The meaning of the phrase “Caliph for an hour” is suitable for those cases when people talk about a person who does not stay on top for a long time. So you can say almost any.
History
The winged expression came to us from the wonderful, and sometimes creepy, fairy tales "A Thousand and One Nights." They have a famous character, a favorite not only of children, but also of adults (for example, the American writer O. Henry) - Caliph Harun-Al-Rashid. This ruler did not like boredom and was a great entertainer.
It is no secret that the ruler of Baghdad had a habit of going to the people dressed as people. There he watched with his own eyes how his subjects live.
Once, the caliph met a man who shared his cherished dream: a man wanted to reign at least a day, to be a ruler. The future victim of the rally did not suspect that he was the one who could fulfill his desire. A true ruler has only one goal - entertainment.
The young man was drunk and brought to the palace. He woke up as a caliph. All day the interim lord enjoyed his position, and then he was also euthanized and transported to his former home.
Such is the history of the expression “Caliph for an hour,” the origin of phraseology is explained precisely by this tale.
Meaning
This is what they say about a person who, in many ways, accidentally or temporarily ended up at the helm of power or became the ruler of thoughts. Human life is full of ups and downs, so we can say that many of the people are temporary figures in different areas of life. The randomness of the vital flow is especially clearly visible on the example of the acting profession. If you take the trouble to watch several Hollywood films of a certain decade (60s, 70s, 80s, etc.), you can see: each new such time period is marked by new faces, and only recognized masters remain. Thus, the meaning of the phraseology “Caliph for an hour” is ideally suited to the constant cycle of lyceum people in the industry.
Hank Moody and Phraseology
The scandalous character of "Lascivious California" in the first season of the series used the expression as intended. When he met a fan in a bookstore with his creation in his hands, the hero approached, and the girl asked him:
“So you are that great writer?”
- No, rather, caliph for an hour.
The meaning of the phrase no longer needs explanation.
One more thing can be subtracted from the phrase: every governor for an hour would gladly become the lord, ruler or king of anything on an ongoing basis.
Creative professions as a haven of "caliphs"
Most people strive for stability, but some originals sacrifice the latter in the hope of reaching the stars and staying in history. Of course, you can "fall scorched", but life is fraught with risk, nothing can be done.
For example, now everyone is obsessed with Pelevin or “Fifty Shades of Gray,” and before the reader, authors ( Sidney Sheldon, Harold Robbins, and Jace Headley Chase) were held in high esteem (twenty years ago). Probably very few people already remember them. It turned out that the meaning of phraseology “Caliph for an hour” is fully applicable to them. Twenty years by the standards of history is like one day.
With the great painters things were even worse. They, as a rule, did not receive any fame or money during their lifetime, of course, not all, but many. For example, Gauguin and Van Gogh died beggars.
Athletes can also be, with certain reservations, attributed to the "creative intelligentsia." Here the situation is not so sad as with writers and artists. The best athletes live like kings in honor and wealth, but how many talents have disappeared on the path to fame, only narrow specialists know. All these young people, who never “shot”, fit the meaning of the phraseology “Caliph for an Hour”.
But let's not talk about sad things. In youth, very many people want to “inherit in history”, but closer to middle age they understand: most likely, they are destined for a completely ordinary life with its sorrows and joys.
Middle and customary is not always bad, inconspicuous life has one definite advantage: nobody expects anything special from an ordinary citizen, which means that he is free both before people and before the face of history. Will be able to achieve something - excellent! If he can’t, he will not be condemned. One way or another, he wins.
We examined the phraseology "Caliph for an hour", its history and significance. The wise reader will understand that the moral of expression is this: fear your desires, for they may come true. It is good that Garun al-Rashid kindly joked with the young man, and he could have experienced him in a big way.