Undoubtedly, you have already heard such a funny phrase as “calf tenderness”. Do you know what it means? If so, are you sure you understand this stable expression correctly?
Stop doubting or pondering something. Read the article and find out how competent you are.
Phraseologisms - Stable Expressions
Before you find out what it is about, when your interlocutor pronounces the phraseological phrase “veal tenderness”, understand what is hidden under the strange word “f”. After all, it is so interesting in itself that its significance is also unusual.
So what is phraseologism? Perhaps the last time you heard this word back in school. It seems that it was a lesson in the Russian language, right? Do you remember what they mean by this term? Not? Then read and shake on the mustache.
Phraseologism is a stable expression that has been forming for many years. Now it is passed down from generation to generation. It is called sustainable, because the words that make up its composition cannot be changed. Otherwise, all meaning is lost.
Phraseologisms are very poorly perceived by foreigners, because with direct translation it turns out this crazy nonsense.
Where did phraseologisms come from?
It is difficult to determine exactly where an expression came from. It just arose by itself and suddenly took root in the vocabulary of people? Most often, phraseological lines become any literary lines or remarks by actors, politicians, correspondents, etc.
These are winged expressions from songs or works. In them, the author invested a certain meaning, and his wording liked the readers so much that over time they began to be used in colloquial speech as a general name for a situation, problem, etc.
There are so many phraseological units in the Russian language that they cannot be remembered immediately or counted. These are such stable expressions:
- "The cat cried" - not enough.
- "Bite your elbows" - annoy.
- "Lose the worm" - eat, eat.
- "A dime a dozen" - a lot.
- “Write - gone” - the end, the inability to do something.
- “Touching the living” - it hurts to hurt, offend.
- “Like water from a goose” - nothing.
This is not a complete list of phraseological units. In fact, there are a lot of them. It is not for nothing that the Russian language is often called figurative. It is sometimes much more often and more used stable expressions that have figurative meaning than ordinary sentences.
What does “veal tenderness” mean?
This stable expression is also phraseological unit. And therefore, naturally, it is not talking about a cow or her babies. The animals themselves have nothing to do with it, but their behavior makes a certain contribution.
Have you ever seen a calf? So small, defenseless, with huge eyes and thick eyelashes. What epithet (adjective) arises in the head when looking at this wondrous creature?
Yes, you are completely right! This is the adjective "cute." When the calf has not yet fully grown, but already, staggering a little, confidently gets on its feet, he begins to show his love and joy, licking almost everyone who gets in his way. And it doesn’t matter who it is: other animals, or maybe the first comer and a complete stranger.
Now think about how the expression in this article is related to the behavior of the calf? If it becomes easier and easier for you to think, then the synonyms of calf tenderness are sensitivity and affection. Sometimes, when it comes to a boy who shows such feelings, they say that he is a sissy and a wimp.
Have you already had any thoughts on this? If not, or if you just want to know the answer sooner, then it will appear in the next sentence.
Phraseologism "calf tenderness" is a stable expression. It is used in relation to boys and girls, adults and adolescents. It indicates an excessive or inappropriate manifestation of tenderness and affection.
Where did the expression come from?
It is not known exactly, and therefore linguists do not risk claiming that this is indeed so. It is believed that this phraseological unit first appeared in the famous novel by Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky “The Brothers Karamazov”.
Previously, this expression (or similar to it) was not found either in the vocabulary of ordinary residents, or in multivolume dictionaries. Perhaps the audience only read it to Dostoevsky. But I understood all the same. And this means that the thought, meaning, meaning conveyed in it were familiar and understandable to people. That is why the funny phrase "calf tenderness" and took root among the people.