The phraseology "toad smothers" is considered quite young and supposedly appeared at the beginning of the XX century. This is what they say about a feeling of envy, but more often about greed. What kind of toad is it that crushes and smothers?
Meet the Toad
The word "toad" itself has more than one meaning. First of all, it is a tailless amphibian, and according to Dahl's dictionary, it is still warty and smelly. Also according to the explanatory dictionary of V. Dahl, the toad is an evil woman, an evil child, a bothersome person. In addition, this is the common name for some diseases. Almost every meaning of the word “toad” can be considered the source of this expression, especially a pesky person or an evil woman who really psychologically crush and stifle their behavior, but other versions are considered more plausible and logical.
Medical toad
The expression "toad smothers" as a synonym for stinginess, greed and envy appeared recently, but as a symptom of the disease has existed for centuries and is associated with angina pectoris. Previously, the disease was called stenos kardia, the literal translation from Greek sounds like “narrow” or “cramped heart”, later the disease was given the Latin name angina pectoris - “squeeze” or “strangle the chest”, and in Russia it was simply called “angina pectoris”. This name of the disease is associated with its main symptom - pressing and compressing pain in the heart. A person has a feeling that a huge toad has sat on his chest. There are several reasons for angina pectoris, and not the last place among them is occupied by nervous tension, feelings, emotional severity, which, in turn, can arise from a strong unwillingness to share something, to give something back. This is especially true of financial relations.
Also in medicine, there is another "toad" - throat, or just a sore throat. Symptoms of a sore throat are closer to the feeling of squeezing, tightening the throat, and the throat itself looks like a toad - inflamed tonsils with white blisters are very similar to the puffed cheeks of the toad, and there is a feeling that the toad is really strangling a person. The value of this expression in this case takes on almost direct meaning.
Witches and sorcerers
From fairy tales and legends, we know that the toad is very beloved by witches, fortunetellers, sorcerers and is used by them for conspiracies and causing damage, including to those who are richer and more successful, who are envied. These amphibians became an ingredient in the decks of potions, bringing disease or death. According to popular beliefs, witches could turn into toads or call them the name of the enemy and kill the unfortunate, after some time the enemy himself also died. Using toads in their potions, conspiracies, turning into them, witches and sorcerers killed, strangled, caused irreparable harm to humans.
It can be assumed that the expression "toad smothers" came to us along with legends and beliefs about witches.
Jabot and Jabot
Some sources suggest that the expression "toad crushes" appeared as a result of consonance with some words. Jabot is a frill around the collar of a man’s shirt. Over time, the frill changed and in the 19th century acquired a strange and very uncomfortable shape: it raised its cheeks and squeezed its throat. It is assumed that the expression "frill smothers, crushes" subsequently began to sound like "toad smothers." There is also a version that the word "toad" is consonant with the word "jabot." Care, according to the etymological dictionary, means cares, work, from which there is no escape. A lot of worries, worries choke, crush. Perhaps in Russian speech, oppressive jabbs soon turned into a toad that strangles.
Important toad
"Toad smothers": from where the expression really takes its roots, one can only speculate. There are many more versions of its occurrence in the literature. Pressing toad can be associated with the direction of Feng Shui, where it is considered a symbol of wealth, prosperity and it is important to sit on money. So the stingy man sits on his hard-earned money and, unlike the money frog, is not going to share with anyone, his toad crushes. Regardless of how plausible the version of the appearance of this phrase is, the oppressive greed has gained such popularity that it has been honored in modern folklore and cast in bronze. The monument to the stingiest toad is installed in Berdyansk (Ukraine). It is important that she sits on four heads - male, female, childish and on the head of an old man, in her paws she has two phones and a bundle of money. Bronze sculpture without words conveys the whole meaning of the expression "toad smothers" - greed is inherent in a person of any age and any social status.
And this is not the only monument toad, embodying envy and greed - vices from which medicines will never be invented.