Now the meaning of the phrase “Ours to you with a brush” is shrouded in mystery. And if a person does not know what is meant, then he will not understand what this statement is for. As you know, there is nothing secret that would not be obvious, so we will try to disperse the fog. And to tell about the history of the origin of phraseology, as well as explain why it acquired its modern form.
What is meant?
Believe it or not, phraseologism comes from Odessa. Yes, this city is full of myths and legends, especially linguistic legends: a lot of speech turns went exactly from there. True, the source of information, as a rule, is not too reliable - the inhabitants of Odessa themselves.
Previously, before the advent of television commercials, people received information mainly through word of mouth. All the best specialists were “passed” from hand to hand and word of mouth. Hairdressers were no exception. And in order to attract new customers, the barber had to shout, standing at the entrance of his own hairdresser: “Our respect for you, with a brush, with a finger - nine, with a cucumber - fifteen!” This is the original full version of that phrase, from which the greeting remained. We proceed to the interpretation of the parts.
Brush and finger
As you know, before hairdressers not only sheared, but also shaved. They did this with dangerous blades and didn’t stand on ceremony with the client: for example, they could put a finger in his mouth to do his job better. Do not rush to frown, because in those days, the hairdresser was still performing the functions of a dentist, so no one cringed from the fact that he was clutching a man’s mouth with his hands. It was in the order of things. Of course, shaving gel has not yet been invented, so they shaved with ordinary soap, and to apply it on the cheeks, they used a brush or shaving brush.
The meaning of the phrase “Ours to you with a brush” is being clarified, but this is not the end of the story. We move on.
Why is "cucumber" more expensive?
There is no mystery here either. In order to shave a person properly, he had to protrude his cheek. This could be done with a finger, or it could be made with a cucumber. Cucumber is more expensive, because the hairdresser will not use one vegetable for all clients. It is unhygienic even from the point of view of those times. And if so, then the client also pays for the cucumber.
What can I say, the speech turn "Ours to you with a brush" (the origin confirms this) is very interesting from the point of view of history.
Another version of the appearance of phraseology (less entertaining)
Now we are not talking about hairdressers, but about messengers. In ancient times, messengers were required to wear hats with a tassel made of fur. When they arrived at their destination, they took off their cap in front of the owner and bowed low to him, thus expressing deep respect.
As you can see, both versions insist on reverence for a person who performs a certain action with a brush. It is clear that the hairdresser immensely respects the client, but also the messenger respects the one to whom he brought good or bad news. In any case, the turn “Ours to you with a brush” (the meaning of phraseology is better understood through the prism of history) is not at all trivial.
How did expression take on a modern look?
This is a difficult question, but one thing is certain: the spoken language seeks to save expressive means. If I may say so, written language loves open space, and spoken language tries to realize itself in the most narrow space. Therefore, over time, the most capacious parts remain from long proverbs. For example, everyone knows the proverb "hunger is not an aunt." But few people know that this is only part of the saying, and it completely sounds like this: "Hunger is not an aunt, she will not bring a pie." In principle, it is clear that the meaning has not changed.
But sometimes proverbs and sayings lose such details, without which it is no longer possible to establish the original content, which is generally discussed and on what occasion. The meaning of phraseology “Ours to you with a brush” also belongs to the same group. Sustainable phrase lost in the process of historical development the word "reverence" and the entire second part. And this “guest from the past” is completely unrecognizable in modern conditions. But not for our readers. They now understand the meaning of phraseology “Ours to you with a brush”.
And yet, what does a speech turn express?
For those who did not understand and to whom nothing gave a historical excursion, we explain: in fact, a combination of words strange to a modern ear means a humorous greeting, usually addressed to a well-known person. It is unlikely that anyone will allow himself liberties with a stranger.
How much phraseology is in demand?
Even when the speech turn “Ours to you with a brush” (the meaning of phraseology was discussed a little higher) does not seem so dark, modern people prefer more common forms of greeting. And this is because people do not say hello to themselves. If the other person does not understand the humor of the tone or what the statement refers to, the beauty of the gesture will be lost. Here, everyone decides the question of the relevance of a statement.
But it is worth remembering: the expression “Ours to you with a brush” is an informal greeting that can be allowed only if one addresses a friend or friend, a person who is well acquainted. In other cases, you can get into an awkward position. In general, language is subtle matter. In it, the alignment of forces largely depends on the context and the language situation.