The Russian language is rich in stable phrases, among which there is often a phenomenon such as phraseological unit with a numeral. Knowing the origin of such structures will help not only to be saturated with folk wisdom, but also to better understand the history of the country. The story, adorned with well-aimed speech, becomes more lively, emotional.
Phraseologism with the numeral "one"
“One World of Oils” is a popular example of such a construction. Trying to understand what this phraseological unit with numeral means, foreigners often draw the wrong conclusions. The expression has nothing to do with the world as a consent that exists between people, states. This refers to the fragrant substance, which is an obligatory part of church rites. Initially, co-religionists united with the help of this statement. Subsequently, it began to be used in a negative way, meaning "equally bad."
“One is like a finger” - phraseology with a numeral, the meaning of which even native speakers can’t explain without knowing the background. The ancient Slavs had a widespread tradition of using fingers to count. The first to be mentioned is the thumb, which is distant from others. They spoke of him "one finger."
Expressions with the numeral "two"
“Between two fires” is a speech revolution that has remained popular these days. This phraseology with a numeral indicates a hopeless situation in which a person finds himself. The design went to us as a memory of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. The specific princes had the right to approach the representatives of the horde only after being cleansed. The procedure involved passing between two flaming bonfires.
“Two boots of steam” is an expression whose exact origin has not been established. This characteristic is often applied to people who have common habits, traits, temperament, and hobbies. Other phraseological units with numerals have the same meaning (examples: “one field of a berry”, “husband and wife are one Satan”).
The design with the numeral "three"
“I got lost in three pines” - this is what they say about a person who is not able to deal with a simple problem. In most cases, these phraseological units with numerals are used in a negative way. It is clear that it is impossible to really get lost in three pines, which became the source of the appearance of a stable design tag.
“To bend into three doom” is a phrase whose exact source remains unproven. The most likely assumption is that the executioners who were responsible for torturing the prisoners invented this speech revolution. The fish and other torture instruments forced the human body to bend in an unusual manner. Now the expression is used to characterize a person who is under the influence of others, prone to flattery.
The phrase with the numeral "four"
There are expressions whose meaning is easy to guess without knowing the history of origin. Quite often there are similar phraseological units with numerals (examples: “within four walls”, etc.). So they say about a person who prefers a secluded lifestyle, rarely leaving the borders of his own apartment. In fact, it is understood that the recluse sees only four walls.
The expression with the numeral "five"
"Fifth to tenth" - this expression can be used to do without a detailed listing. In most cases, it is used when it comes to something insignificant.
Proverbs and phraseologisms with numbers that speak of something superfluous, unnecessary to the owner, often include the word "five". For example, you can say in such a case, "the fifth wheel in the cart", use the phrase "like a dog’s fifth leg."
Numeral six design
Everyone knows that there are only five kinds of feelings. When people want to talk about what intuition tells them in a given situation, they mention the “sixth sense”. This phrase is actively used in English, the exact origin is not established.
The expression with the numeral "seven"
Not all people adhere to decisions made, they are always able to fulfill these promises. People speak of optional people “seven Fridays a week”, as their plans are constantly changing. Basically, the statement has a negative connotation.
There are other famous phraseological units with the numeral "seven." Span is an old measure of length. Initially, it was believed that the human mind is easy to determine by measuring the height of his forehead. Therefore, about genius, you can say "seven spans in the forehead." When creating the phrase carried a positive meaning, however, today it is often used in a dismissive manner.
“Seven on the benches” - this design made it possible to describe the plight of a large family, and explained the material difficulties that arose. A person who wants to share with others a state of happiness, joy, says that he is "in the seventh heaven."
Other examples of phrases with numbers
The Eighth Wonder of the World is a well-established speech revolution that people turn to when describing something amazing, surprising. For example, one can characterize such an outstanding work of art. The use of the construction in a humorous manner is not excluded. The phrase became popular, including in a comic sense, when the writers added more to the already existing “official” wonders of the world.
The Ninth Wave is a characteristic that comes to the rescue when you need to tell about an indestructible, dangerous force. This design was liked by many writers and poets, among whom were Pushkin. You can also admire the talentedly painted painting by Aivazovsky, to which the artist gave a similar name.
"Get into the top ten" is a speech turn, implying that someone is achieving the desired or necessary result. There are also other proverbs and phraseologisms with numbers that have a similar meaning. Let’s say, “one hundred to one” say, when this or that event should happen with a high probability, it just cannot fail to happen. The number "one hundred" is also present in other stable phrases. For example, the turn "give a hundred points ahead" will tell about the superiority of one person over another.
Phraseologisms with numerals must be known, as they make our speech brighter, give it an emotional coloring.