What image do you imagine when you need to interpret the meaning of the phraseological unit “goal like a falcon”? Often a person in his imagination draws a bald bird, which eloquently symbolizes the poor. But in this saying the stress is located in a completely different place. Falcon - do you understand the meaning of this word correctly? Let's look at this issue in more detail in our article.

“Goal like a falcon”: meaning of phraseology and origin

Ornithology enthusiasts hasten to assure you that that same falcon (with the emphasis on the first syllable) often loses its plumage. This is a common mistake in interpreting the etymology of a given phraseological unit. Indeed, a person without significant material wealth can be jokingly compared to a “bald” bird. But our ancestors once had no idea that their household items would disappear, and the names of these instruments would reach through the centuries straight into the 21st century.

The true falcon is an inanimate object that has a rather warlike purpose. It was a massive battering ram made from a single tree trunk. The craftsmen hewed it to such an extent that the glare of the sun reflected on it. This powerful tool could instantly demolish an enemy fortification to clear the way for infantry. The principle of operation of the falcon was that it was suspended by chains on a mobile structure. The warriors swung their weapons, and the force of inertia did the rest for them. The enemy is defeated, the fortress is broken. And only then people began to give this name to all household objects in the shape of a cylinder: an iron crowbar, a pestle for grinding grains in a mortar.

Later, the phrase “goal like a falcon” began to be used. The meaning of the phraseological unit can be briefly described in just three words - an extremely poor person. Now the poverty threshold is measured by the subsistence minimum, equal to about 8 thousand rubles. By Russian standards, one can evaluate a person who lives on the verge of the monetary units established by the state with precisely this phraseology. So now you know its correct meaning. Speak and think correctly!

Phraseologisms-antonyms

Now that the meaning of the phraseological unit “goal like a falcon” is completely clear, how can the opposite case be expressed? When a person is luxurious, like the top representatives of Forbes magazine, his financial situation can be expressed as follows: “But he doesn’t have a lot of money!” And here folk wisdom comes to the rescue. What if the chickens pecked?..

Synonymous expressions

Having found out the meaning of the phraseological unit “headed like a falcon”, you should also find out its equivalent units. For example, about a very needy person you can also say this: “poor as a church mouse.” It is understood that there are absolutely no supplies in the church storerooms that the animals can feast on.

The meaning of the phraseological unit “naked as a falcon” also has a similar meaning to the phrase “no stake, no yard.” After all, at all times, it was not enough for people to have just a salary or one-time income; everyone strives for larger material benefits: they buy cars, invest money in real estate, and privatize land plots. You can characterize a person who does not have all this with the following:

Remember when you used the phrase “goal like a falcon”. Usually people use this phraseological unit when they want to emphasize in an ironic form that a person does not have enough money to live.

Why exactly "falcon"?

This bird of prey is one of the most dangerous birds on the planet. This heavenly lightning terrifies small birds. After all, the falcon only eats the prey that it kills.
This feathered hunter looks very intimidating, its beak and claws inspire fear even in very large animals. If you show a photo of this bird and ask what you associate it with, then in defining a falcon you will use words such as: fast, deadly, aerial hunter, proud wanderer, noble killer.

The history of the expression “goal like a falcon”

Doesn't it seem strange to you that this proud bird is the key to this saying?
It turns out that this saying does not mean a bird, in the old days there was a cannon called the “falcon”. It was a very powerful weapon, with the help of which Russian armies successfully captured cities, destroying walls and knocking out gates.
The “Falcon” was a primitive, but very effective tool. It looked like a log covered on all sides with iron sheets. Or they used a long cast-iron blank to destroy enemy fortifications. It was suspended on strong iron chains. To break through the gate, it was necessary to this simple mechanism should be rocked. Having gained sufficient kinetic energy, the “falcon” demolished even the most powerful gate in a few blows.
This mechanism had another name - “ram”. This word has French roots.

Another variant of the appearance of this phraseological unit is associated with the word “sukol”. Then this idiom should thus be: "goal as a sukol."
Ancient Rus' was essentially a wild territory, huge forests alternated with small fields on which cultivated cereals were cultivated. A huge number of animals in the forests were looking for food for themselves, and these small pockets of rural civilization came in handy for them. Trying to protect their crops from voracious and hungry creatures , the peasants began to fence off their simple plots with fences made of stakes. Before sticking them into the ground, they were cleared of branches and bark. To prevent this peasant wall from collapsing from gusts of wind, it was propped up with several stakes, which were located quite close to each other along the entire perimeter of the fence.

