Was there a boy?- a stable expression in the Russian language, meaning the speaker’s doubt in the very fact of the existence of the subject of discussion. Did anything actually happen, in reality? Expressing doubt about the authenticity of something.
History of phraseology
1.
From the novel “The Life of Klim Samgin” (Part 1, Chapter 1) by Maxim Gorky (pseudonym of Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov, 1868-1936). The novel contains an episode from the protagonist's childhood. The boy Klim and his comrades - Boris Varavka and Varya Somova - were skating. Suddenly the ice broke, and Boris and Varya found themselves in the water. Klim tried to save them, handed Boris the end of his gymnasium belt, but, feeling that he was being pulled into the water, he let go of the belt. The children drowned. When the adults found out about the misfortune, the search for the drowned began, and Klim heard someone’s serious, incredulous question that struck him:
“Was there really a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy.”
2. There is an opinion that Stalin “gave” the phrase to Gorky. At some holiday, a boy approached Stalin and asked a question about the famine in Ukraine, although Stalin was expecting congratulations on the successful collectivization. After that, both the boy and his family disappeared. It was then that Gorky, who heard all this and at that time had unlimited faith in Stalin, began to doubt the correctness of the chosen course, began to look for this boy, and people close to Stalin answered him: “Was there a boy?” Gorky was so shocked by this that he played on this theme in the novel.
3. From the history. Owned by Boris Godunov. After the death of Tsarevich Ivan, Ivan the Terrible had only one heir left - Tsarevich Fyodor, but he was in poor health. Boris Godunov managed to marry his sister, Irina, to him. At that time, Ivan the Terrible was married to the beautiful Solomonia Saburova, but she turned out to be infertile and could not give the king an heir. For this she was sent into exile, to a distant monastery. But a few months later, news came from there that Solomonia had a son, Tsarevich Dmitry. Ivan the Terrible instructed Boris Godunov to look into this matter. Boris sent his people to the monastery, but they soon returned and reported the terrible news that the baby allegedly accidentally fell on a knife (scissors) and died. Many then attributed the “accidental death” of the baby to Boris Godunov, as the one most interested in such an outcome, since after the death of Ivan the Terrible, Irina became the queen, and Boris himself became the de facto ruler of Russia, as the brother-in-law of the weak king. In general, this is how it turned out later. When Boris was accused of killing a baby, he made an excuse: “Was there a boy?” at all. But until his death, Boris Godunov himself saw “bloody boys” in his eyes. Until now, historians do not know whether Tsarevich Dmitry was real or not, or whether it was just Solomonia Saburova who avenged the disgrace of Ivan the Terrible.
Sources:
- otvet.mail.ru - Was there a boy?
- ru.wikipedia.org - Was there a boy?
- eslovar.com.ua — phrasebook Russian literary language;
- onlineslovari.com - meaning and interpretation of the phrase.
Additionally on Guenon:
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Quite often in everyday speech people use bright and figurative expressions, the meaning of which not everyone can correctly interpret. Today we will talk about one of these phrases, " Was there a boy??".
However, before continuing, I would like to advise you to read a few more interesting news on the topic of phraseological units. For example, the phrase Better a bird in the hand than a pie in the sky; translation Enfant terrible, meaning Knock out a wedge with a wedge, which means Out of the frying pan and into the fire, etc.
So let's continue where does the phrase "Was there a boy" come from?? This is an incomplete quote, the full one reads: “whether there was a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy.” Then there arises next question, who is author ? In fact, this phraseological unit appeared in the work of Maxim Gorky " Life of Klim Samgin", later the phrase was shortened, and it began to sound more ironic.
Was there a boy?- means the speaker doubts the very fact of the existence of the object of discussion
This quote is in the first part, the first chapter of the novel" Life of Klim Samgin". This phrase is uttered by one of the characters in this work, expressing doubt about whether the boy actually drowned while skating. And the situation was as follows. On a cold winter day, Klim takes two children with him and goes to the ice-covered river. He had to look after the children, but this is quite difficult to do, because the kids are very restless. A tragedy occurred, two teenagers, a boy and a girl let's go down. After the search, only the girl’s body was found, and the boy seemed to have disappeared into the water.
It was this circumstance that made the hero wonder, was there a boy?
It's possible that Klim I just made up a second child because I was in under stress? Be that as it may, you need to familiarize yourself with the Russian classics in order to be aware when they ask you where the phrase comes from Was there a boy?? Although, if you are accustomed to stupid Hollywood scripts, then know that all of Gorky’s books are quite gloomy and hopeless.
