Phraseological units are such strange speech formations that do not mean at all what is written. Often, even a person who knows the language well, but at the same time on a deep “You” with stable phrases, will not understand anything in them if he wants to reach the meaning of expressions in a logical way. This is also true with regard to the speech turnover “from the ship to the ball”, its meaning is guessed almost intuitively. But in order to translate unconscious knowledge into conscious knowledge, we need to consider the history and examples of use.
Origin
It’s nice when you don’t have to describe the history of occurrence for too long, talk about where this or that expression came from, how it crystallized in the language, why it was preserved. In our case, it is enough to refer the reader to one very famous author and an even more famous work that everyone who studied at school knows. This, of course, is about "Eugene Onegin". I think the reader will name the author himself. Yes, it was A. S. Pushkin who gave us this wonderful phrase (“from the ship to the ball”), the meaning of which we will consider a little later, but for now we will point out for the most curious how to make sure that the source is really a masterpiece of our classic. It's simple: you just need to open "Eugene Onegin" and find chapter number 13. It begins like this: "He was seized by anxiety ...". Everything, no more words. Do not spoil the reader the pleasure of insight and a moment of understanding. We move on.
Meaning
Yes, the source is a work of indescribable beauty, but the meaning is quite simple. So they say about a person who gets from one situation to another - a sharp change of scenery. Moreover, as in "Eugene Onegin", they say so about a person who first rested or traveled, and then suddenly he needed to get involved in serious work.
Example. End of school holidays and September 1
Imagine a situation when a student was vacationing in the south with his parents, and their vouchers were arranged in such a way that they returned home late at night on August 31. And on September 1, you should be already in order in every sense. Naturally, here it is impossible better fit the expression "from the ship to the ball" (its meaning in the process of our study). Sources also claim that our stable phrase has a partial synonym - "out of the fire and into the frying pan." We will analyze why it is not a full-fledged replacement.
"From the fire to the fire" - a synonym
When people use the speech turnover that is put in the subheading, they mean that things are getting worse and worse for a person, or, at least, the successive positions do not add joy to him. For example, a man screwed up something with a report at work, his boss called him in and severely scolded him, like a schoolboy. Then he went home and ran into Bad mood wives. and there was a scandal. The phraseological unit "from the ship to the ball" will not work here. The meaning of the expression is different: it does not include any negative meanings. And since ancient times, fire has been a rather ambiguous, dual phenomenon for a person. On the one hand, he warmed, and on the other hand, he could also destroy. And when it comes to the flame, it does not promise anything good.
There is only one case when one phrase can be replaced by another painlessly: if the speech turnover “from the ship to the ball” (the meaning of the phraseological unit is already known) is used in an ironic way, then both the synonym and our immediate hero come close in meaning, and you can use one instead of another.
Victor Pelevin once said that the list of works school curriculum there are those essays that will definitely never be read. Not many students take literature seriously at school. And absolutely in vain. The point here is not in general erudition or "cleverness", but in the fact that literature allows us to join the language, to understand the original meaning of some speech turns. We examined the stable phrase "from the ship to the ball." The meaning of the expression was revealed to us completely. And I want to finish with the words of I. Volgin: “Read and reread the classics,” because in this lesson you can find consolation and entertainment.
From the ship to the ball Express. Unexpectedly for oneself to fall from ordinary circumstances into more solemn or purely official ones. And he was tired of traveling, Like everything in the world, He returned and got, Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball(Pushkin. Eugene Onegin). By all these signs of attention, Boris realized that there was a conversation about him at the headquarters, and he was immediately firmly convinced of this when he heard a whisper from the side: - Greetings, captain! As they say, from the ship to the ball? It was Maksimov, commander of the infantry battalion… - Looks like, - answered Boris(Yu. Bondarev. Battalions ask for fire).
Phrasebook Russian literary language. - M.: Astrel, AST. A. I. Fedorov. 2008 .
