Home page » Proverbs » The meaning of the proverb “If you call yourself a load, get into the back”
Author: Maria Znobishcheva
Philologist, candidate of philological sciences, poet, member of the Union of Writers of Russia. Publication date:01/17/2019
Often, a person who at the right moment refuses his promises has to hear an expression that, at first glance, has nothing to do with him. “You called yourself a milk mushroom - get into the back ,” those around him sternly tell him. No one specifies which body actually needs to be climbed into. To avoid mistakes, let's figure it out.
Meaning of the proverb
The proverb about the milk mushroom is suitable to remind a person of a given promise and the need to fulfill it. In another way, you can express the thought embedded in the figurative expression like this: comply, if you promise, fulfill, know how to be responsible for your words. The idiom reminds us of how important it is to be responsible and not promise more than you are able to give.
For example, a company commander during the Great Patriotic War asks the soldiers which of them knows German. Wanting to stand out, Private Semyonov takes a step forward, remembering that he had a B in German on his school certificate. He is sent to negotiate with captured fascists, but the soldier realizes that the task is beyond his strength. The commander glares at Semyonov: “No, soldier, that won’t do! Gruzdev called himself get in the body". The shamed soldier has no choice but to go and carry out the order.
Another example of the use of a proverb is family life. An unmarried young sister, Katya, comes to visit her mother of many children, Natasha. Out of good intentions, she invites her sister, tired of household chores, to babysit her children. Natasha's little son begins to insist on being given a piggyback ride, the middle daughter empties the closet of adult dresses and involves her aunt in a masquerade, and their older brother locks himself in his room and turns on heavy metal at full volume. Katya goes through every conceivable and unimaginable test and by nine o'clock, without waiting for her sister to return, she falls asleep on the edge of the crib. “Children, they are like that,” Natasha tells her, smiling, in the morning. - But you suggested it yourself. And since you called yourself a milk mushroom, get into the back.”
There are many examples of using the expression. They all remind you that before you make a promise, you need to think carefully, weigh your strengths and evaluate your possibilities. If you simply have lost the desire to do anything, you need to remember that you cannot refuse. This is dishonest, because someone else will have to complete the unfinished task instead of you.
Stories and essays in high school based on this expression
This expression can often be seen as an assignment for writing a school essay or story. As an idea for it, we can propose to create a situation where a person offers his help to another, not suspecting that it will result in difficulties for himself. For example, one student promised to help another with his homework, and then it turned out that he had not yet done his own. Even at the risk of getting a bad grade himself, he will have to fulfill this promise. Another option: if a schoolchild volunteers to make a presentation on the topic “Call yourself a milk mushroom - get into the back,” but at the same time does not know how to work in the corresponding program, he must master at least the primary skills of working in it in order for the presentation to take place, and not to become known as a chatterbox who is not responsible for his words.
It should be taken into account that, according to the rules of the Russian language, between two sentences connected in meaning as subordinate clauses with the main one, in the absence of subordinating conjunctions, a dash is placed and the phrase is written like this: “Called yourself a milk mushroom - get into the back.”
Origin of the proverb
Many proverbs and sayings came into popular speech from ordinary life: habits, family life, everyday affairs, crafts. One of the favorite pastimes of Russian people has always been “mushroom hunting”. During long fasts, protein-rich mushroom soups and salted and fried forest products became a saving addition to the meager peasant diet. It is not surprising that mushroom metaphors migrated from the commercial sphere into colloquial speech and became part of folk wisdom.
We usually went for mushrooms with a basket or basket. The large basket was called a box or body. Milk mushrooms were considered one of the most desirable finds for every mushroom picker: it can be pickled, boiled, salted, fried - it tastes so good that it is not a shame to serve it even at the royal table. Perhaps that is why the tasty gift of the forest has become a proverb.
About the meaning of the proverb “If you call yourself a load, get into the back”
This proverb is quite old, and is listed in “Proverbs of the Russian People” by V. I. Dahl. In the old days, a body (body) was the name given to a basket with which one went into the forest to pick mushrooms. Milk mushroom is still considered one of the best types of mushrooms; it can be subjected to any type of processing: boiled, salted, dried, fried, and pickled. Any mushroom picker will be happy to see milk mushrooms in the forest.
The meaning of the proverb is that the decision to take back one's words is late, even if difficulties arise that were not initially anticipated; the matter has been set in motion and all that is required of the person is to fulfill his promise.
Similar expressions
There are several proverbs in Russian with similar meanings:
- I picked up the tug - don’t say it’s not strong;
- You made the porridge yourself, so you can dissolve it yourself;
- If you gave your word, hold on, but if you don’t give it, be strong.
Foreigners remind each other of these obligations as follows:
- If you dance, don't forget to pay the violinist;
- I made the porridge, so don’t skimp on the oil (English);
- He pulled out the wine - you need to drink it (French).
In a word, if you want to call yourself someone or something, think about what consequences this will entail. Not everyone wants to be put in a basket and ready for dinner. If the decision is made, fulfill your destiny with full dedication, inspiration and conscientiousness.
Word combinations and phraseological units similar in meaning
The closest Russian analogues of this proverb are the following folk sayings:
- I picked up the tug, don’t say it’s not strong.
- Whoever goes on horseback carries water.
- Without giving a word, be strong, and having given a word, hold on.
Despite the fact that many years have passed since the origin of this proverb, it still means exactly what it meant earlier. And if for some reason you suddenly decide to abandon your promise, you will probably hear it addressed to you.
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The interests of the team are more important than the problems of the individual.
The fish is small and the ear is sweet
You shouldn't judge someone or something based solely on their appearance.
Don't have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends
Friendship is much more valuable than material wealth.
