”

The phraseology “And Vaska listens and eats” means ignoring fair criticism and comments, that is, continuing to do something without paying attention to anyone’s dissatisfaction.

This expression appeared from the fable “The Cat and the Cook,” published in 1812. The reason for writing the fable was the actions of Napoleon shortly before Patriotic War 1812. The French emperor, disregarding the concluded treaties with Russia, seized the Duchy of Württemberg, concluded unfavorable treaties for Russia with Prussia and Austria, and began to increase the military contingent on the borders with Russia in Prussia and Poland. Numerous notes of protest sent by Russia had no effect on Napoleon. Alexander 1 plays the role of the cook in the fable, and Napoleon plays the role of the cat.

Some Cook, literate

He ran from the kitchen

To the tavern (he ruled the pious

And on this day the godfather held a funeral feast),

And at home, keep food away from mice

I left the cat.

But what, come back, does he see? On the floor

Pie scraps; and Vaska the Cat is in the corner,

Crouching for a barrel of vinegar,

Purring and grumbling, he works on the little chicken.

“Oh, you glutton! Oh, you villain!”

Here the Cook reproaches Vaska, -

Aren't you ashamed of the walls, not just the people?

(But Vaska still cleans up the little chicken.)

How! Having been an honest Cat until now,

Sometimes people say that you are an example of humility,

And you... wow, what a shame!

Now all the neighbors will say:

"Vaska the cat is a rogue! Vaska the cat is a thief!

And Vaska, not just to the cookhouse,

There is no need to let him into the yard,

Like a greedy wolf into a sheepfold:

He is corruption, he is a plague, he is a plague of these places!

(And Vaska listens and eats.)

Here is my rhetorician, giving free rein to his words,

There was no end to the moralizing.

But what? While he was singing it,

Vaska the cat ate all the roast.

And I would like a different cook

He ordered to write on the wall:

So that speeches are not wasted there.

Where should power be used?

As we see from the fable, the cook left the kitchen and left the cat to guard the food supplies from mice. When he returned, he saw a cat eating chicken. The cook began to scold the cat. The cat, not paying attention, continued to eat. The cook's indignation knew no bounds. He began to shame the cat, saying that he was disgracing himself. And Vaska ate and ate until he had eaten everything under the indignation and moralizing of the cook.

The moral of the fable suggests that when faced with disrespect and rudeness, sometimes actions, not words, can help.

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “and the casket just opened”

When at first glance it seems quite difficult task is being decided in a simple way, the phrase is pronounced: “And the casket just opened.” That's the significance of this
phraseological unit in " Explanatory dictionary» I.S. Ozhegova:

“About what seemed complicated, but in reality was completely simple.”

In I.A. Bunin’s dictionary there is the following definition:

“It is used when talking about some matter, an issue in the resolution of which there was nothing to be clever about.”

T.V. Rose defines the expression “And the casket just opened” as:

“A simple way out of a seemingly difficult situation.”

As we see, the meaning of the phraseological unit is the same. This expression is taken from the fable “Larchik”, written by I.A. Krylov in 1808:

It often happens to us

And work and wisdom to see there,

Where you just have to guess

Just get down to business.

A Casket was brought to someone from the master.

The decoration and cleanliness of the Casket caught my eye;

Well, everyone admired the beautiful Casket.

Here a sage enters the mechanics room.

Looking at the Casket, he said: “A casket with a secret,

So; it doesn't even have a lock;

And I undertake to open it; yes, yes, I'm sure of it;

Don't laugh so secretly!

I will find the secret, and I will tell you the little chest:

In mechanics, I’m also worth something.”

So he set to work on the Casket:

Turns him from all sides

And he breaks his head;

First a carnation, then another, then a bracket.

Here, looking at him, another

Shakes his head;

They whisper, and they laugh among themselves.

The only thing that rings in my ears is:

"Not here, not like that, not there!" The mechanic is even more eager.

Sweated, sweated; but finally got tired

I left Larchik behind

And I couldn’t figure out how to open it:

And the casket simply opened.

The fable describes how an experienced mechanic, thinking that there is some kind of secret, tries to open a casket without a lock, and spends a lot of time “racking his brains.” But in fact, there was no secret, and the casket was opened simply. You just had to lift the lid, and that’s all - after all, the casket was not locked.

This situation is associated with another interesting expression, similar in meaning: “to break into open door" Sometimes you shouldn’t “reinvent the wheel”, because everything can be much simpler.

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “there is no stronger beast than a cat”

This is what they say about someone who, for certain reasons, is considered the most important and powerful, although in reality this is not the case, because for others he is not considered such. Often used as a joke, in an ironic form. The phraseology “there is no stronger beast than a cat” appeared thanks to the fable “The Mouse and the Rat,” published in 1816:

“Neighbor, have you heard the good rumor?