Synonyms:See what "From ship to ball" is in other dictionaries:
From ship to ball- From the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" (1823 1831) by A. S. Pushkin (1799 1837) (ch. 8, stanza 13): And he was tired of traveling, Like everything in the world, he got tired, He returned and fell, Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball. This expression is characterized by an unexpected, sharp ... ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions
From ship to ball- SHIP, I, m. Dictionary Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
from the ship to the ball- adj., number of synonyms: 3 shift (35) successful (21) striped (3) ... Synonym dictionary
From ship to ball- wing. sl. An expression from "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin, ch. 8, stanza 13 (1832): And he was tired of traveling, Like everything else in the world, He returned and ended up, Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball. This expression is characterized by an unexpected, abrupt change ... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky
from the ship to the ball- joke. About a sharp, unexpected transition from one situation to another ... Dictionary of many expressions
to fall, or get from the ship to the ball- bookstore , often joke. 1. about a person who, after a long absence, travels to some l. festival; 2. about whom a sharp, rapid transition from one situation to another, from one occupation to another, about a quick change of situations. Source… … Phraseology Handbook
Get / get from the ship to the ball- Book. often Shuttle. 1. About a person who, after a long absence, travels to some l. festivity. 2. About whom l. a sharp, rapid transition from one environment to another, from one occupation to another; about rapidly changing situations. /i>… … Big dictionary of Russian sayings
BALL- (French bal, from ancient French baller, balloter to dance). A meeting of a large society for dancing. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. BALL party with music and dancing, private or ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
ball- n., m., use. comp. often Morphology: (no) what? bala, why? baloo, (see) what? ball what? ball, about what? about the ball and at the ball; pl. What? balls, (no) what? points for what? balam, (see) what? points, what? balls, about what? about balls 1. A ball is a big ... ... Dictionary of Dmitriev
ball- a suggestion. about the ball, at the ball; pl. balls; m. [French. bal]. Great festive evening with dancing. New Year's ball. Graduation, farewell ball (on the occasion of graduation). Costume ball. The queen of the ball (about the one who excels, surpasses all ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Books
- The main fight, Yuri Nikitin. Someone gets from the ship to the ball, and someone, on the contrary, goes straight from the banquet table to the last, mortal battle. ancient god prophesied Dobrynya a quick death, and the hero had to go straight from ...
wings. sl. An expression from "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin, ch. 8, stanza 13 (1832):
And travel to him
Like everything in the world, tired
He returned and got
Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball.
This expression is characterized by an unexpected, abrupt change in situations and circumstances.
- - wing. sl. An expression from "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin, ch. 8, stanza 13: And he was tired of traveling, Like everything in the world, He returned and ended up, Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball. This expression characterizes...
Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky
- - the suitability of the ship to perform its inherent tasks without replenishing fuel, food, water and other material and technical means, without changing personnel ...
Dictionary of military terms
- - 1) a scientific discipline that studies the general structure of the ship and its parts ...
Dictionary of military terms
- - the period during which the ship is able to perform assigned tasks outside the base points without replenishment of fuel, oil, water, food and other material resources and replacement of personnel ...
Border Dictionary
- - the negative property of the ship, under the influence of insignificant external forces, to roll at large angles and slowly return to the equilibrium position ...
Marine vocabulary
- - the performance characteristics of surface ships, submarines, which determines the duration of their operation in days without replenishing the necessary supplies and replacing personnel ...
Marine vocabulary
- - elastic mechanical oscillations of the ship's hull under the influence of rotating mechanisms, pulsating masses of water on the outer skin ...
Marine vocabulary
- - see Water supply system ...
Marine vocabulary
- - a disadvantage arising from the fact that the center of sail, or the point of application of the resultant force of the wind on the sails, is not on the same vertical line with the center of gravity of the ship ...
- is the volume of water displaced by it. The weight of this volume of water equal to weight ship, therefore, V. is usually expressed in weight units - tons, and not in volume ...
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron
- - the duration of the continuous voyage of the ship without replenishment of supplies ...
- - see Ship architecture ...
- - From the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin: And he was tired of traveling, Like everything else in the world, He returned and got, Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball. This expression characterizes...
Dictionary of winged words and expressions
- - SHIP, -I, ...
Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
- - Express. Unexpectedly for oneself to fall from ordinary circumstances into more solemn or purely official ones. And he was tired of traveling, Like everything in the world, He returned and got, Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball ...
Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language
- - adj., number of synonyms: 3 change successful striped ...
