Criticism and scolding are different. It happens to be solid. And sometimes subjective. Today we will look at the expression "butcher a nut", its meaning, origin and give examples.
Origin
As usual, first, if possible, you need to say about the origin of the expression, its history. It came to us from the professional slang of carpenters and cabinetmakers. And earlier it was a phrase that had a positive connotation, and meant "to do something qualitatively and thoroughly." Walnut - to give the surface of the wood the look of a walnut tree. The expression has a good meaning, but not everyone remembers it.
Meaning
The dictionary indicates that the phrase has three meanings:
- Ruthlessly criticizing someone for something. The teacher butchered the student's experiment, pointing out obvious mistakes.
- Win for a clear advantage. Barcelona butchered Granada 6:1.
- Doing the job masterfully, impeccably. He did his homework to the bone and got an A.
I must say that the third option is the least popular among the people. can be heardexpression in the second and first meaning, but the latter is almost never used. Let's point out one more subtlety that is worth remembering when using the stable phrase "butcher".
Criticism must be justified
The phrase placed in the title is the key. It is clear that one can argue endlessly about the validity of criticism. And if you ask someone who is being scolded, then you won’t get the truth at all. But in the phraseological unit “to cut a nut”, the shade of the original meaning is always preserved - to do something flawlessly.
For example, if the criticism is unfair, the person will never say something using the phrase we are considering. A native speaker will have a sense that he is out of place here.
And one more thing. Although the expression originated from the joinery community, it is now used quite successfully by doctors of science when discussing dissertations. For example, like this: "And the council cut Vasily Petrovich's dissertation like a walnut." Of course, the phrase cannot be heard in official reports, but in behind-the-scenes conversations it is a frequent guest.
Despite the relative innocence, you need to be careful not to get into trouble with the expression "butcher". Phraseologism is easy to understand. Its origin deserves more attention.
And yet you have to be careful with criticism. Each person is an individual. Everyone's level of vulnerability is different. If you really scold, then get down to business.
