Great ideas - what does it mean? So they say about empty, but potentially dangerous fantasies. About nonsense unrelated to reality. It is no coincidence that dictionaries recommend the words “absurd, empty, untrue” as synonyms for the adjective from this expression.
But by the way, those who do not believe in them are called abusive theories. The carriers of these thoughts are most often confident in their full correctness.
In the article, we will analyze issues related to the origin, initial terms of use and the concept of “coiled ideas”, as well as the history of the adjective “coiled” separately. In addition, examples of the use of phrases in literary works are given.
The appearance of the expression
There is a version that the expression “foolish ideas” was introduced into the world of literature by the Minister and poet and fabulist I. I. Dmitriev (1760-1837). At least, another poet Pyotr Vyazemsky claimed in his essay "Ivan Ivanovich Dmitriev" (1866) when he wrote the following about him:
... no matter what he was in his home life, he was a liberal in the honest and undistorted meaning of the word, although sometimes he branded the arrogance and claims of arrogant youth with a comic nickname: lies of lies.
However, it is indisputable that this expression came into wider use from the light hand of the playwright A. S. Griboedov.
In the second act of his famous play, Famusov tells Chatsky how to talk with Skalozub:
It’s a hundred, do not argue with him at random
And these cool ideas, drop it.
Let’s put it into words
And not so simple is this adjective - "zaviralny". The word comes from the verb "lie." It consists of the parts “for-” and “-to lie” (“lie”).
There are several versions about the etymology of the verb “lie” (according to M. Fasmer’s Etymological Dictionary), but not one of them still seems to be quite reliable to philologists. According to one of them, for example, the word refers to the pre-Slavic “vrati”, “vrѫ” (“speak nonsense”). Allegedly, the "doctor" has the same linguistic roots. There are a number of other theories according to which the word has ancient Greek, ancient Slavic, Latin, and even Latvian-Lithuanian roots.
Morphologically, the adjective "zavirali", of course, is associated with the verb "lie", which is often used in the form of "lie" - this means to hedge nonsense and so carried away that get confused in a lie.
Here, for example, in N. A. Nekrasov's poem "Recent Time" (1871) we read:
... I ran through now
Your book: freedom of the peasantry
Do you want to? What then
Will your nobility come in handy? ..
You lie, gentlemen!
By the way, here is another grammatical nuance: “lie” - the verb is intransitive, and the word “lie” is formed by the type of adjective, but from transitional verbs - including those that end in “-l” (soft, crushing, melting). True, most likely, this moment is not worth deep thoughtful study. Why? Let us consider the meaning of the expression “lying ideas” from a different point of view.
The adjective neologism "zavirali" cannot be understood without its connection with the word "liberal" and the appearance of the latter in Russian usage. This connection is obvious: the end of the first adjective most likely acquired an expressive pun intended, echoing precisely the “liberal” one. It is this moment that helps to understand what the "great idea" means.
Recall that the word "liberalism" came into Russian usage at the end of the 13th century and had the meaning of "free-thinking." Although Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin proposed replacing the word “liberal” with the word “freedom-loving”. So, in his letter to the Russian writer and publisher N. I. Grech from 1821, the poet writes:
Yesterday I saw in S. (now) O. (of the father-in-law) my message to Ch (aadaev), this censorship is for me !! It’s a pity that she doesn’t like the word freedom-loving , it expresses the current libéral so well, it’s directly Russian, and the truly venerable A. S. Shishkov will give him the right to citizenship in his dictionary, along with the sharotik and the tramp ...
Consumption Environment
Thus, the origin and definition of “lying ideas” should most likely be associated with a particular society, namely the circle of people belonging to the so-called reactionary nobility, who are hostile and with obvious irony and neglect to the representatives of the revolutionary intelligentsia and their moods. It was in the period after the Patriotic War of 1812.
By the way, in connection with the discussion of the meaning of “lie-handed ideas”, it is worth noting that it is hardly possible to agree with some definitions of the word “lie-handed” - in particular, those made by Ya. A. Grot, A. A. Shakhmatov and others in the Dictionary Russian language "(Full name -" Dictionary of the Russian language, compiled by the Second Division of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. "Issued in separate issues from 1891 to 1937.). This publication defines the word "coveted" as "what is a lot of lies, a physician, nonsense, nonsense." Or similar, made later, and set forth in the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language, edited by D. N. Ushakov (1935-1940): "false, absurd." It seems that even today, these definitions should be considered somewhat narrowing the true meaning of the word.
To understand this, remember the words cited above, the appeal of Famusov to Chatsky. After all, the main character could not be called a simple liar.
However, the ironic connotation of both the word "lie" and the combination of "lie lie" has been preserved to this day.
But, as often happens, following the ironic in the appropriate context, the expression as a whole can sound quite serious, even pathos. This is the definition given to the combination under discussion in his article "Zaviralnye Idey" by Russian journalist and writer Sergei Shargunov. Published in the Nezavisimaya Gazeta May 20, 2004
A great idea is feelings. Eccentricities. Literature. Vera. This is a rocket flight into space. Dostoevsky and Tolstoy were tormented by trivial ideas.
Expression Variants
Initially, philologists believed that the adjective "covert" in the Russian language is not free, that is, it is phraseologically connected only with the word "idea." In fact, in live speech, the second word (at least in modern usage) has always been easily replaced: not only ideas, but also theories, ideas, fantasies, and even speech could be lies.
As evidence, we give examples of fragments of texts (both classical and modern), which use not only "great ideas", but also similar expressions. For greater persuasiveness, the years of publication of a work are also indicated in parentheses.
Examples of using expressions in the literature
- Here is what I advise you for the last time: tame your character a little, give up the ideas, give up, it's silly after all, serve as all decent people serve, that is, look at life and at work practically.
(A.N. Ostrovsky, "Profitable Place", 1856).
... the leader who visited the princess the next day informed her ... the news that Chervev had been sent to live under the supervision of the White Banks for his “lying ideas”.
(N.S. Leskov, "The seedy clan", 1874).
“Gleb ...” said one of the retinue. - We are marking time. Mamaev perked up, and Arkady Maksimovich was completely sour ... We need a great idea.
(M. Ancharov, "Boxwood", 1981).
Oh, you don’t need any Russian cult expansion and cult empire ... Living in general is better in a small quiet country and without big and stupid ideas of any type. And empires all end the same way ...
(B. Akunin, "The Real Princess and Other Stories", 2013).
And the other "zavirali"
Grustilov’s turn gave liberalism a new direction, which can be called centrifugal-centripetal-inscrutable-deceptive.
(M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, "The History of a City", 1870).
They were excited by the mystery surrounding the excavations, but listeners preferred completely realistic interpretations of the phenomenon, and only one in five put forward enormous theories.
(J. McDevith, Star Portal, 1997).
Of course, the fact that the people who are "lying", which I sang, are ridiculous, disfigured by the darkness of defects. Commoners are much healthier and prettier in appearance.
(S. Shargunov, "Zaviralnye Idey", 2004).