"Hair on end": the meaning, origin of phraseology

In Russian, you can meet a sufficient number of mysterious phraseological turns, the significance of which is hard to guess. The speech structure "hair on end" is uniquely one of those. Fortunately, the origin of this expression helps to instantly understand the meaning that is hidden in it. So, where did this turn take place, in what situations is its use appropriate, what does it mean?

The phraseology "hair on end": origin

In order to understand the meaning of this speech turnover, you must first break it into separate words. So, "hair on end" - a phraseology, consisting of two words. If the value of the first of them is not a secret for those who know Russian, then the second is not so easy. What relation can the mysterious "rack" have to the hair of representatives of the human race?

Standing on end means stretching out at your fingertips, standing at attention. Researchers associate the origin of this speech structure with an instrument of torture, which was actively used in the past. It's about the rack - a terrible adaptation, through which the torturers stretched the body of the victim during interrogation.

Consequently, "hair on end" is a condition in which the hair is stretched. Why does this happen?

Fear, anxiety

If the amygdala in the brain, responsible for the processing of emotions, recognizes the danger, the signal for this is sent to the hypothalamus. Hypothalamus provides activation of the sympathetic nervous system, as a result of which the body goes into a stressful regime. In the sympathetic nerves in the skin, the production of the stress hormone begins. This leads to increased heart rate, respiratory failure. Adrenaline, secreted by the adrenal glands, reaches the dermis.

Is it possible that "the hair stood on end"? Phraseologism describes a stressful state, which is one of the consequences of the processes described above. Hormones of stress, reaching the dermis, interfere with the work of the whole organism. In particular, they affect the hair muscles attached to the follicle of each hair that is on the body.

With contraction, the hair muscle affects the follicle (root), forcing the hair literally to "stand on end".

The biological reaction

Hair on end is a condition that our distant ancestors encountered. Once upon a time there was much more hair on the human body than it is now. Not surprisingly, they served as a kind of protection tool, which was activated at times of danger.

Hair stood on end, when their possessor discovered a threat to their safety, they were imaginary or real. The appearance of the person became frightening, the potential opponents he seemed to be more massive, therefore, stronger. This protective mechanism can be observed, for example, in cats. Noticing a dog on the street, the animals arch their back, their wool rises. Due to this, their natural sizes visually increase, which allows you to catch fear of the enemy and force him to abandon the attack. Porcupines behave in a similar way, but instead of needles, they need hair.

What does

So, in what situations do people usually use the verbal construction "hair on end"? First of all, it is used to describe a strong fright. It does not matter whether the person was afraid of a real danger or was afraid when watching a horror film, a thriller. In all situations, this phraseology can be used to tell about the experience of a nightmare.

In some cases, this steady turnover is also used to describe the strong surprise experienced by a person. For example, if what you see or hear is shocked. To experience fear in this case is not necessary.

What synonyms exist

The phraseology "hair on end" has many synonyms, which can be successfully replaced without the slightest harm to the meaning of what is said or written. Let's say that the speech structure "freezing through the skin" is also ideal for telling about the experience of fear. "Blood gets cold in the veins" - another suitable stable turn to describe this situation. In this case, the blood in the veins can not only chill, but also cool, freeze, and so on.

What other options are there, than you can replace the expression "hair on end"? The meaning of phraseology indicates that it tells of fright. Consequently, the speech structure "the soul has gone to the heels" is quite suitable. You can also say that "goose bumps run (creep)".

In addition, you can use other stable turns, in which the word "hair" is present. For example, it would be appropriate to say that "the hair on the head has moved," this phrase has a similar meaning. Finally, the phraseological design of the "podzhilki are shaking" is also relevant, also helping to describe someone's fear.