"The Secret of the Polyshinel" - what does this expression mean?

Today, very often in our speech, idioms, phraseologicalisms or winged words are used. Sometimes we use them, without hesitation, not understanding their meaning and not looking into the history of the emergence of these expressions.

For example, there is such a catchphrase - "The secret of the Polishinel," which is used quite often, but very few know exactly what it means.

In order to understand this, it is necessary first to determine who is Polichinel. Most researchers are inclined to believe that this is a popular theater hero-doll, something akin to our Russian Petrushka. He is a jerk, a scoffer and a bully, only a hunchbacked and paunchy.

Like Petrushka, Polychinel, speaking from behind his screen, shouted at the people things that are known to everyone. But they are trying not to speak out loud for a variety of reasons. This is the "secret of the Polyshinel", known to all.

Speaking about the "genealogy" of the puppet hero, it is worth noting that he did not come from Petrushka, but, most likely, from the Italian Pulcinello. Actually, both the Czech Kashparek, and the English Punch, to some extent, also belong to "Polishinel".

The main and characteristic feature of this clown from time immemorial was his excessive talkativeness. And he loves secrets, but he does not know how to keep them. Polychinel immediately tells everyone everything, warning at the same time that such secrets should not be told to anyone. As a result, the mystery very soon becomes known to all. That is, the "secret of the Polishinel" is a well-known truth to everyone, which someone tries to present as an opening.

Another feature of this French puppet folk hero is frivolity, buffoonery. In the scenes of scenes involving Polishinel, he deliberately expose himself as a fool, pursuing one or another goal. However, the definitions of "fool" and "laughing stock" and entrenched it.

And when in France, after the Thermidorian coup , young people appeared on the streets of the cities, which followed an unthinkable, ridiculous fashion, they immediately attached a word - "polishinel", that is, ridiculous, clownish, exposed himself to ridicule. And how else to call the guys with huge nachos on their heads, reminiscent of dog ears, and in truncated dressings?

And yet, the hunchbacked satirist, joking and wriggling, did his main job: he, as if in a shout, shouted to the people about the lawlessness that is happening around. And today his name is not forgotten. Everyone knows the secret of the Polishinel, they talk about it everywhere, but it's as if no one knows.

For example, the existence of a "white" and "black" wages in Russia. Is this a secret for somebody ? No, of course, but nobody is going to attract responsibility for these frauds. Moreover, when accepting documents for calculating pensions, experts take into account only documented figures, pretending that this secret Polishenel (wages in envelopes) they do not know.

Or an interesting fact, such as renting a house. Everyone knows that the landlords are renting their apartments without registration, they do not pay taxes, but three skins are taken from tenants. What is not the secret of Polyhinel?

The meaning of the expression that has come down to our times from the distant past is to inform the well-known facts. But the second hidden meaning of the phrase is the ability to pretend that this trumped-up truth has been heard for the first time.