Synonym dictionary
"From ship to ball" in books
FROM THE SHIP TO THE BALL
From the book My War. Chechen diary of a trench general author Troshev GennadyFROM THE SHIP TO THE BALL In September 1994, I was on a long business trip to Transnistria as a member of the conflict settlement commission. Shortly before this, the 1st Guards Tank Army, where I was the first deputy commander, left the territory of Germany and
Chapter 2
From the author's bookChapter 2. From the ship to the ball “Comrades! Citizens! Brothers and sisters! Soldiers of our army and navy! I turn to you, my friends! The perfidious military attack of Nazi Germany on our Motherland, launched on June 22, continues. Despite heroic resistance Red Army,
Three ships and two dolphins
From the book Kolyma Notebooks the author Shalamov VarlamThree ships and two dolphins Three ships and two dolphins Will sail to the yellow island, Nine and a half in a storm Looking for shelter. They change days to nights, They take ends instead of beginnings. And the path is getting shorter, And the pier is approaching. And waves, waves... There is no measure for them. three ships,
FATE OF THE SHIP
From the book Recent were author Brazhnin Ilya YakovlevichTHE FATE OF THE SHIP A few more pages about captains. The Russian North has always been rich in brave sailors. Shipbuilding, like shipbuilding, was a well-known and highly revered business among the Pomors. Pomors knew the sea as their home, knew the winds, currents, snow, ice,
From ship to wedding
From the book Articles from the weekly "Profile" author Bykov Dmitry LvovichFrom the ship to the wedding Returning to Kyiv, Shulgin again took up journalism. His "Kievlyanin" desperately smashed first the Provisional Government, then the Bolsheviks. In January 1918, when the Reds occupied Kyiv, Shulgin was arrested, but soon released. By his own
From ship to ball
From the book Chechen break. Diaries and memories author Troshev Gennady NikolaevichFrom the ship to the ball In September 1994, I was on a long business trip to Transnistria - as a member of the commission for the settlement of the conflict. Shortly before this, the tank army, where I was the first deputy commander, left the territory of Germany and redeployed to
From ship to ball
From the book Earth and Sky. Notes of an aircraft designer author Adler Evgeny GeorgievichFrom the ship to the ball It was not difficult for NPP to call me from the Crimea, since the VLPSH was an institution of the Central Council of Osoaviakhim, and he himself was a member of it. So, our group went to Leningrad and settled in the Znamenskaya Hotel. As a “b-o-o-o” specialist in AIR-6, I turned out to be
From ship to ball
From the author's bookFrom the ship to the ball The war is over. The heroic sailor, full of the brightest hopes for a happy future, returned to his native Moscow. A quiet peaceful life awaited him ahead. In the victorious 45th, Georgy Yumatov was barely nineteen. He faced a choice
SHIP VIEW
From the book I would not have served in the Navy ... [collection] author Boyko Vladimir NikolaevichINSPECTION OF THE SHIP The commander, a whole admiral, arrived on the ship for a review and inspection. Climbing on a large anti-submarine ship. Everything glitters. The team is built. To meet the commander - captain of the first rank. Suitable for marching. Reports: "Comrade
From the ship, but not to the ball ...
From the author's bookFrom the ship, but not to the ball ... Senior mechanic "Khasan" A. Ustinov: "On June 22, 1941, at 6 o'clock in the morning, neighbors came to me - the captain of the moored side by side with our Elton steamer I. Filippov and senior navigator Yu. Klimchenko. They secretly climbed through the railing from the German patrols and
Section one. Arrangement of a ship and equipment of the upper deck Chapter 1. Arrangement of a surface ship and a submarine 1.1. Surface ship device
author author unknownSection one. Arrangement of a ship and equipment of the upper deck Chapter 1. Arrangement of a surface ship and a submarine 1.1. The device of a surface ship A warship is a complex self-propelled engineering structure, bearing the naval ensign assigned to it.
Section three. Maintenance of the ship Chapter 8. Ship work 8.1. Ship hull inspections
From the book Handbook of Maritime Practice author author unknownSection three. Maintenance of the ship Chapter 8. Ship work 8.1. Inspections of the ship's hull All parts of the ship's hull and ship premises are assigned to the management of certain persons according to the schedule for the departments, who are required to know their details in detail.