Running in, the Rat Mouse said,

After all, the cat, they say, fell into the claws of a lion?

Now it’s time for us to rest!”

"Don't rejoice, my light, -

The Rat says in response to her,

And don’t hope in vain!

If it reaches their claws,

That is true, the lion will not be alive:

Stronger than cats there is no beast!"

I’ve seen it so many times, take note for yourself:

When a coward is afraid of someone,

Then he thinks that

The whole world looks through his eyes.

As we see, fear is so deeply ingrained in the rat’s head that it clearly exaggerates the cat’s capabilities. Although the mouse is smaller and weaker than the rat, it is the rat that appears here as the weakest and most cowardly. This suggests that our fears are in our heads, which are perhaps much more difficult to get rid of than the object of fear itself. Close in meaning to the moral of this fable are such expressions as: “fear has big eyes” and “making mountains out of molehills.”

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “like a squirrel in a wheel”

The phraseology “like a squirrel in a wheel” has become firmly established in the usual colloquial speech. This expression has also become widespread in journalism and fiction.

The expression “like a squirrel in a wheel” has two meanings. In the first case, they say this about a person who is engaged in many different things at the same time and is very busy. The second meaning of this expression implies the fussy and troublesome work of a person, and at the same time, which is useless and ineffective. Moreover, a person thinks that these are very important matters, but in reality this may not be the case.

We owe the origin of the phraseological unit “like a squirrel in a wheel” to I.A. Krylov and his fable “The Squirrel,” published in 1832:

In the village, on holiday, under the window

Landlords' choir,

People were crowding.

He yawned and marveled at the Squirrel in the wheel.

Drozd also marveled at her from a birch tree nearby:

She ran so much that her paws only flickered

And the bushy tail swelled.

“Old countrywoman,” Drozd asked here, “is it possible,

Say that? what are you doing here? -

“Oh, dear friend! I work all day:

On business I am a messenger for a great master;

Well, there is no time to drink or eat,

I can’t even take a breath.” -

And the Squirrel in the Wheel started running again.

“Yes,” Drozd said as he flew away, “it’s clear to me,

That you’re running, but you’re still on the same window.”

Look at another businessman:

He fusses, rushes about, everyone marvels at him:

He seems to be breaking out of his skin,

But everything just doesn’t move forward,

Like a squirrel in a wheel.

As we see from the fable, the squirrel, responding to the blackbird who inquired about its occupation, really thinks that it is doing a serious and important task. And at the end of the fable, the author compares the squirrel with a person who is fussy and selflessly doing something, but to no avail, “like a squirrel in a wheel.”

Let us add that the phrase “like a squirrel in a wheel” is often used with the verbs “spinning” and “spinning”, which does not change the meaning of the expression.

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “and things are still there”

The phrase “and the cart is still there” is taken from I.A. Krylov’s fable “The Swan, the Crayfish and the Pike,” published in 1814. The reason for writing the fable was disagreements in the State Council of Russia.

When there is no agreement among comrades,

Things won't go well for them,

And nothing will come out of it, only torment.

Once upon a time Swan, Cancer, and Pike

They began to carry a cart full of luggage,

And together the three all harnessed themselves to it;

They are doing their best, but the cart is still moving!

The luggage would seem light to them:

Yes, the Swan rushes into the clouds,

The cancer moves back, and the Pike pulls into the water.

Who is to blame and who is right is not for us to judge;

Yes, but things are still there.

As we see from the fable, the swan, pike and crayfish had a goal - to move the cart. However, the task remained unfulfilled due to the lack of coherence in the actions of the heroes of the fable. They had more than enough desires and efforts, but everyone wanted to achieve the final result in their own way, so the matter never moved forward. The conclusion is simple - in teamwork, coherence and mutual understanding are important, without which it is impossible to achieve positive result It’s practically impossible, well, if only at very high costs.

The expression “but it’s still there” means unfinished work due to the contradictions inherent in nature that arose between the heroes of the work.

Nowadays, this phraseological unit is used when work for some reason has not started or is not being completed or is ineffective. This is also said in a situation where a person promised to do something, but for some reason does not do it or delays in fulfilling his promise.

This expression is mainly used in an ironic form as a joke.

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “I didn’t even notice the elephant”

The expression “I didn’t even notice the elephant” was immortalized in I.A. Krylov’s fable “The Curious” in 1814:

“Dear friend, great! Where have you been?" —

“In the cabinet of curiosities, my friend! I walked there for three hours;

I saw everything, looked out; out of surprise

Would you believe it, there will be no skill

I don’t have the strength to tell you again

It truly is a chamber of miracles!

