Origin. Use. Value. "Like water off a duck" - what is the meaning of the idiom?

Indifference – an interesting phenomenon. Now indifferent people are becoming more because the pace of life is just crazy. Accordingly, a person is forced to build a system of priorities, and sometimes it's education that other people don't always fall. But there are subjects that transcend all. If they have an empty “value”. “Like water off a duck" - talking about such. We will understand in detail, what does it mean, good or bad.

Origins

The Idiom originated, like many Proverbs and sayings from observations of people for wildlife. For the goose water - the natural environment. It with water to "you". When he swims in the pond, the water is not retained in its feathers. This allows him not to go to the bottom and not freeze. When geese fly through the clouds, the water accumulated in them, does not interfere with the plans of birds – to get to warm places. Hence the value of "like water off a duck’ expression.

Disapproving tone idiom

Usually, when using the reporting expression of human censure. They say, he is indifferent. Nothing disturbs and nothing of no real interest.

Laugh – the best medicine for the body

Is it Always bad? Let's consider an example. The man was diagnosed – cancer. On the extent of the disease history is silent, but it is not important. The man reacted to extraordinary: instead of wasting time on chemotherapy, or treatment, in principle, he scored comedies and with the words “even laugh last» was locked in the house.

Relatives who did not know how the matter could, of course, to say: “it Seems he doesn't care, he was diagnosed - like water off a duck" (the value we parse for clear examples).

The Most interesting thing is what happened next: a man, having laughed enough, recovered. Spontaneous cure from cancer happen sometimes.

For Example, Carnegie cites the case. The girl recovered from cancer because of faith - whether in God, whether in your healing. It's not that important, really matters is that she recovered at a time when the doctors on her already waved. By the way, she also refused treatment.

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It in no event it is impossible to conclude that the treatment – is evil or something in this spirit. Spontaneous cure is akin to a miracle, it cannot be fully relied upon. The moral of these stories is that sometimes it's nice to behave like a bird, i.e., in accordance with the idiom “like water off a duck’. The value of it the reader should be more or less clear.

Ironically raptured tone

Well, what language – it is a living, dynamic entity, and Russian language highly depends on the intonation. In other words, it is very important that the tone in which people say one or the other stable phrase.

Now we have a good idea of idiom meaning (‘like water off a duck’ - it is addressed in the article) and I can imagine that a person so not only criticized but also praised.

Steve jobs and his failures

Many Internet users saw the speech of Steve jobs to the graduates of Stanford. In it, he said a lot of good and right, but, in General, well-known things. Among other things, he told me that he had three main failure – the point in life that defined the contour of his fate, and every time a well-known geek rebuilt itself from the ruins.

Different possible kind of information to perceive. You could comment on in the life of jobs these turning “points” value: "Like water off a duck!”. You agree that man like a bird waterfowl can be repelled not only good, but also bad. In addition, the indifference, if it's peace of mind, not so bad.

Example of “goose” of world literature

Of Course, a large number of characters to remember, which was “still”. Probably of Russian literature the first thing that comes to mind Oblomov from the novel. But to ask would not to him, but the hero of the French writer albert Camus – Meursault – “outsider”.

At this point we return to what was said at the beginning, i.e. the value of ("like water off a duck”) of the idiom in this section traditionally.

The reader To understand the meaning of events, it is worth Recalling the plot of the book. The work begins with the fact that Meursault's mother dies. And, since he no longer lived with her (the closest relative of the hero was in a nursing home), the story shocks from the very first lines: “mother died Yesterday, maybe the day before yesterday…”

Then, Meursault sits at the tomb of the deceased, but he cares enough, he wants to smoke and drink coffee and regrets very much that it is impossible to smoke right in the hall of farewell.

Then, after Meursault came back the next day at work, the boss, assuming that in such situations people normally take time off, he releases the employee to grieve. Meursault refuses. Takes his girlfriend and they go to the cinema to watch the movie.

Truly “how it" - meaning of the idiom in this case is absolute for the descriptionbehavior character of the work of the French thinker.

The Moral side of the question and dispute about the meaning of the idiom

We provided different examples from books and real life on how is interpreted the ability of goose feathers to repel water as linguistic metaphors. Also let the reader know which of the interpretations of classical, and which can be used if a native speaker at ease interpreterpath linguistic Canon.

And yet finally it should be said that, whatever meaning may put the reader in the idiom "like water off a duck” (the meaning of this expression, we have already discussed in detail), the only important thing: to keep the presence of mind in any situation. While it doesn't really matter what others think or how to interpret behavior. Only one thing is important – to be sober. As psychologists point out, people who does not give in to emotions in a critical situation, is more likely to correct the situation than one who panics. Quite simple, but nevertheless significantly.

Anyway, I hope that the question, what does the expression "like water off a duck", disappeared from the reader after reading our article.