From ship to ball
From the book Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions author Serov Vadim VasilievichFrom the ship to the ball From the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" (1823-1831) by A. S. Pushkin (1799-1837) (ch. 8, stanza 13): And he was tired of traveling, Like everything in the world, tired, He returned and got, like Chatsky, from the ship to
193. Two ships
From the book Fun Tasks. Two hundred puzzles author Perelman Yakov Isidorovich193. Two ships Before you (Fig. 195) are two ships: a steamer and a sailboat. Which one has the longest deck? Rice. 195. Are equal
From ship to ball
From the book Transfiguration. Travel notes author Kalinauskas Igor NikolaevichFrom the ship to the ball Let's start from this place. A person, due to various circumstances, bypasses the bazaar of spirituality and falls into the Tradition. ... Our loser (socially or internally) becomes a spiritual seeker. With this fact alone, he seems to fall out of the crowd.
06.04.2016
When any sudden change of circumstances occurs in life, the famous expression “from ship to ball” immediately comes to mind. In the language, this expression can be used both literally and figuratively. We will consider how exactly the winged literary turn appeared in speech.
The origin of the phraseological unit "from the ship to the ball" is beyond doubt. The primary source is the famous novel in verse "Eugene Onegin", written by A.S. Pushkin. Almost all residents of our country get acquainted with this work at school, at least for the reason that it is included in the program. However, to see the expression in context, you will have to read the novel almost to the end, since phraseological units are found only in the last chapter.
According to the original intention of the author, this chapter was supposed to be somewhat different. It was assumed that after the duel with Lensky, Onegin would go on a journey through the vast expanses of our Motherland. However, the chapter devoted to the hero's wanderings, although it was completely written, did not find a place for it in the final text of the novel. In the poetic narrative to which we are accustomed, there are only small references to Onegin's journey. Four lines, briefly describing the hero's wanderings and his fatigue from them, just end with a winged turn.
And travel to him
Like everything in the world, tired;
He returned and got
Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball.
When it comes to the expression “from the ship to the ball”, then you need to understand that the ball is meant to be quite real - at the ball in St. Petersburg, Onegin meets Tatyana again. But the mention of the ship is connected with a reference to another classic work "Woe from Wit", where one of the heroes Chatsky immediately after returning from a trip goes to the ball. However, not all Griboedov's heroes call this event a ball.
There are other inaccuracies that do not play a special role, since they do not affect the perception and interpretation of the turnover. Among educated people one can find those who prefer to quote this passage more fully, not forgetting the comparison of Onegin with Chatsky. However, the authorship of the phraseological unit belongs entirely to Pushkin.
The expression “from ship to ball” is most appropriate to use when an unexpected and sometimes abrupt change of position occurs in life. At the same time, one must understand that this phraseological unit does not carry an exclusively negative connotation, since we all know firsthand that changes are for the better, it’s just that people are not always ready for them.
From ship to ball
An expression from the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" (1831) by A. S. Pushkin:
And travel to him
Like everything in the world, tired,
He returned and got
Like Chatsky, from the ship to the ball.
This expression is characterized by an unexpected, abrupt change in situations and circumstances.
With a sweet paradise and in a hut
Quote from the poem by N. M. Ibragimov (1778-1818) "Russian song" ("In the evening, the girl is beautiful ..."):
Do not look for me, rich:
You are not dear to my soul.
What do I, what are your chambers?
With a sweet paradise and in a hut!
The meaning of the expression: the main thing in family happiness is not special everyday comfort, but love, mutual understanding, agreement with a loved one.
With a learned air of a connoisseur
Quote from the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" (1831) by A. S. Pushkin:
He had a lucky talent
No compulsion to speak
Touch everything lightly
With a learned air of a connoisseur
To remain silent in an important dispute ...
With feeling, with sense, with arrangement
Don't read like a sexton
And with feeling, with sense, with arrangement.
Fresh legend, but hard to believe
Quote from A. S. Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824):
How to compare and see
The current century and the past century:
Fresh legend, but hard to believe.
Northern Palmyra
Palmyra is a city in Syria that arose in the 1st millennium BC. e. In ancient times, it was famous for the splendor of its buildings. Northern Palmyra is the figurative name of St. Petersburg.
