The origin and meaning of the phraseology "Caliph for an hour"

The meaning of phraseology "Caliph for an hour" is suitable for those cases when people talk about a man who does not stay long at the top. So you can say almost anything.

History

The winged expression came to us from miraculous, and sometimes horrible, tales "A thousand and one nights". They have a famous character, a favorite not only of children, but also of adults (for example, the American writer O. Henry) - Caliph Haroun al-Rashid. This ruler did not like boredom and was a great inventor.

It's no secret that the ruler of Baghdad had a habit of going to the people disguised. There he watched with his own eyes how his subjects live.

Once the caliph met a man who shared with him the cherished dream: the man wanted at least a day to reign, to be a ruler. The future victim of the rally did not suspect that he was in front of him who would be able to fulfill his wish. The real ruler has only one goal - entertainment.

The young man was drugged and brought to the palace. He woke up with a caliph. All day long, the temporary ruler enjoyed his position, and then he was also put to sleep and transported to his former home.

This is the story of the expression "Caliph for an hour," the origin of phraseology is explained precisely by this tale.

Meaning

So they say about a man who in many ways accidentally or for a time found himself at the helm of power or became the ruler of doom. Human life is full of ups and downs, so we can say that many of the people are temporary figures in different spheres of life. Particularly clear is the chaotic nature of the vital flow in the actor's profession. If you take the trouble to view several Hollywood films of a certain decade (60s, 70s, 80s, etc.), you can see: each new such time period is commemorated by new faces, and only recognized masters remain. Thus, the importance of the phraseology "Caliph for an hour" is ideally suited to the constant cycle of the actors in the industry.

Hank Moody and phraseology

Scandalous character of "California's Fornication" in the first season of the series used the expression to its destination. When he met a fan in the bookstore with his creation in hand, the hero approached, and the girl asked him:

"So you're that great writer?"

"No, rather, the caliph for an hour."

The meaning of the phrase does not need an explanation.

From the phrase, you can subtract something else: every governor for an hour with pleasure would become the ruler, ruler or king of anything on an ongoing basis.

Creative professions as a haven of "caliphs"

Most people seek stability, but some originals sacrifice the latter in the hope of getting to the stars and staying in history. Of course, you can "fall down", but life is risky, there's nothing to be done.

For example, now everyone is fond of Pelevin or "Fifty shades of gray", and earlier the reader was honored (twenty years ago) by such authors as Sidney Sheldon, Harold Robbins and Jace Hadley Chase. They, probably, very few people remember. It turned out that the meaning of phraseology "Caliphs for an hour" is applicable to them fully. Twenty years by the standards of history is like a day.

With the great painters, things were worse. They, as a rule, did not receive any fame or money in life, of course, not all, but many. For example, Gauguin and Van Gogh died as beggars.

Athletes, too, can, with certain reservations, be attributed to the "creative intelligentsia." Here the situation is not as sad as with writers and artists. The best of the athletes live like kings, in honor and wealth, but only a few experts know how many talents are missing on the way to fame. All these young people, who never "shot", approached the meaning of the phraseology "Caliph for an hour."

However, let's not talk about sad things. In my youth, many want to "inherit in history", but closer to the average age they understand: they are most likely prepared for a very ordinary life with its sorrows and joys.

The middle and ordinary life is not always bad, the imperceptible life has one undoubted advantage: from the ordinary citizen, no one expects anything, and, therefore, he is free to both people and the face of history. Can achieve something - great! He can not - he will not be condemned. Either way, he's winning.

We examined the phraseology "Caliph for an hour," its history and meaning. The wise reader will understand that the moral of expression is this: be afraid of your desires, for they can come true. It's good that Harun al-Rashid had a good joke on the young man, and he could have experienced it in a big way.