In the old days, in the 19th century, the expression "muslin lady" appeared. It meant girls who are not adapted to life. Perhaps they were educated, but they did not know how to do anything. Today we will analyze the history, meaning and examples.
Thin and expensive fabric
Kiseya is an elite fabric in the 19th century. As you can understand, it is difficult to sew bathrobes from it. And a girl of noble origin possesses the same qualities. No, of course, not in the sense that work clothes cannot be sewn from her, but in the fact that she, brought up on French novels, naturally knows nothing about a cow or cleaning the house with her own hands. To the absolute inability to live, a narrow intellectual horizon is added. In other words, if someone in the 19th century was called a muslin young lady, this was not the most flattering characteristic.
Author of phraseologism
History gives the palm in this dispute to Pomyalovsky, a Russian writer who, two years before his death in 1861, wrote the novel Petty-bourgeois Happiness. Then the expression "muslin lady" was picked up in his article by the famous literary critic DmitryPisarev. He wrote a review of Pomyalovsky's story. After them was Nikolai Shelgunov. Then the expression becomes winged and flies from one writer to another.
Rumors about the death of phraseology are greatly exaggerated
Sources say that the expression "muslin lady" has gone out of active use, and this is probably true. Other books speak of the complete death of set expression, and this is debatable.
Indeed, now there are no girls who have received a classical noble education. Thus, in the literal sense, the expression cannot be used, but it is quite actively used when a man behaves “like a girl”: cries, whimpers. At the same time, they can say to him: “Well, what are you, men don’t cry! Get it together! or the same version of the same message: "Well, why are you unstuck like a muslin young lady." Even children know this expression, although we suspect that not everywhere, not throughout Russia, as they once said in the program “Weather Forecast.”
The main thing: phraseology is alive and will live for a long time. The language is not updated as often as car or laptop models.
New "muslin ladies" - blondes
Blonde girls have replaced the petty-bourgeois noblewomen who are unadapted to life. You should immediately make a reservation: a blonde is not a hair color, but a state of mind. These are women who also know nothing, are not particularly interested in anything. They have one calling - to be beautiful! But the trouble is that this beauty is usually contained by someone else. The blonde (the heroine of many modern jokes) is perfect for the role, which can be conditionally called "muslin young lady" (phraseologism, the meaning of which we have already sorted out).
By the way, about jokes. Sometimes blondes tell stories about themselves and laugh wildly. And all this is not because they have a certain amount of self-irony. They just think everyone else is wrong. And all these funny humoresques are composed by not very smart people. Here is such an inversion.
Simulators - "muslin ladies" from sports
No one likes someone who pretends. And it doesn't matter where the events take place: in the classroom or on the football field. Imagine a student who, in front of all honest people, would beg the teacher for an assessment with characteristic howls: “Well, put a three”, like a street child at the station, begging for a copper penny.
Respect such behavior does not cause, but someone, watching this picture, could say: "What kind of muslin young lady is he!". Phraseologism in modern language shows the misbehavior of men, not women.
Football players are the same story as students. Some of them want to influence the judge not so much with their real suffering when a collision occurs, but with acting skills. It is developed in some athletes. But not only free throws are a stumbling block, but also pen alties. When a football player enters the goal area, he immediately begins to feel weak in his legs and is inevitably drawn to the ground. At one time FilippoInzaghi was a box dive specialist.
The longing of the muslin lady
Knowing the general nature of the expression, we can assume that the languor of the soul of a muslin young lady is a state of mind when a person languishes over fictitious problems. As we understand, now this can happen to anyone, gender does not play a role here.
But let's give an example of a female conversation anyway:
- You know, Mikhail called me and said that he had a headache. What do you think, is this true, or is he lying because he stopped loving me. Or maybe he got himself another, younger and better.
- Calm down, all this torment in vain. Here he will come to you, you will ask him. Why languish pointlessly now?
- What if he doesn't come anymore?
This conversation is potentially forever. It is easy to imagine young men or teenagers in love in approximately the same roles. If people have something to do with themselves, then such languor does not threaten them. There is simply no time for him.