Homemade truth
The expression of Ostap Bender, the protagonist of the novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov "The Golden Calf" (1931), used by him in the meaning: deep folk wisdom (skinny - dressed in a sermyaga, peasant clothes made of coarse unpainted homespun cloth).
There is no beast stronger than a cat
Quote from I. A. Krylov's fable "The Mouse and the Rat" (1816).
- Neighbor, have you heard a good rumor? —
Running in, the Mouse said to the Rat:
After all, the cat, they say, fell into the claws of a lion?
It's time to relax and it's time for us!
Do not rejoice, my light, -
The Rat says to her:
And do not hope in empty!
If it reaches their claws,
That's right, the lion will not be alive:
There is no beast stronger than a cat!"
Megillah
The expression originated from a "boring" fairy tale, which is teased by children who pester with a request to tell them a fairy tale:
"Shall I tell you a fairy tale about a white bull? - Tell me. - You tell me, yes I tell, but should I tell you a fairy tale about a white bull?" will! Shall I tell you a fairy tale about a white bull?"
And so on, until one gets tired of asking and the other answers. The expression is used in the meaning: endless repetition of the same thing.
Puffer
The protagonist of AS Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824), a colonel, a representative of the rough army of tsarist Russia, an ignorant and self-satisfied careerist. His name has become synonymous with a rude ignoramus, martinet.
Scandal in a noble family
Under this name, an anonymous vaudeville was staged in Moscow in 1874, the plot of which was borrowed from the German comedy "Der liebe Onkel" ("Moskovskie Vedomosti", October 1, 1874). The vaudeville was published, also anonymously, in 1875 in St. Petersburg. The author of Russian vaudeville, and therefore the expression "scandal in a noble family", is N. I. Kulikov (1815-1891). This vaudeville remained in the theatrical repertoire for a long time, and its name became a catch phrase.
Skotinin
The protagonist of D. I. Fonvizin's comedy "Undergrowth" (1782), a type of ignorant and rude landowner-serf, whose surname characterizes his bestial nature. His name has become a household name for people of this type.
Miserly knight
The hero of the drama of the same name (1836) by A. S. Pushkin, a synonym for a miser, miser.
They won’t say a word in simplicity, everything is with an antics
Quote from A. S. Griboyedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824), lyrics by Famusov.
Elephant not to be noticed
The expression originated from the fable "Curious" (1814) by I. A. Krylov. A visitor to the Kunstkamera saw there small insects, but to the question: "Have you seen an elephant?" - replies: "I did not notice the elephant." The expression "do not notice the elephant" is used in the meaning: not to notice the most important, important thing.
I would be glad to serve, it's sickening to serve
A quote from AS Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824), the words of Chatsky, who, in response to Famusov's proposal to go to serve, thus determines his attitude to the service.
Laugh, right, it's not a sin
Over everything that seems funny
Quote from N. M. Karamzin's poem "Message to Alexander Alekseevich Pleshcheev" (1796):
Who calls the muses out of boredom
And gentle graces, their companions;
Verses, prose amuses
Themselves, domestic and strangers;
Laughing from a pure heart
(Laugh, right, it’s not a sin!)
Over everything that seems funny -
The one in the world will get along with the world
And his days will not stop
With sharp iron or poison ...
Look at the root!
Aphorism (1854) by Kozma Prutkov.
Sobakevich
One of the heroes of the poem by N. V. Gogol " Dead Souls"(1842), a type of rude landowner.
His name has become synonymous with a money-grubber, a rude person and unfriendly to everyone, as well as a retrograde.
Sun of Russian poetry
A figurative definition of the meaning of the great Russian poet A. S. Pushkin. This is an expression from a brief notice of the death of the poet, published on January 30, 1837 in No. 5 of the "Literary Additions" to the "Russian Invalid":
"The sun of our poetry has set! Pushkin died, died in the prime of life, in the middle of his great career! .. We have no more strength to talk about this, and there is no need: every Russian heart knows the full price of this irretrievable loss, and every Russian heart will torn to pieces. Pushkin! our poet! our joy, our people's glory!.. Really, we don't really have Pushkin anymore! It's impossible to get used to this idea! January 29, 2:45 p.m.".
