PHRASEOLOGY

Phraseological units, or idioms, as they are

called by most western scholars, represent what
can probably be described as the most
picturesque, colourful and expressive part of
the language’s vocabulary.
Phraseology- is a collection of nation’s
customs, traditions and prejudices, recollections
of its past history, scraps of folk songs and
fairy- tales.
 Peculiarities of the phraseological units
euphony — the definite rhythmical pattern, accompanied by
alliteration:
thick as thieves — спаянные крепкой дружбой, закадычные друзья;
bright as a button — чистенький, нарядный;
stylistic figures — tropes having contrast, simile, metaphor
→ they are stylistically coloured:
great cry & little wool — шуму много, а толку мало;
ships that pass in the night — мимолётные встречи
fair as a lily — прекрасная как лилия;
 2 major criteria of distinguishing set-expressions from free
phrases: semantic & structural

~ semantic: semantic unity.

set-expressions — w-d-groups conveying a single concept.
free w-d-groups — each meaningful component stands for a
separate concept:
to drop a brick—допустить бестактность
~ structural integrity (целостность)
Free phrases — substitution of any of its elements without
semantic change in the other element is possible.
Semi-fixed combinations — restrictions imposed on types of
w-s, ~ c. b. used in a given pattern:
to go to __ school, to go to __market, to go to __ court
the pattern:to go + prepos. + no article — only with nouns of
places, where definite actions or functions are performed.
Set-expressions — no substitution / pronominal substitution /
substitution restricted to a few synonyms for one of the members only.
- to cut a poor (ridiculous) figure, not to cut much of a figure —
играть незначительную роль, казаться жалким.
- to make one’s (my, your, his, etc.) hair stand on end — сильно
изумить, напугать к-л.

No substitution:
all the world & his wife—все без исключения, всё светское общество
the black market
a grass widow — not a widow but a woman temporarily living
without her husband
busy as a bee
fair & square—open-hearted, frank
 Classification of the phraseological units
▪ By Viktor Vladim. Vinogradov — based upon the motivation
1) phraseological fusions (слияния, объединения) — the highest stage of blending together —
semantically indivisible units; king’s picture — фальшивая монетка by
hook or by crook — не мытьём, так катаньем
2) phraseological unities (единства) — numerous, possess some degree of motivation. They
may have synonymic substitution:
to stand / stick to one’s guns—оставаться до конца верным своим убеждениям,
настоять на своём;
to take a new leaf to take a bull by the horns
3) phraseological combinations — not only motivated but contain one component in its direct
meaning, while the other is used metaphorically:
to meet the requirements — столкнуться с условиями, нуждами
to take the risk of to pay compliments
by Alex. Vlad. Koonin
— gave a detailed functional & semantic class-on; it’s based on the
function of the unit in speech:
1) nominative - the pattern Adj. + N:
a white elephant, blue blood, blind pig (бар, где незаконно торгуют
спиртным),
brown study (меланхолия), hot tiger (высокооктановый хороший
бензин),
yellow Jack (флаг, который вывешивается на судне, если на нём
подозревается инфекционная болезнь),
- w-d-groups with a predicative structure:
as the crow flies — кратчайшим путём,
see how the land lies — видеть, как обстоят дела
2) communicative — by proverbs & sayings:
familiarity breeds contempt—чем больше знаешь, тем меньше
почитаешь,
3) nominative-communicative—verbal w-d-groups which are
transformed into a sentence when the verb is used in the Passive
Voice;
to pay nature’s debt — умирать,
to pull one’s leg,
to pay through the nose — переплачивать
4) interjectional:
Dog my cats! — чёрт побери!
By George! — Клянусь!
All my buttons! — возглас удивления
Queen Ann’s dead! — открыл Америку!
A fine / nice / pretty kettle of fish — неразбериха; ничего себе; ну
и каша заварилась