Hanging ears: the meaning of phraseology and the history of origin

When to listen carefully - is it a sin? In the event that you are told a lie. What definition can you give a person's ability to believe everything that is told to him. For this purpose, the expression "hang your ears" is perfect. The meaning of phraseology is discussed in this article, as well as the origin and examples from everyday life, cinematography and history.

Origin

It's not a secret that some turns of speech have arisen because of the observation of a person for their daily life and nature. For example, the phraseology "boil off of indignation" appeared in a speech when a person noticed what happens to water on fire. After all, emotions in us, too, in some sense bubble.

"Weigh the ears": the value of phraseology is rooted in the contemplation of a person's natural life. Our ancestor once observed how animals behave when they hear some curious sounds. They literally "hang up their ears," that is, they deploy the auricles in the direction of the sound, in order to better understand whether they need to worry about this or not. This is an uncomplicated history of phraseology "hang your ears." We pass to its meaning, as well as the answer to the question of why the good quality of animals is undoubtedly - caution in the human environment gave rise to several mutually exclusive phrases in terms of meaning (more on this later).

Value

The spoken speech is characterized by a person who is too gullible. He is told, but he believes everything. And usually by talking, he is distracted from something significant or hides important information from him (as it was with Pinocchio in a famous fairy tale). This is the insidious expression of "hang your ears." The meaning of phraseology is revealed to the reader. Therefore, citizens, be vigilant and do not hang your ears in unauthorized or dangerous places.

An antonym to phraseology. "Weigh the ears" and "keep your ears open"

An amazing thing, but the caution of animals, which is precisely expressed in the movement of the ears, in the language of people has both a negative and a positive meaning. The phraseological units in the subheading are the opposite in meaning. "Weigh the ears" characterizes a simpleton who believes everything. To him whatever you say, everything will be in suit, everything will fit. While "keeping an eye out" characterizes a person who is cautious, incredulous. In other words, the one you can not fool. It's interesting, is not it? "Weigh up ears" (the meaning of phraseology is not so mysterious now for us) and "keep an eye out" have different meanings, and they have only one source - observation of wildlife.

"Ears on the vertex"

This speech turnover also owes its origin to the animals. If they say that a person has ears on the vertex, it means that he is always extremely concentrated and aware of all events. This phraseology can both positively and negatively characterize a person, which speaks of his general neutral tone.

Someone may ask: "Well, what about here, please tell me," hang your ears "(phraseology)." The reader, we believe, will understand that the expression "ears on the vertex" is somewhere between "hang your ears" and "keep your ears open" However, suffice to torment the reader with theory, let's go over to the examples and start with the latter.

The song "Grandmothers-Old Women"

In her were such words, actually a refrain: "Grandmothers, grandmothers, ears on the vertex". Here phraseology is used in an ironic sense and emphasizes the tremendous awareness of old women who like to sit at the entrance and wash everything and all the bones.

Despite the always harmfulness of such old women, here the speech turnover is generally positively colored.

Mythical salary increase

Now we turn to the main topic of our article, namely to the topic "Weigh the ears" (phraseology).

Imagine the situation: the chief calls to himself, on the employee's carpet. The conversation begins benevolently. The boss praises the subordinate for his results in the work, the quickness. Although called to the office of the head of the frame, he did not notice a special quickness for himself, and he did not much like the work. And he did not think that his boss was such a wonderful person. In conclusion, the chief promises his subordinate a salary increase, and he leaves reassured.

The chief leaves the office, and his secretary asks:
- Well, Nikolai Ivanovich, they could not say.

- No, Irina Vitalievna, I could not.

Then the tone changes. There are metallic notes in it, and he says: "Give me his order for dismissal, he will wait for our employee on his desk tomorrow morning."

According to Erich Fromm (a German-American psychologist), JV likes to joke in a similar way. Stalin. When someone made a mistake, he called into his office an objectionable one, rewarded or gave a bonus and let go in peace, and the next day a "black funnel" came for a former official and took him to an unknown destination.

Our imaginary employee and staff of Stalin's staff were equally inclined to "hang up ears" (phraseology), but it was necessary to be on the alert and "keep your eyes open."

Stirlitz never "hung his ears"

The film about Stirlitz was watched if not all, then many. And the audience imagined how difficult it was for him to be in the enemy's rear. If you imagine the antipode credulous person, then a more suspicious subject than the scout is difficult to find. He has "enemies around him" in the literal and figurative sense of the word.

Stirlitz probably never asked about what it means to hang his ears for two reasons: firstly, he knew perfectly well what this expression means (like our reader), and secondly, did not have this habit, he kept his organs Hearing either vostro, or on the vertex, so nothing to slip. It is not surprising, because the life of a scout depends on how much he can hear and listen.

Trusting - is it good or bad?

Excessive trust in the world is fraught with problems, especially in our difficult times.

For example, in the 90s of the 20th century there was a fantastic excitement around a variety of financial pyramids. At that time people did not ask anyone: "What does it mean to hang up your ears?". It's a pity. They "hanged" them exclusively silently and carried their money of all sorts unclean to the hand, to put it mildly, to people. In short, the meaning of the financial pyramid is that a person invests a little money, but takes a lot.

"Absurd!" - the modern man will say. Of course, but this is now for us. We are used to the capitalist logic of today's world. Moreover, business is sometimes quite successful at the expense of those who like to "hang up ears" (the meaning of the expression is illuminated from many sides) and those who have nowhere to go.

However, let's not talk about sad things. The sad events of the past and the present should not kill the basic trust in the peace of a person, so without it it is difficult to live. Despair is not necessary, because everything should be treated reasonably. When a person is told something, he should think, and whether something is possible, whether it is possible to believe the people who promise it, or they have their own reasons. In other words, they better not believe and stay away from them.

Usually a person wonders what phraseology means "hang up ears" when he is already trapped. That is, did exactly what the people's wisdom warns against. There is only one cure for excessive gullibility - this is thinking, thinking and thinking again.

Trust is a natural need for a person. The son trusts the father and mother, brother brother, etc. But the person will not listen to the father-alcoholic, who says that he will stop drinking. There will be no imaginary subject to believe and a kleptomaniac brother who says that he will not even steal more pins. The logic is clear, as it seems.

If you answer the question about what it means to "hang your ears" into a lapidary formulation, you will get the following: people's wisdom warns people against excessive credulity. At the same time, a sound trust in a person or phenomenon, having some basis, is not ridiculed by phraseology.

In other words, it is possible and necessary to listen and hear, but with the mind, a person should not be gullible and naive, if it concerns everyday, everyday life.