The author of this notice was the journalist A. A. Kraevsky, the editor of Literary Additions. However, from the letter of S. N. Karamzina to her brother it is clear that in reality the author of this notice is V. F. Odoevsky.
Broke!
The expression became popular after the production (1855) of the comedy by A. V. Sukhovo-Kobylin (1817-1903) "Krechinsky's Wedding". This is how the hero of the comedy Krechinsky exclaims, when all the machinations he had cunningly invented failed and the police came to arrest him.
Sleeveless (work)
So they say about casually, with laziness, somehow the work performed. In ancient Rus', they wore outerwear with exorbitantly long sleeves, the unrolled ends of which fell to the knees, and even to the ground. Naturally, without lifting such sleeves, there was nothing to think about work. Close to this expression is the second, which is opposite in meaning and born later: "To work with your sleeves rolled up", that is, decisively, ardently, with zeal.
Tearing off all and sundry masks
From the article "Leo Tolstoy as a Mirror of the Russian Revolution" (1908) by V. I. Lenin. Revealing the "blatant contradictions" in Tolstoy's work, he wrote:
On the one hand, the most sober realism, tearing off all and sundry masks; on the other hand, the preaching of one of the most vile things that exists in the world, namely: religion, the desire to put priests in their place in public office, priests by moral conviction, i.e., the cultivation of the most refined and therefore especially disgusting clericalism.
Allegorically: accusatory moods and corresponding actions.
Pick flowers of pleasure
An expression from N. V. Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector" (1836), Khlestakov's words:
"I love to eat. After all, you live on that to pluck the flowers of pleasure."
Used in the meaning: selfishly, carelessly enjoy the pleasures of life, not thinking about your family or social duty.
Stand before me like a leaf before grass!
Expression from Russian folk tale. Ivan the Fool summons his magic horse with a spell:
"Sivka-burka, prophetic Kaurko, stand before me, like a leaf before grass."
The expression is used in the meaning: appear instantly!
take a back seat
The word was introduced into literary speech by F. M. Dostoevsky. It first appeared in his story "Double" in 1843, used in the meaning of "shut up, droop, quietly, stealthily hide."
Fate plays with man
A phrase from the song "Noisy, the fire of Moscow burned", which is a reworking of the poem "He" (that is, Napoleon) by N. S. Sokolov (1850).
Happy is he who visited this world
In fatal moments
Quote from the poem by F. I. Tyutchev (1803-1873) "Cicero" (1836). In ed. "Tyutchev. Lyrics" (1965): "Blessed is he who visited ..."
Happy hours don't watch
Quote from A. S. Griboedov's comedy "Woe from Wit" (1824). This expression can be associated with the words from the drama "Piccolomini" (1800) by Schiller: "Die Uhr schlagt keinem Gliicklihen" ("The lucky clock does not strike").
Sons of Lieutenant Schmidt
The first two chapters of the satirical novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov "The Golden Calf" (1931) tells about clever swindlers who derive various benefits by pretending to be the sons of Lieutenant Schmidt, the leader of the revolutionary uprising of sailors in Sevastopol in 1905, who was shot at judgment of the royal court. The name "sons of Lieutenant Schmidt", which has become winged, is applied to crooks of this type.
Cheese-boron flared up
The expression "cheese forest flared up" comes from the proverb "The raw forest caught fire because of the pine", which means that a big trouble can arise because of a mere trifle.
A plot worthy of Aivazovsky's brush
Quote from A.P. Chekhov's play "Uncle Vanya" (1897). This phrase is pronounced by Telegin. In response to the words of the old nanny about the quarrel between Voinitsky and Serebryakov:
"This morning they made a fuss, shooting - a shame alone," he remarks: "Yes, a plot worthy of Aivazovsky's brush."
Before Chekhov, this expression is already found in the journalism of the 1860s and 1870s, and in a slightly different form - "worthy of a brush" by someone - it was in use even earlier; for example, in Pushkin, in a note in Lit. Gaz., 1830, we read:
"The image of Sorvantsov [in Fonvizin's Conversation with Princess Khaldina] is worthy of the brush that painted the Prostakov family."
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