Since this building was erected only for a season, by the fall it was completely falling apart, with lonely “cloths” sticking out on the field. The field with the harvested crops looked gloomy and miserable. It was for this reason that savvy peasants began to call the poor people “naked as boughs.”

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Goal like a falcon

Expression value goal like a falcon seems obvious. It characterizes a person who has nothing behind his soul and shows the extreme degree of poverty. But here is the origin of the combination goal like falcon doesn't seem so obvious.

Falcon the bird is prominent, predatory, with dense plumage, never associated with poverty and beggarliness. So it's not about the bird. Please note that the emphasis in the phrase goal like a falcon

(in the word falcon) falls on the second syllable. So, falcon is not a type of bird of prey, but the name of a Russian medieval siege device, more precisely, part of a battering ram or battering ram. In the role a smoothly processed log with an iron tip, suspended on chains, worked; it was swung and struck at the walls or gates of enemy fortifications. The word naked or goal in Russian means not only naked, but also smooth, devoid of vegetation, branches (trunk), etc. In general, it turns out to be a play on words - goal like a falcon means smooth as falcon, naked, wearing nothing.

There is another version of the origin of the expression So it's not about the bird. Please note that the emphasis in the phrase. Falcon or sukolom called the corner stakes of the fence, which were strengthened with supports for firmness; they were also “naked” and evoked associations with nudity and poverty.

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Newspaper duck This is obviously false information published in the newspaper. Simply put, lies, fiction, untruth. Goals newspaper ducks may be quite

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Goal like a falcon Goal like a falcon

- an idiomatic expression denoting a state of extreme poverty.

Etymology

The phraseology has nothing to do with the financial situation of the falcon bird, and the emphasis is on the last syllable - falcon. In the old days, the latter was a weapon used as a ram - a log bound with iron, or a cast iron beam. Russian soldiers thus destroyed the walls of besieged cities. The falcon was hung on iron chains and, swinging, they broke through fortress gates or city walls.

Linguist Valery Mokienko hypothesized that the name falcon is a literal translation of the French military term faucon, denoting a certain type of focon weapon. But translated into Russian the French word faucon stands for falcon- namely a bird with stress on the first syllable.

There is another version of the origin of phraseological units. It is possible that the word was originally pronounced not “falcon”, but “sukol”. In the past, this word meant support stakes that supported mowed palisades and fences - such stakes were also “bare”, that is, cleared of branches and twigs - bare, having nothing, like beggars. It is possible that their appearance evoked associations with extreme need.

Notes

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Synonyms

See what “Goal like a falcon” is in other dictionaries: Cm …

Synonym dictionary Goal like a falcon - GOAL LIKE A FALCON. Razg. Express Absolutely poor, has nothing. The rich fool can't sleep with the treasury; The bob is naked like a falcon, Sings and has fun (I. Nikitin. The bob's song). From comparison with the ancient battering gun “falcon”, which was... ...

Phraseological Dictionary of the Russian Literary Language FALCON, a, m. A bird of prey, distinguished by its fast soaring flight. Noble village (merlin). Lovchiy village S. clear (in folk literature: about a good fellow). Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 …

Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

goal like a falcon See a goal like an aspen stake... - terribly poor, has nothing. There are several versions of the origin of the turnover. According to the most common one, the falcon here (with the emphasis on the last syllable) is an ancient battering gun made of cast iron or iron in the form of a long and thick log or... ...

Phraseology Guide Jarg. sport. (football). Joking. approved About a beautiful goal scored from afar. Nikitina 2003, 125 ...

goal like a falcon Large dictionary of Russian sayings - About someone who is very poor...

Dictionary of many expressions Goal like a falcon and sharp like a razor. See GULBA DRUNKENNESS...

IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people Goal like a falcon and sharp like a razor. See GULBA DRUNKENNESS...

The lawsuit started with a goal like a falcon. See COURT EXPENSIVE... Goal like a falcon and sharp like a razor. See GULBA DRUNKENNESS...

Goal like a falcon. Goal like an aspen stake. See WEALTH POVERTY...