Although, after reading about the suffering of the heroes, the reader may want to change his life for the better, and will make every effort to do this, and the literature of Maxim Gorky will be his incentive.
Today this phraseological unit is used in cases when:
They discuss strangers with doubt.
They are trying to show their powerlessness, solve a problem or find something.
They express skepticism to their counterpart.
They are trying to show their doubt about something.
If you tell or assert something, and the phrase " Was there a boy?", then you have the right to get angry and demand more
Was there a boy? Was there a boy?“Was there really a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy.”
Used: when there is doubt about the presence of the item itself, which has given cause for concern, trouble (ironically).
encyclopedic Dictionary popular words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
What does the phrase “was there a boy” mean?
This is a phrase from a novel Gorky "The Life of Klim Samgin". The boy Klim went ice skating with two children, the children fall through the ice, the girl is saved, but the boy is not found. One of the phrases of the seekers amazes Klim: “Yes - was there a boy, maybe the boy wasn’t even there?” In this case, this is an attempt to escape from an unpleasant reality behind doubt.
The phrase has become a catchphrase and means the questioner has strong doubts about the presence of the subject of the search.
Zvyonka
The main meaning of the phraseological unit “Was there a boy” lies in absurd situations, which, nevertheless, occur quite often. People are worried about something, looking for something, trying to find the right way out, and then suddenly one of them declares: “Was there a boy?”, that is, why are we here, what is the subject of our search, is it necessary? We're working on it, is it worth continuing? And in general: was anything lost or never existed at all?
In Gorky's story "The Life of Klim Samgin" main character was a witness and participant in the tragedy. A boy and a girl drowned. The girl was found and buried, but the boy was never found. And people began to doubt whether this missing boy was at the scene of the incident? This is where the expression comes from
Borisov Igor
The phrase appeared in " Time of Troubles". In the sixteenth century. Then Tsarevich Dmitry was stabbed to death. A state commission was created to conduct an investigation into the death of the heir to the throne. By the way, the last of the Rurik dynasty. As is still the case in Russia, neither the customers nor the perpetrators of this resonant crime were ever found. The Highest Commission came to the conclusion that the prince, while playing “knives,” accidentally stabbed himself to death. They say he suffered from epilepsy. Well, in mockery of such conclusions, the phrase “Was there a boy?” began to circulate around the Mother See. .
“Was there a boy” - where does this phrase come from?
Stanislav trivaylo
Was there a boy?
From the novel “The Life of Klim Samgin” (Part 1, Chapter 1) by Maxim Gorky (pseudonym of Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov, 1868-1936). The novel contains an episode from the protagonist's childhood. The boy Klim and his comrades - Boris Varavka and Varya Somova - were skating. Suddenly the ice broke, and Boris and Varya found themselves in the water. Klim tried to save them, handed Boris the end of his gymnasium belt, but, feeling that he was being pulled into the water, he let go of the belt. The children drowned. When the adults found out about the misfortune, the search for the drowned began, and Klim heard “someone’s serious, incredulous question” that struck him:
Was there a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy.”
Used when there is doubt about the presence of the object itself that gave
Cause for concern, trouble (ironically).
Http://www.bibliotekar.ru/encSlov/a/2.htm
Maxim Yu. Volkov
From the history. Owned by Boris Godunov. After the death of Tsarevich Ivan, Ivan the Terrible had only one heir left - Tsarevich Fyodor, but he was in poor health. Boris Godunov managed to marry his sister, Irina, to him. At that time, Ivan the Terrible was married to the beautiful Solomonia Saburova, but she turned out to be infertile and could not give the king an heir. For this she was sent into exile, to a distant monastery. But a few months later, news came from there that Solomonia had a son, Tsarevich Dmitry. Ivan the Terrible instructed Boris Godunov to look into this matter. Boris sent his people to the monastery, but they soon returned and reported the terrible news that the baby allegedly accidentally fell on a knife (scissors) and died. Many then attributed the “accidental death” of the baby to Boris Godunov, as the one most interested in such an outcome, since after the death of Ivan the Terrible, Irina became the queen, and Boris himself became the de facto ruler of Russia, as the brother-in-law of the weak king. In general, this is how it turned out later. When Boris began to be accused of killing a baby, he made the excuse “Were there any boys?” in general. But until his death, Boris Godunov himself saw “bloody boys” in his eyes. Until now, historians do not know whether Tsarevich Dmitry was real or not, or whether it was just Solomonia Saburova who avenged the disgrace of Ivan the Terrible.
