Why is it that a drunk person is said to be under a fly
Why is it that a drunk person is said to be under a fly
The phrase "to be under the fly"Is used in the sense of being in a state of intoxication. In Russian literature there is another form of this expression - "to be with a fly", "to strike a fly" or "to crush".
Among the philologists there is no consensus on the origin of the idiom turnover "to be under the fly." There are different versions.
Peter I and merchants
One hypothesis relates the origin of thisexpression with the era of Peter the Great. The tsar-reformer ordered to replace taverns with more "civilized" establishments-taverns, where visitors could not only drink, but also eat. To potential customers prefer tastings rather than taverns, the first glass was supposed to be poured to each visitor for free. How effective this "advertising campaign" turned out to be, the story holds back, but it cost too much for the owners of taverns. The merchants found a way out, ordering the owners of the glass factories very small glasses - only 15 ml each, which significantly reduced the cost of donated drinks. Because of the small size of these glasses, they were called "flies", but "to fly under a fly" or "crush a fly" meant "to drink a small glass of wine." These expressions were later used even in a noble milieu. One should not think that Uncle Eugene Onegin, who "looked out the window and crushed flies," spent time wiping out insects-it was about drinking.Other versions
There is another version linking the originexpressions with utensils for alcoholic beverages. It is said that a glass factory owner, having decided to re-educate his drunk son, ordered to give him wine and vodka only in a special glass specially made for him. The glass was made so that the liquid poured into it created an illusion due to the play of light - it seemed that the fly was floating in a glass. However, the reliability of this story raises doubts. Some researchers believe that we are not talking about crystal dishes, namely about flies. These insects do not arouse sympathy: black, ugly, annoying, flying to rotten meat, half-decayed corpses and impurities. Not surprisingly, folk fantasy tied flies with dark forces, for example, the Byelorussians had a saying "he had flies in his nose," which meant "he is a sorcerer." It was believed that humans can be persecuted by demons who take on the appearance of flies. The fact that the drunk is under the influence of demons, no doubt caused. The source of expression can be the jargon of gamblers. In the 18th century. to Russia came the card game Moche from France, which according to the consonance was renamed "fly", and then to "fly". Initially "being under the fly" meant "to be in the win", "to be with luck". The win was accompanied by a drink, which led to a change in the value.
