III. Phraseological units connected with the names and nicknames of English kings, queens, scholars, eminent writers, public leaders, etc

Tumbledown Dick – a contemptuous name for a ne’er-do-well. The origin of Tumbledown Dick was Richard Cromwell, son of the Protector, a poor son of his father.

Cooper-nosed Harry – when Henry VIII had spent his inheritance, he minted a very inferior silver coin. The cooper alloy of the coin soon showed itself through the silver on the more prominent parts, particularly the nose of the face. It earned for Henry the nickname “cooper-nosed” (or “cooper-nose”).

Man of Destiny – Napoleon. Sir Walter Scott described him as “The Man of Destiny, who had power for a time to bind kings with chains and nobles with letters of iron”.

Queen Anne is dead! – ответ сообщившему устаревшую новость.

According to Cocker – по всем правилам, точно; Э. Кокер автор широко распространенного в XVIII в. yчебника арифметики.

IV. Phraseological units connected with historic facts:

One dog, one bull – on equal conditions. A North country saying, meaning “fair play for all”. It is derived from Shropshire and the days of bull-baiting there. Only one dog was allowed to be loosed on the bull at a time, hence the phrase, which is even now used extensively for fair play among miners in the North of England.

To fight like Kilkenny cats – to fight with determination to the bitter end. The probable origin lies in the bitter struggle between the municipalities of Kilkenny and Irishtown over the question of their individual boundaries in the XVII th century, which left both of them impoverished.

To chalk it up – the custom is still maintained in many country village public-houses of chalking up drinks supplied on credit on a slate kept the bar.

V. Shakespearisms constitute more than 100 phraseological units in English:

A fool’s paradise (“Romeo & Julet”) – призрачное счастье, мир фантазий;

The green-eyed monster (“Othello”) – ревность;

Midsummer madness (“Twelfth Night”) – умопомрачение, чистое безумие;

The seamy side (“Othello”) – неприглядная сторона, изнанка чего-либо;

Murder will out (“Macbeth”) – шила в мешке не утаишь;

The milk of human kindness (“Macbeth”) – бальзам прекраснодушия;

To paint the lily (“King John”) – пытаться украсить что-либо, не нуждающееся в улучшении и украшении.

To have an itching palm (“Julius Caesar”) – быть взяточником; быть корыстолюбивым, жадным человеком;

Give the devil his due (“King Henry V”) – отдавать должное противнику;

That’s flat (“Love’s Labour Lost”) – окончательно (решено), решительно и бесповоротно, коротко и ясно;

To one’s heart’s content (“Merchant of Venice”) – вволю, сколько душе угодно, вдоволь, всласть;

The observed of all observers (“Hamlet”) – центр всеобщего внимания.

The Shakesperian quotations have contributed enormously to the store of the language.

Quotations from such a classical source is a recognized feature of public speech: Frailty, thy name is woman; Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Something is rotten in the state of Denmark; Brevity is the soul of wit; The rest is silence; There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

VI. Such great English writers as Jeoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, Charles Dickens and Walter Scott contributed greatly to the stock of phraseologisms:

Quarrel with one’s bread and butter (Swift) – бросить занятие, дающее средства к существованию);

To rain cats and dogs (Swift)

An Artful Dodger – прохвост, пройдоха (прозвище карманника Джона Докинса в романе “Oliver Twist” by Ch Dickens);

Prunes and prism – жеманная манера говорить, жеманство, манерность (“Little Dorrit” by Ch. Dickens);

To laugh on the wrong side of one’s mouth – приуныть после веселья, от смеха перейти к слезам (“Rob Koy” by W. Scott);

What will Mrs. Grundy say? (“Speed the Plough” by Th. Morton);

Small talk – (“Letters to his Son” by Lord Chesterfield);

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Lewis Stevenson).

Corridors of power – (Charles Snow)

The Wind of change – ветер перемен (Harold Mc Millain, The British prime-minister used it in 1960 speaking to the South-African parliament.

VII. Bibleisms represent borrowings which are fully assimilated:

To cast pearl before swine;

New wine in old bottles;

The root of all evil;

The olive branch;

A wolf in sheep’s clothing;

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