Where do the phrases “was there a boy”, “a sent Cossack” come from?
http://www.bolshoyvopros.ru/questions/57687-otkuda-poshlo-vyrazhenie-a-byl-li-malchik.htmlWe could have limited ourselves to one Cossack. - 5 years ago
About the "sent Cossack".
Remember the first episode of the once cult film "The Elusive Avengers". The film is full of quotes. That’s where the phrase “he’s a sent Cossack” came from.
About the boy.
It is believed that this phrase belongs to Boris Godunov, who brought Ivan the Terrible news of the alleged accidental death his newborn heir (it was beneficial for Godunov not to have any more competitors for the throne other than his daughter’s husband). It is still not known whether that heir was actually born.
Svet-max
“Was there a boy? Or maybe there wasn’t a boy?” - a phrase from the novel by Alexei Maksimovich Gorky “The Life of Klim Samgin”
“A mishandled Cossack,” or rather, “A mishandled Cossack,” is a phrase from the movie “The Elusive Avengers”
Zvyonka
1. Phrase about a boy. In Gorky's novel "The Life of Klim Samgin", in its very first chapter there is an amazing scene from the childhood of the main character. The children skating on the ice on the river began to play, and two of them fell into ice water. And, unfortunately, they drowned. Boy and girl. Adults began to look for the children. And one of them dropped this unsettling remark, which later became a phraseological unit: “Was he really there, this boy? Or maybe there wasn’t a boy?”
2 .Phrase about the “sent Cossack”. This is from the unforgettable film "The Elusive Avengers". Later she appeared in many films. For example, in “The meeting place cannot be changed.”
These are the so-called "winged expressions" from very good Soviet film, and a novel. This is about a Cossack with " Elusive Avengers" and about the boy from Gorky's novel "The Life of Klim Samgin". Whether there was a boy means an expression of uncertainty about something. And about a Cossack man, this is the type when someone ingratiates himself into your trust, but in reality he does it out of his own (or someone else's) interests. Like a spy)))
Was there a boy?
Was there a boy?
From the novel “The Life of Klim Samgin” (Part 1, Chapter 1) by Maxim Gorky (pseudonym of Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov, 1868-1936). The novel contains an episode from the protagonist's childhood. The boy Klim and his comrades - Boris Varavka and Varya Somova - were skating. Suddenly the ice broke, and Boris and Varya found themselves in the water. Klim tried to save them, handed Boris the end of his gymnasium belt, but, feeling that he was being pulled into the water, he let go of the belt. The children drowned. When the adults found out about the misfortune, the search for the drowned began, and Klim heard “someone’s serious, incredulous question” that struck him:
“Was there really a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy.”
Used: when there is doubt about the presence of the item itself, which has given cause for concern, trouble (ironically).
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.
See what is "Was there a boy?" in other dictionaries:
See: Was there a boy? Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. M.: Locked Press. Vadim Serov. 2003 ...
BOY, ah, husband. 1. Male child. Boys and girls. 2. A teenage servant in a private house, in which no. establishment, with the owner of the master (obsolete). M. in a merchant's shop, in a hairdresser's, at a shoemaker's. To serve as a boy/in boys. M. on... ... Dictionary Ozhegova
- (Russian postcard from the beginning of the 20th century) “The Little Thumb” is a popular fairy-tale story about adventures little boy, the size of a little finger. For the first time in fairy-tale literature... Wikipedia
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From the story (chapter 14) “The Prince and the Pauper” (1882) American writer Mark Twain (pseudonym of Samuel Clemens, 1835 1910). It tells that in ancient times, the young heir to the English throne had a “page for beatings”, who... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions
This term has other meanings, see Boy with a Sword (meanings). Boy with a sword Book cover Author ... Wikipedia
Books
- Was there a boy? Skeptical analysis of traditional history, Lev Shilnik. Is the traditional chronology correct? Do we understand antiquity correctly? How could tiny Hellas give the world so many brilliant names - philosophers, historians, sociologists, mathematicians,...
