Phraseologism is a unique means of the Russian language. This tool serves to decorate speech, enrich it.
Phraseologisms, retaining their form after so many years and even centuries, reflect the history, culture and life of the Russian people. In linguistics they are called realities.
Let's consider the stable expression "beaten hour" and study its history.
Origin and Meaning
Phraseologism "beaten hour" is associated with a clock with a fight. Historians believe that the first tower clock was brought to Russia in the 15th century. They were installed in the Moscow Kremlin.
Despite the fact that at that time there were already workshops for the production of watches in Russia, they were still bought in the West. Even the installation of the Kremlin ones was carried out by invited British specialists.
The clock tower struck every 60 minutes, hence the idiom. Initially, it carried a direct meaning. Phraseologism "beaten hour" appeared much later. It was based on metaphor. The feeling of waiting for the end of a long period of time carried over toother events, so the phrase became catchy.
So, the meaning of phraseologism "beaten hour" is long, tedious and to no avail. So they say when they spend a lot of time on some business and cannot complete it. At the same time, precious minutes of life are wasted.
We have found out that the meaning of the phraseologism "beaten hour" is directly related to its origin. Unfortunately, over time, the stable expression lost its figurativeness, like many others ("beat the thumbs", "pull the gimp", etc.).
This happens because the language develops, some words become obsolete, go out of everyday use. However, we can find the meaning of such phrases in phraseological dictionaries. Particularly interested linguists themselves conduct research with the help of etymological reference books, historical documents, offer new variants of origin.
Synonyms
We have compiled a list of related set expressions. It will help you correlate phraseological units with the meaning of "beaten hour".
- "A teaspoon per hour" - this stable expression appeared thanks to medicine. Doctors wrote in the recipes: "drink" … "in an hour for a teaspoon." And the patient had to wait that long between each appointment to be cured.
- "Pull the wire". Previously, this word had a direct meaning - the manufacture of a metal fishing line. Classwas painstaking and tedious, hence the meaning.
- "Turtle step". There is no need to explain the origin, because there is imagery.
Examples from the literature
Let's consider excerpts from literary and journalistic texts:
I've been trying to achieve silence for an hour, but you didn't close your mouth!!! … the petrochemical complex?
This is a fragment from A. Ivanov's book "The geographer drank away the globe". The difficult life of a teacher and family problems make the hero break into a cry. "The dead hour" stands in its "place" and most accurately conveys the emotion of anger.
I sat with the princess for an hour. Mary didn't come out…
This is an excerpt from "A Hero of Our Time" by the famous Russian poet and writer M. Yu. Lermontov. The character is in love with Mary, which makes it seem like a very long time without her.
…the questions worried us for a good hour
Excerpt from "The Grass of Oblivion" by V. Kataev. Here "beaten hour" means "for a long time, a very long time."
