In the Russian language you can find a sufficient number of mysterious phraseological turns, the meaning of which is hard to guess. The speech design “hair on end” is unambiguously one of those. Fortunately, the origin of this expression helps to instantly understand the meaning that lies in it. So, where did this turnover come from, in what situations is it appropriate to use it, what does it mean?
Phraseologism "hair on end": origin
In order to understand the meaning of a given speech circulation, it is necessary to first break it into separate words. So, “hair on end” is a phraseological unit consisting of two words. If the meaning of the first of them is not a secret for those who know the Russian language, then the second is not so easy. What relation can a mysterious “rack” have to the hair of representatives of the human race?
Standing on end means stretching out at your fingertips, standing tight. Researchers associate the origin of this speech structure with a tool of torture, which was actively used in past times. We are talking about a rack - a terrible device, through which the executioners stretched the body of the victim during interrogation.
Therefore, “hair on end” is a condition in which the hair is pulled out. Why is this happening?
Fear, anxiety
If the amygdala in the brain, which is responsible for processing emotions, recognizes the danger, a signal about this is sent to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus provides activation of the sympathetic nervous system, as a result, the body goes into stress mode. In the sympathetic nerves in the skin, the production of stress hormone begins. This leads to increased heart rate, respiratory failure. Adrenaline secreted by the adrenal glands reaches the dermis.
Is it possible for “hair to stand on end”? Phraseologism describes a stressful condition, which is one of the consequences of the processes described above. Stress hormones, reaching the dermis, interfere with the entire body. In particular, they also affect the hair muscles attached to the follicle of each hair that is on the body.
When the hair muscle contracts, it affects the follicle (root), forcing the hair to literally “stand on end”.
Biological response
Hair on end is a condition that our distant ancestors still encountered. Once upon a time, there was significantly more hair on the human body than is currently observed. It is not surprising that they served as a kind of protective tool, which was activated in times of danger.
Hair stood on end when its owner found a threat to his safety, was it imaginary or real. The person’s view became awesome, to potential opponents he seemed more massive, therefore, stronger. This protective mechanism can be observed, for example, in cats. Having noticed a dog on the street, animals arch their backs, their hair rises. Due to this, their natural sizes visually increase, which allows them to catch fear on the enemy and make him abandon the attack. Porcupines behave in a similar way, only instead of hair needles.
What does it mean
So, in what situations do people usually use the “hair on end” speech construct? First of all, it is used to describe a strong fright. It doesn’t matter if a person was scared of real danger or felt fear when watching a horror movie, a thriller. In all situations, this phraseology can be used to talk about a nightmare.
In some cases, this steady circulation is also used to describe the strong surprise experienced by a person. For example, if what he saw or heard was shocked. At the same time, fear is not necessary.
What are synonyms
Phraseologism “hair on end” has many synonyms with which it can be successfully replaced without the slightest damage to the meaning of what is said or written. For example, the speech design “frost runs through the skin” is also ideally suited to talk about fear. “Blood runs cold” is another suitable steady turn to describe a similar situation. At the same time, the blood in the veins can not only freeze, but also become colder, icy, and so on.
What other options exist, what can replace the expression “hair on end”? The value of phraseology indicates that it tells of fear. Consequently, the speech design “the soul went to heels” is quite suitable. You can also say that "goosebumps run (crawl)."
In addition, you can use other stable turns in which the word "hair" is present. For example, it would be appropriate to say that “the hair on the head has moved”, this phrase has a similar meaning. Finally, the phraseological construction of “hardened shakers” is also relevant, which also helps to describe someone’s fright.