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Winged words and expressions, parables, tales, beliefs of the Russian people, Sergei Vasilievich Maksimov. Where is this - in the middle of nowhere? How can porridge praise itself? Why is the thief's hat on fire? What does a long box look like? Who are the Kazan orphans? Who can you put under your belt? What is this...

Is a falcon a bird or not a bird?

Those people who do not know the origin of the saying are probably perplexed: “How are poverty and the falcon connected?” The falcon is a beautiful, prominent bird, with feathers, that is, not naked. And in general, everything is fine with her. The thing is that the bird has absolutely nothing to do with it. Since the emphasis falls on the second “o,” this refers to part of the device that was used to ram the castle gate. Even a person with minimal knowledge of history will say that a log helped to get inside the fortress, and the smoother it is, the better. Try, for example, to cut down a tree and, with all the branches on the trunk, storm the shelter of some of your enemies. Firstly, it’s inconvenient, and secondly, your army may get injured before the main battle. These are the secrets that the meaning of the phraseological unit “goal like a falcon” keeps.

Poverty and log

If for a tree to be processed is an honor, then for a person not to have “branches” - money, property and other joys of life - is a shame. Note that you cannot say: “She is naked as a falcon.” This means, first of all, the lack of money and property is a concern and a disadvantage for men, but girls don’t need to think about it. It's not their headache. The meaning of the phraseological unit “goal like a falcon” clearly tells us this. Or rather, not so much the meaning as what stands behind it - the impossibility of using this expression in relation to a woman.

Incompatibility between matchmaking and poverty

Nowadays it is quite rare to hear the saying we are considering. And all because the time of matchmaking has faded into oblivion. Unless grooms from the elite come to their fabulously wealthy future relatives and ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage. In such cases, you can remember the meaning of the phraseological unit “goal like a falcon”, sometimes the party may be unsuitable, that is, poor.

Nowadays, when emancipation is sweeping across the country, it is difficult to imagine that people would prioritize money rather than love. Or, for example, that the girl’s parents decided whether the young man was good for her or not. Firstly, you shouldn’t be surprised, because in some countries this is still happening, and secondly, even on the territory of our country there are ethnic groups in which the tradition, relatively speaking, of “marriage of convenience” is more alive than the living.

If someone else doesn’t understand, the expression “naked as a falcon” (the meaning of the phraseological unit follows) implies the extreme degree of poverty. And this is what they say mostly about men.

For example, the founder of psychoanalysis, S. Freud, and the German philosopher M. Heidegger married only when they were able to make money. And I. Kant did not marry at all due to lack of money. Or rather, it was not like that. At first he had no savings, and then he appeared, but he no longer wanted to burden himself with his family. And he devoted himself to science and philosophy! Thus, even the greats of this world learned the expression “goal like a falcon” (the meaning of the phraseological unit has already been revealed) by their own example. In light of the above, it turns out that mere mortals should not be afraid of poverty at all. Moreover, it is overcome with labor and patience.

Requirements of a modern girl and phraseology

Indeed, now parents do not tell young people who to be friends with and whom to marry. But in the era of universal consumption and money transfers, the question of the viability of a woman’s future husband is still acute. The only difference is that the fair sex themselves decide who is worthy of them. You can easily imagine a dialogue like this:

Marinka, I don’t even know who to choose. I love Andrey so much, but he is naked as a falcon. I won’t tell you the meaning of the phraseological unit and its origin, it doesn’t matter.

Lariska, do you know Russian literature so deeply? Well, mother, give it to me!

Well enough, let's get back to my suitors.

Willingly. So, marry Borka and don’t even think about it! And what? A lot of money, a car, everything!

Marinka, what about happiness?

My dear, if there is not enough money in the house, then the boat of love will crash into everyday life.

I do not know.

The dialogue shows what sad times we live in. But this is only at first glance; in fact, people have always been at a crossroads, because at all times they wanted to live well, and if possible, even better. Parents who did not want to give their daughters to poor philosophers and artists should also try to understand. They wanted to protect their child from the misfortunes and chaos of life. Another thing is that no one can be completely protected.

To summarize once again, let’s say: the expression “as naked as a falcon” (the meaning of the phraseological unit in short is “extreme poverty”) cannot determine the quality of a person as a whole. Moreover, our world is now changeable: today a person is naked, and tomorrow he dives into gold, like Scrooge McDuck.