The phraseology “was there a boy” is quite popular. It is used when there is no confidence in the existence of the object of the dispute, when a big question arises about the existence of the very cause of the disagreement; when in doubt about something: on the one hand, as if denying the fact itself, and on the other, paying attention to the fact that there is also no evidence to the contrary. Moreover, instead of the word “boy” you can use any other word denoting an object in the presence of which this moment big doubts creep in.
The expression “was there a boy” is pronounced mainly in a joking manner. And although the phraseological unit has an ironic connotation, the story of its origin is completely sad. Or rather, the circumstances under which it was first used.
The expression “was there a boy” is a quote from Maxim Gorky’s (1868-1936) greatest work, the novel “The Life of Klim Samgin,” the years of writing of which extend from 1925 until the writer’s death in 1936.
The expression “was there a boy” is associated with one episode that happened to the main character of the novel, Klim Samgin, in childhood.
One day in winter, Klim and his comrades, Boris and Varya, were skating. Suddenly the ice cracked and his friends found themselves in the water. Trying to help somehow, Klim used his belt and handed it to Boris. Boris, clinging to the end of the belt, began to pull Klim towards the water. Frightened, Klim let go of the belt and... the children drowned. During the search for the drowned, someone said incredulously:
“- Yes - was there a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy?”
Here is this excerpt from Maxim Gorky’s novel “The Life of Klim Samgin”:
“Boris caught the end of the belt, pulled it and easily moved Klim across the ice closer to the water,” Klim squealed, closed his eyes and let go of the belt. And when he opened his eyes, he saw that the dark purple, heavy water was slapping Boris’s shoulders and his naked head more and more often, harder, and that small, wet hands, glistening red, were moving closer, breaking off the ice. With a convulsive movement of his whole body, Klim crawled away from these dangerous hands, but as soon as he crawled away, Boris’s hands and head disappeared, only a black astrakhan cap swayed on the agitated water, lead pieces of ice floated and humps of water stood up, reddish in the rays of the sunset. Klim took a deep breath of relief; all this terrible things continued for a painfully long time. But although he was dumb with fear, he was still surprised that Lydia just now rolled up to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, hit him in the back with her knee and screamed shrilly:
- Where... where are they?
Klim watched as the water, calming down, flowed in one direction, playing with Boris’s cap, he looked and muttered:
- She drowned him... He shouted - let her go, scolded her. He pulled out the belt...
Lydia squealed and fell onto the ice.
The ice creaked under skates, black figures of people rushed towards the ice hole, a man in a sheepskin coat thrust a long pole into the water and shouted:
- Disperse! Fail. It’s lumpy here, gentlemen, the machine was working here, or you don’t know!
Klim stood up and wanted to lift Lida, but he was knocked down, he fell on his back again, hit the back of his head, the mustachioed soldier grabbed him by the hand and drove him across the ice, shouting:
- Disperse everyone!
And the man, stirring the water with a pole, shouted something else:
- Educated gentlemen, give orders, but don’t know the law...
And Klim was especially struck by someone’s serious, incredulous question:
- Yes - was there a boy, maybe there wasn’t a boy?
"Was!" - Klim wanted to shout but could not.
He woke up at home, in bed, in severe heat."
Then, throughout his life, Klim remembered this incident. He was tormented by guilt that he could not save his comrade. And trying to drown out and dull this pain, he persuaded himself, inspired that maybe there was no boy at all.
“The horror that Klim experienced in those moments when red, tenacious hands, protruding from the water, moved towards him, Klim had firmly forgotten; the scene of Boris's death was remembered more and more rarely and only as unpleasant dream. But there was something importunate in the words of the skeptical person, as if they wanted to establish themselves with a funny, winking saying: “Maybe there was never a boy?”
This is how, thanks to the fame of Maxim Gorky and the popularity of his novel “The Life of Klim Samgin,” the phraseological unit “was there a boy” received a start in life.
To be fair, it is worth mentioning one story, the authenticity of which I cannot vouch for.
They say that the theme that was played up by Gorky in the novel was involuntarily suggested by Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin himself.
This is due to an incident that occurred at some holiday. As was accepted at ceremonial events, children were brought to the leader, who congratulated him and gave him flowers. But an incident occurred. Instead of congratulations, some boy dared to ask a question about the famine in Ukraine. After this, the boy’s family, and the boy himself, disappeared. Gorky, who was at this holiday, of course, heard everything and for some reason after some time decided to find the boy. But those close to Stalin only looked away and answered: “Was there a boy?” Perhaps this incident prompted Gorky to use this situation and the expression “was there a boy” in his novel.
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