Turning to the we alth of the Russian language, contemporaries completely forget about the origins of certain expressions. The beautiful phrase is used in its figurative sense, although only a couple of centuries ago it meant something extraordinary. If you ask the inhabitants of the 21st century what “on a whim” means, they will start talking about intuition. The answer is good, but incomplete. Philologists have a more detailed version!
Divine Providence
Ancestors were pious and even superstitious people. Any manifestation of the forces of nature was perceived as a sign from the celestials. And even some phenomena of the human body, consciousness were attributed to the tricks of angels or demons. It is enough to discard the pretext for, and “influx” means that higher powers are addressing you. The word breaks down into synonyms:
- indulgence;
- descent.
The speaker, as it were, indicates: a brilliant idea, insight did not arise in the head by itself, but were prompted by advisers from the invisible world. This happens because a person is not able to catch any logical connection between the previous mentalprocess and a sudden idea. Although it's just the laborious work of the subconscious, comparing the facts, and then leading the mind to an elegantly designed result.
Brain function
However, the first transcript is considered obsolete. In the course of a figurative, bookish meaning with the specified preposition. And in this case, the synonyms "on a whim":
- inspiration;
- Illumination;
- guess.
It's about great intuition, which without the slightest effort analyzes beyond consciousness. Someone manages to unravel the most difficult detective cases, while others quickly find out where the spouse's stash has gone. Applicable in all spheres of life. Even relying on consonance, one can say what “on a whim” means something that is directly related to the search. Ideas, the right decision, manners of behavior. The word "find" is clearly felt. Is the term appropriate in everyday communication?
Heart-to-heart talk
There is no such definition in official documents. Jurisprudence relies on facts, accurate data. Business partners and potential clients don't care about your intuition, your subconscious sense of success. And in everyday life, you can safely act on a hunch, which means relying on luck and deep confidence in your actions.
The expression is used as a statement, suggestion or praise. By the wording with his participation, the teacher can notesuccessful students, even if they do not fully understand how they came to the right decision. The intuitive principle does not always work, but sometimes a negative or random result is better than none.
