In modern colloquial speech, this expression, if it occurs, is not so common. But in various kinds of works of literature and cinematography, purely negative characters are sometimes given the definition of “pharmacist”. Who he is is usually understood by the meaning and context of the story. Nevertheless, this word sounds somewhat strange and unusual for the Russian language. Let's try to understand its meanings and usage.
Linguistic subtleties
It is more or less clear to everyone what a rogue pharmacist is. At the same time, not everyone knows who Freemason is. Meanwhile, as you can see, these two words are almost in tune. "The Mason" is nothing more than the French name adapted for Russian pronunciation of a member of a secret Masonic society. Some linguists believe that this term came to the Russian language not directly from France, but through Poland. In Polish, the word "farmazon" sounds almost indistinguishable from how it is pronounced in Russian.
From the depths of the Middle Ages
A quite natural question arises about the meaning of the word "pharmacist". Who is a member of the Society of Free Masons and does he have much in common with an ordinary crook? But the relationship here is fairly obvious. Medieval religious-mystical Masonic structures carried out their activities secretly from society. And this gave full reason for a negative attitude towards them. A simple person could not help but ask an elementary question: "Why hide behind a cover of mystery if you are not planning anything bad?" They were especially hostile to Masons in Russia. It was believed that their secret activities contradict the prevailing foundations of society and the state. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the negative sense that popular consciousness has put into the definition of a “pharmacist”. Who is a free mason, in Russia did not even want to know. But they well understood who such a crook and an attacker.
In Russian reality
Both in Russian literature and in colloquial speech, this word has been actively used since about the middle of the nineteenth century. Often it served as an ordinary household curse, but always implied in the sense of crooks and swindlers of all stripes. By the way, ordinary consciousness quite often included various kinds of revolutionaries who were malicious against the existing autocratic system. The word "pharmacist", whose meaning dates back to the European Middle Ages, in Russia has become a simple synonym for everything evil, secret and deceitful. From people awarded this title, should under any circumstances be kept at maximum distance.
In the underworld
But it is no less interesting to look at this concept from the opposite side. In the criminal world, the title of pharmacist was very respected. To deserve it, a significant intellectual level, acting ability and a peculiarly directed combinatorial type of thinking were required. To think through and implement a scam, you need to have a specific talent. And only the one who managed to prove his talents in practice, could carry the proud title of "pharmacist". The jargon of the criminal world is very categorical in determining the meanings indicated and does not allow you to assign the desired titles to those who did not deserve them. The old criminal chronicle has preserved many different examples of pharmacy. A very popular type of fraud, in particular, was the sale of glass fragments under the guise of diamonds. Many scams were based on the use of counterfeit securities.
Great combinator
The fraudulent topic could not but be reflected in literature and art. But the meaning of the word "pharmacist" is much wider than his narrow criminal understanding. The classic example of a pharmacist can be considered the great combinator Ostap Bender, the heroes of the novels “Twelve Chairs” and “Golden Calf”. Even though the word "pharmacist" never appears on the pages of these novels, their main character, of course, is a vivid representative of this criminal specialty. He has reached the pinnacles of professional excellence and is able to emerge victorious from any situation. It should be noted that it is impossible to become a successful pharmacist in the absence of acting talent and well-appointed special skills. Everything here corresponds to the famous Stanislavsky system: the fraudster himself must believe in the lies that he intends to inspire his victim. Otherwise, you should not count on success.
At the beginning of the third millennium
The world of modern information technologies has not only not abolished the old criminal profession, but has also allowed it to flourish with a magnificent color. Despite the fact that the word "pharmacist" has long been out of date and is found today mainly on the pages of historical novels or in their adaptations, representatives of this profession are simply rippling in the eyes. It is enough to turn on the TV or go to the Internet. Mostly modern pharmacists specialize in the financial and credit sector. Many still have fresh examples of the construction of numerous financial pyramids. Characteristically, most of those who played these gambling perfectly understood their fraudulent nature, but they hoped to outsmart modern pharmacists themselves. A little less than their colleagues works in politics, religion and show business. They quite successfully “spud sucker”, in their expression, trying not to go beyond the framework of the Criminal Code.