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Dictionary of proverbs and sayings
IT'S CALLED A MUSHROD (Mushroom), GET INTO THE BODY. If you take on something, bring it to the end, bear all the burdens. It is said when someone wants, tries to avoid fulfilling his obligations, promises, etc. Wed. He who goes on horseback carries water; He went to the priests, served and requiem; I picked up the tug, don’t say it’s not strong. - Eh, my darlings! You take on an unbearable burden! The royal bailiffs want to put people like you in a trick! “It’s okay, auntie, don’t scare us,” Nezhdanov noted. “You know the saying: “If you call yourself a milk mushroom, get into the back.” Turgenev, Nov. - You can’t, father! - said my patron after the headman left: - he called himself a milk mushroom, get into the back!.. Nothing can be done! Just keep quiet! G. Uspensky, Three letters. - No, no... don’t deviate, brother! Gruzdev called himself get in the body! Put on your hat, let's go! Chekhov, A remedy for binge drinking. We constantly and on every issue puzzled the serf owners and discovered for themselves the contradictions in their words. Then they quickly backed away, did not repeat some things, conceded some things, completely refused some things and said that this did not happen, that it was a misunderstanding, a slip of the tongue, and so on. Gruzdev called himself get in the body. Furmanov, Mutiny.—Why would the master [the Frenchman Angeli] lay down his head for someone else’s fatherland? “Then don’t join our army!” Sit on the stove at home! - Yes, he called himself a milk mushroom, get into the back! Rakovsky, Kutuzov. But most likely, Pavel Stepanovich thinks that the talk - the allies evading promised actions - is nonsense. Gruzdev called himself get in the body. A. Zonin, Life of Admiral Nakhimov. Suppose you and I shorten the period. And we'll stick to it. Well, what then? Frankly speaking, you won’t be able to sleep peacefully afterwards. And you want to go back to the old ways, but it will be too late. He called himself, dear comrade Tokmakov, a burden... - But why go back to the old way if you managed to work in a new way? E. Vorobyov, Height. “They called me,” he says. And Malkin started to light up and put his hands on his sides. “Oh,” he said, “he called himself a mushroom—get into the back.” Nobody called you, and if you came, so be it. Sholokhov, Quiet Don. Volodya is silent all the time. This is not good, and it is offensive to voters. He was not chosen for silence, but said like a mushroom - get into the back. Mamin-Sibiryak, Letter to A.S. Mamina, March 11, 1907. I was spinning: how passionately I didn’t want to steal; however, apparently, having called yourself a load, you will climb into the back, and I, knowing all the moves and exits in the stable, easily led a couple of dashing horses out of the threshing floor. Leskov, Enchanted Wanderer.—Soon you will have to put on the strap you know, that is, climb into the back, since I called myself a milk mushroom (they actually released me here later). Turgenev, Nov. - Simoni: Calling yourself a load of l-st in the back; Snegirev: Having called yourself a load, climb into the back of the car; Dahl: We'll load the load, climb into the back; Called himself a mushroom (load), climb into the back; Mikhelson: Called yourself a milk mushroom, get into the back; Rybnikova: If you call yourself a load, get into the back.
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Gruzdev called himself get in the body…
Once upon a time, a king decided to build a big city. To do this, he ordered to gather all the masons and carpenters who lived in his country. Among them was a young mason who had to go build a city the very next day after his wedding. The city took twelve years to build. And when all the work was finished, the craftsmen began to be sent home, rewarding them for their long work. Each builder was offered a choice of either money or three wise pieces of advice. But not a single master wanted to receive wise advice instead of money. But then the turn came for the bricklayer, who was taken to work immediately after the wedding. He thought and replied that he wanted to hear three wise pieces of advice. Then the king said: Here is your first piece of advice - never put your burden on the horse of a random fellow traveler! Second, never stay overnight in a house where the wife is old and the husband is young, or the husband is old and the wife is young. Third - remember what is written on your fingernail: be restrained! Then the king gave him three rolls of barley flour and ordered him not to break them until he crossed the threshold of his house. And so the mason, together with two other craftsmen, set off. One day, on a hot afternoon, a horseman overtook the travelers. - Hey, friends! - he called out to them. - Come on, I'll help you! Lay your burden on my horse. Both of our mason’s fellow travelers gave their burden to the rider, but the mason did not. The horseman rode slowly, rode, and suddenly let his horse gallop and galloped away, taking with him the clothes and money of both masters. Then the mason thought: “So the first commandment came in handy for me - my fellow travelers lost everything, but I have everything intact.” Evening came, and the travelers stopped in one village. Seeing that the owner of the house where it was decided to spend the night was young, and her husband was old, our mason got up and went to sleep in another house. The young wife waited until everyone was asleep, stabbed her husband and began screaming that the guests had killed him. Enraged villagers came running and killed both masters. “So the second commandment came in handy for me,” thought the mason and went on his way. Fate brought him to his home on the eve of the holiday. The mason slowed down and heard a conversation. Two voices are talking: a woman's and a man's. - A curse! - he exclaimed. “While I was working for twelve whole years, it turns out that my lover visited my wife!” He then grabbed his gun and began aiming at the window. At that moment his gaze fell on the nail of his finger lying on the trigger, and he remembered restraint. Then he forced himself to listen again and heard the same voices again. - Mom, when will our father return? - asked a young voice. - Soon, son, soon! The king has already released the craftsmen and your father should come any day now,” answered the voice of the mason’s wife. - Here I am! - the mason shouted joyfully, running into the room. His wife threw herself on his neck, and his son followed her into his arms. When the wife came to her senses from joy, she began to say to her husband: “After all, you are probably hungry,” and began to fuss to bring food to the table, but the mason stopped her and said: “Wait, I have three rolls given to me by the king.” They broke the roll and five hundred gold pieces poured out. They found the same number in the second kalach and in the third.
