For thousands of years, society has been carefully regulating every aspect of life in order to build an ideal order, ensure the peace of citizens and the rule of law. Therefore, to behave insolently is to violate the slightest prohibitions, spelled out and strictly enforced or unwritten, but which have become a tradition. Such behavior is often condemned, it is a cause for dissatisfaction with relatives, colleagues, management or ordinary passers-by. But is it so bad? Even minimal philological analysis indicates an ambiguous reading.
How did the word appear?
Specialists refer to the Greek θρασ as the source, which was used to designate a fearless person. In Old Slavonic, when translating, the notion of drez arose , which then spread across the languages of Eastern Europe. One of the closest modern definitions for “cheeky” is the Polish dziarski:
It implies the ability to make decisions in an extreme situation, regardless of the dangers or regulations. No negative subtext!
How is it interpreted today?
A radical degree of courage is arrogance. For many centuries this meaning has gradually come to the fore and is now the main one. Any teacher will no doubt answer what this “bold line of behavior” is and why it is bad. After all, in order to be a naughty teacher, you also need a strong will, albeit aimed at something bad. The basic meaning of the term in the XXI century:
- irreverent;
- offensive;
- rude;
- impudent.
To rebel against the authorities, to refuse to take what was said by senior comrades on faith, to go our own way - is impudent! And rather impolite. Young people often show courage in communication when the alleged opponent does not want anything bad, but only tries to share experience, transfer knowledge.
In parallel, there are not obsolete, but rarely used interpretations. You can meet them in the framework of the book style and in rhetorical turnovers:
- Defiant, with a touch of disdain for danger.
- Self-confident, arrogant.
The impudent mind does not recede before extraordinary tasks, is capable of extravagant decisions. For example, for no less decisive robbery of a well-guarded bank.
What is the final grade?
From the examples it is obvious that the word indicates the personality’s ability to overcome obstacles. Behaving cheeky - is it good or bad? It depends entirely on the context, the specific situation. If a person fights back against hooligans, is not afraid to argue with an official violating the law, and achieves his goal by legal methods, despite the obstacles, he is well done! However, attempts to offend an objectionable person, insult her or humiliate her turn insolence into banal rudeness.