Nature is no stranger to inventions!

What animals, what birds I have never seen!

What butterflies, insects,

Boogers, flies, cockroaches!

Some are like emerald, others are like coral!

How tiny the cows are!

There are, really, less than a pinhead!” —

“Have you seen an elephant? What a look!

I am tea, did you think that you met a mountain?” —

“Is he really there?” - "There". - “Well, brother, it’s my fault:

I didn’t even notice the elephant.”

According to V.F. Kenevich, the idea of ​​writing a fable came to I.A. Krylov at a dinner with a writer, scientist, traveler and real Privy Councilor Abraham Sergeevich Norov (1795-1869). The reason was the story of some provincial who visited the Kunstkamera. Admiring the Academic Museum, and not ignoring the smallest items in the collection, when asked about his impression of the largest exhibit of the exhibition - the elephant, he embarrassedly replied: “It’s my fault, I didn’t notice the elephant.”

According to another version, described by the journalist, writer and critic Thaddeus Venediktovich Bulgarin (1789-1859), the writing of the fable “The Curious” was inspired by another incident:

“One poet (but not a poet), however, a witty man, published poems in which he says that in literature there are three great fabulists and all three are Ivans: Ivan Lafontaine, Ivan Khemnitser and Ivan Dmitriev. About Ivan Krylov, who has already enjoyed full glory, - not a mention! They say that Krylov, offended by such inattention, wrote the fable “The Curious,” in which he made it clear to the author of the poem that he looked at the boogers, flies and others, but did not notice the elephant, Ivan Krylov.”

The meaning of the fable comes down to a person’s inability, and perhaps unwillingness, which is even worse, to see the main thing in someone or something. Like many of I.A. Krylov’s sayings, the expression “I didn’t even notice the elephant” is used mainly in an ironic form, when a person, without avoiding the smallest details of something, misses the most important thing. That is, he focuses his attention on unimportant things, while really losing sight of the most important thing, so to speak, “the very essence” or “the salt itself.”

This is the meaning of the phraseological unit “I didn’t even notice the elephant” in D.N. Ushakov’s “Explanatory Dictionary”:

“I didn’t even notice the elephant - I didn’t notice the most important, the most noticeable.”

The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit “green grapes”

The phraseological unit “green grapes” became entrenched in the Russian language thanks to I.A. Krylov’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes,” written in 1808. It must be admitted that I.A. Krylov borrowed the plot of this fable from La Fontaine, who in turn borrowed from Phaedrus. Well, the primary source is the fable of Aesop, who lived in the 6th century BC:

The hungry godfather Fox climbed into the garden;

The bunches of grapes in it were red.

The gossip's eyes and teeth flared up,

And the brushes are juicy, like yachts whirling;

The only problem is, they hang high:

Whenever and however she comes to them,

At least the eye sees

Yes, it hurts.

Having wasted a whole hour,

She went and said with annoyance: “Well, well!

He looks good,

Yes it is green - there are no ripe berries:

You'll set your teeth on edge right away."

The plot of the fable is based on the desire of a fox to taste grapes growing too high for her to reach. Out of frustration and to console herself, the fox justified her fiasco by the unripeness of the grapes.

This is how it often happens in life. When something doesn’t work out, a person, in order to console his pride, will most likely blame anyone and anything for the failure, but not himself. And in our case, when we talk about the expression “green grapes,” there is an obvious disparaging statement about the object of one’s desire.

This is exactly the phrase that is said to a person who, commenting on his failure in something or his inability to possess something, makes an excuse that in fact “I didn’t really want to,” although this is not the case. Roughly speaking, a person deceives himself. What motivates him? Heightened pride, envy, fear of looking “not in the best light” in front of others.

The expression is used with irony and some sarcasm. In fiction there are many examples of the use of the expression “green grapes.”

“I was too proud to get used to my position, I consoled myself like a fox, assuring myself that the grapes were still green, that is, I tried to despise all the pleasures brought by a pleasant appearance, which Volodya enjoyed before my eyes and which I sincerely envied.”

L.N. Tolstoy, “Adolescence”, 1854

Encyclopedic dictionary of popular words and expressions Vadim Vasilievich Serov

There is no stronger beast than a cat

There is no stronger beast than a cat

From the fable “The Mouse and the Rat” (1816) I. A. Krylova(1769-1844). The Mouse tells the Rat that the Cat has finally “fallen into the claws of the lion.”

“Don’t rejoice, my light,”

The Rat says in response to her, -

And don’t hope in vain!

If it reaches their claws,

That is true, the lion will not be alive:

There is no stronger beast than a cat!”