Staying at the broken trough: the value of phraseology, an example from life

The origins of the phraseology "to stay at the broken trough" lead to the tale "About the fisherman and the fish". The work condemns reckless greed and shows that these destructive desires are ultimately punishable.

Plot

A fairy tale in verse was written by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. He got a wonderful stylization as a folklore work.

The narrative begins with a mention of the fact that the old man and the old woman lived for thirty-three years in a miserable dug-out on the shore of the blue sea, which fed them. Every day my husband went fishing, and his wife spun. Often, the network came across some kind of mud, then seaweed. But once the catch was unusual - a fish, but not simple, but talking. She begged for mercy, promising in return to fulfill any desire of the fisherman. But the simple-hearted old man let her go without any ransom, just like that.

Arriving home, he told his wife about what had happened. She immediately realized that the old man had missed such an opportunity to profit with the help of a fish. So I sent him back to the sea, so that he could ask for anything. And since her big ambitions are not yet ripe, she called the first thing that came to her mind, namely the trough. The old one, they say, has already completely split. Well, not the royal crown, but the usual trough. The thing is unpretentious, and in the economy without it. And the old man went to the fish with a request. She promised to fulfill his little desire. And really: his wife met him with a brand new trough. But this seemed to her a little.

And then it began: every time she increased her degree of desire, again and again sending the unhappy old man to the fish. After the trough, she wanted a hut with a light. Then the old woman decided to turn from a peasant woman into a pillar noblewoman, after going higher and becoming a queen. All these whims the old man unconditionally handed over to the fish, and she performed them. Everything would have happened if the old woman had stopped on time. I would live in the status of a queen and not know. But no. She wanted the impossible - to become the mistress of the ocean, so that even the fish itself was under her control. After the old man asked for this whim, the desire store closed. Arriving home, he saw his old woman, who had to stay at the broken trough, that is, with nothing. Everything returned to normal. Here is an instructive culmination of a fairy tale.

"Staying with a broken trough": the meaning of phraseology

The plot of the tale became a textbook, it was studied in school. And over time, the expression "to stay with a broken trough" became increasingly used. Its meaning was clear even to those who did not read this work by Pushkin. Little by little, it turned into a stable lexical unit - phraseology. To stay with a broken trough is to lose everything that was, to fail, to lose all generous gifts, to lose high position after dreams or chances for something good have not materialized.

And most often, when someone tells someone's life story and uses this phraseology, it is clear that the speaker does not feel strong sympathy for what happened. Somehow, involuntarily after this expression, I want to add that he needs it, let him know.

A typical situation

Examples of how in real life you can stay at a broken trough, a dime a dozen. And most often this happens in business or family relations. The inability of a person to say "stop" in time plays a cruel joke with him. He becomes a hostage of his own ambitions, which by inertia drive him further.

All this happens approximately like this: in the role of "fish" is usually a man occupying a senior position, well, and the "old woman" - naturally, a woman. For example, a typical director-secretary pair, which is associated not only with business relations.

At first, this cunning lady does not at all manifest herself as a greedy consumer. On the contrary, it can seem executive and initiative. But at some point, she receives a petty and insignificant request, a mere trifle "a la trough," which a man can not do anything, and he considers himself obligated to her. And all, from now on the "goldfish" on the hook. The "old woman" begins to draw from her all the juices, usually associated with material benefits, and if she is refused, then she rolls a huge scandal and still achieves her.

There can be no question of any kind of love in such relationships. This is pure consumerism, emotional vampirism. But one day the patience of the "goldfish" ends, the relationship is broken definitively, the "old woman" is deprived of all benefits, usually the loss of work also follows. In short, this is called "staying at the broken trough." This example was fictional, but very typical.

There are also many stories from the life of famous people who at some point found themselves on the very bottom. And could not get up.

"Staying at the broken trough." An example from life: Kim Basinger

She was known to everyone for her extravagance and the desire for expensive purchases. Once she bought a whole city in the state of Georgia. But the owner of the "Oscar" and the ageless beauty once fell into the debt hole. She refused to shoot in the film and had to pay a penalty of almost $ 9 million. As a result, Kim declared herself bankrupt.

Pamela Anderson

Another Hollywood star because of the inability to properly dispose of the funds was due to the construction company a rather large sum - 800 thousand dollars. Spending on the design of his new mansion more than 1 million and about the same for all sorts of plastic surgery, Pamela somehow forgot that taxes must also be paid. Therefore, in 2012, its total debt was $ 1.1 million. For some time she did not even have a place to live, and she slept in the trailer.

Wesley Snipes

Even the huge fortune that this actor earned after the release of Blade did not deter him from complete bankruptcy. The fact is that because of greed Snipes forged his income declaration, and the US tax service does not forgive this. He had not only to pay $ 12 million, but also to spend 3 years in prison.

Danila Polyakov

This red-haired guy once conquered the catwalks of Europe, and now asks for charity and is completely dependent on the support of his acquaintances. Blame all his inability to spend money. He is not at all embarrassed by his position and always takes food and clothes that passers-by give him on the street.

It seems like a simple children's fairy tale with understandable morals was written by a poet. But, you see, not only for young readers it was intended. Too much in today's life of such "old women" with a claim to the place of "lady of the ocean." But in the end, life and these make you understand what it means to stay at a broken trough.