Historical events often leave their indelible imprint, adding new stable turns to the vocabulary. Among them, one can note the expression "pass like a red thread." In this article we will consider this phraseological unit. Let's reveal the meaning, etymology, scope of this expression.
"To pass like a red thread": the meaning of phraseology
Perhaps many people know the interpretation of this expression since school days. Often in literature lessons you can hear the phrase "pass like a red thread." The meaning of the expression is the basis, something dominant, leading. Therefore, when they talk about the work of writers, they use this turnover to highlight an important topic of the author. For example, they may say that in the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, the theme of good and evil runs like a red thread. Or take Pushkin as a model. So, it can be noted that in his work the theme of liberty, struggle and freedom runs like a red thread.
Where did this expression come from, what events influenced it, we will find out later.
The history of the origin of the set phrase
There are two variants of events, due to which thethe expression "pass like a red thread." Both of them are connected with the theft of state property. According to the first version, canvas was stolen from the fleet in Holland, and in the 17-18 centuries, in order to prevent theft, it was decided to weave red threads into it. Thus, such a fabric meant that it was state-owned. Therefore, no one would buy such a canvas and, therefore, steal. This option is found in the school phraseological dictionary of M. I. Stepanova.
The next version is very similar to the first one. The English Navy also had problems with the theft of government property, namely ropes. Therefore, it was decided from 1776 to weave a red thread into them. Yes, so that it was the main, pivotal. When removing it, they unraveled the rest of the ropes, that is, they made the rope unusable, so this method of protection was reliable.
Thus, history shows that the red thread was the basis, the main one. Hence the meaning of the catchphrase.
Use phraseology
The expression "pass like a red thread" became stable thanks to Johann Goethe. In 1809 he wrote the novel "Elective Affinity". In it, the author mentioned the red thread used in the gear of the Royal Navy. There he talked about intricately woven ropes, that the red thread is the main one, and attempts to remove it lead to damage to the entire rope.
Because Johann Goethe was a famous thinker and doer, his work quickly became famous and popular. The saying about redthe thread turned out to be winged. At the same time, the expression became stable among many peoples and appeared in different languages. It is used in the media, literature, school essays and other works to highlight the main themes and thoughts of someone's work. It is less common in colloquial speech.
Conclusion
Having considered the stable expression "to pass like a red thread", we learned that such a turnover marks the main, leading, main points. Especially themes in creative works.
Turning to the history of the appearance of this phraseological unit, we found out what role the red threads played in shipping.
We also found out what contribution the great naturalist and writer Johann Goethe made to the popularization of this expression.
The turnover we are considering is very popular in journalism and creative work. Therefore, it is worth knowing the meaning of such a common expression, so as not to get into trouble at a crucial moment. And the use of this phraseological unit when writing articles, essays, analyzing creativity will make the work brighter.
