Idioms with Proper names in the English Language

(h)              open (a) Pandora's box – играть с опасной игрушкой

(i)              out-Herod Herod (lit) - "переиродить самого Ирода", перестараться, переусердствовать

(j)              raise Cain - поднять шум, крик; буянить, скандалить

(k)              rob Peter to pay Paul - отдать одни долги, сделав новые

(l)              take the Mickey (out of)              (inf) - подшучивать над кем-л.

Place:              (a)              built castles in Spain – строить воздушные замки

(b)              carry/take coals to Newcastle (inf) - "возить уголь в Ньюкасл", т. е. возить что-л. туда, где этого и так достаточно

(c)              fiddle while Rome burns - пир во время чумы

(d)              have kissed the Blarney Stone (inf) – быть льстецом

(e)              meet one's Waterloo - быть разгромленным, понести окончательное поражение

(f)              paint the Forth Bridge – тянуть кота за хвост

(g)              pile/heap Pelion on Ossa – усложнить что-то и без того сложное

(h)              send someone to Coventry (inf) – не хотеть с кем-л. разговаривать

4.3 Idioms III: Prepositional Phrases

In this type (prep + NP), the name occurs in NP.

(a)              according to Hoyle - "по Хойлу", по всем правилам; правильно

(b)              in Abraham's bosom (dated, euph) - почить на лоне Авраамовом; жить в большом комфорте

(c)              on one's Jack (slang) - сам по себе

(d)              between Scylla and Charybdis (lit) – между Сциллой и Харибдой, в безвыходном положении; между двух огней

(e)              for all the tea in China (coll, hum) – ни за какие богатства, ни за что

(f)              from China to Peru (lit, old-fash) - "от Китая до Перу", с одного конца земли до другого, повсюду

(g)              in Queer Street (inf, dated) - в затруднительном финансовом положении

4.4 Idioms IV: subordinate clause

(a)              before one/you can say Jack Robinson (inf) – в два счёта, в мгновение ока; и опомниться или ахнуть не успел; не успел и глазом моргнуть

4.5 Irreversible binomials

The binomials selected consist of PN + and +PN, except for (e) consisting of Adj + and + Adj (a compound containing a PN):

(a)              David and Goliath (hum) -

(b)              Damon and Pythias (hum) – Дамон и Пифиас, закадычные, неразлучные друзья

(c)              Darby and Joan (hum) – счастливая пожилая супружеская чета, неразлучные пожилые супруги

(d)              Jekyll and Hyde (hum) – человек-оборотень, в котором берёт верх то доброе начало, то злое

(e)              Shipshape and Bristol fashion (hum) – в полном порядке

4.6 Stereotyped similes

The similes having the structure (as) Adj + as + NP (initial as is generally optional) are shown in the first list, and V + like + NP in the second one:

(a)              happy as Larry – рад-радёшенек; на седьмом небе

(b)              hot as Hades – горячий, раскаленный

(c)              old as Adam (lit) – старо как мир

(d)              pleased as Punch (coll) - очень доволен, рад-радёшенек, от души рад

(e)              poor as Lazarus (dated) – очень бедный

(f)              rich as Croesus (dated) – богат как Крез

(a)              be like Hamlet without the prince – быть как Гамлет без принца Датского (что-л., лишённое самой своей сути)

(b)              be like the Black Hole of Calcutta – (о месте): очень маленький и тесный, очень темный (хоть глаз коли)

(c)              fight like Kilkenny cats (dated) - драться до взаимного уничтожения

(d)              grin/smile like a Cheshire cat (coll) - ухмыляться, улыбаться во весь рот

4.7 Formulae

These expressions appear as a phrase or a clause. Their status as pragmatically specialised units is, in most cases, focused on in dictionaries, where the method of defining them is 'context-based': the lexicographic definitions, quoted in the examples below, express in what context and for what discursive purpose each formula is used:

(a)              (and) Bob's your uncle              (inf) 'everything is fine, problem solved'

(b)              I'm all right, Jack              (inf) 'used to express or comment upon selfish complacency'

(c)              for the love of Mike (inf) 'used to accompany an exasperated request or to express dismay'

(d)              it's even Stephen              (coll) 'it is a situation in which all the persons concerned have an equal chance of finally winning or succeeding'

(e)              (it's) Murphy's law (coll) 'used in order to say that the worst possible thing always seems to happen when it is most annoying'

(f)              all Lombard Street to a China orange               (inf) 'used in the context of making a bet, either explicitly or implicitly'

5. Sources and Uses of Proper Nouns

Considering the names in phraseological expressions, we can note a predominance of personal over place names (unsurprisingly, given the anthropocentricity of language); within the former, a predominance of male over female names, and first names over family names, with a number of hypocorisms. The very low presence of female names is motivated by socio-cultural factors: in society, men played (and still play) a more active role than women. Among them, we find: Alice in Wonderland, Florence Nightingale, Mrs. Grundy, Aunt Sally, plain Jane, Pandora, (Darby and) Joan, Fanny Adams. They are usually employed to convey a negative or not wholly positive evaluation.

With regard to the presence of hypocorisms derived from very common first names (Bob, Dick, Harry, Joe, Jack, Larry, Mike, Mickey, Tom), it seems to be a culture-specific feature of English phraseology; for example, hypocorisms are rarely found in Italian phraseology. In particular, Mike and Mickey are now the generic name for an Irishman; Jack has come to denote any individual person, and also occurs in compounds, denoting types of person (e.g. Jack-in-office, jack-the-lad), objects (e.g. Jack-in-the-box, Jack-a-Lent, Jack-o-lantern), plants (Jack-in-the-pulpit) and animals (jackdaw).

An overview of the personal names involved in the expressions indicate the following types of sources:

–              the Bible: doubting Thomas; Judas kiss; the mark of Cain; David and Goliath; like Daniel in the lion's den; old as Adam;

–              literary texts: internationally known works (Aladdin's cave from The Arabian Nights); famous British works, by Shakespeare (be like Hamlet without the prince), Stevenson (Jekyll and Hide), Carroll (Alice in Wonderland), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein's monster); more marginal works, by James Thurber (Walter Mitty), and Tom Morton (Mrs Grundy);

–              classical heritage, i. e. mythology and figures of Greek and Roman antiquity: Pandora's box; Achilles' heel, Nessus' shirt, Midas touch, rich as Croesus, Damon and Pythias; appeal to Caesar;

–              popular culture: Darby and Joan (after a couple mentioned in an 18th-century ballad); pleased as Punch (after Mr. Punch, from the traditional children's puppet show 'Punch and Judy'); Colonel Blimp (after a character in newspaper cartoons created by David Lowe in the late 1930s); Aunt Sally (referring to the figure of an old woman's head, used in fairgrounds and fђtes as a target for balls or other objects); Tom Tiddler's ground (a children's game); Uncle Tom Cobley and all (Uncle Tom Cobley is the last of a long list of men in the English song "Widdicombe Fair", c. 1800);

–              real people, rarely legendary figures: Florence Nightingale (after the famous nurse (1820–1910) who served in military hospitals during the Crimean War); Hobson's choice (after Thomas Hobson (1544–1631), a livery man who gave his customers no choice, but made them take the nearest horse); peeping Tom (after the tailor that, according to legend, peeped at Lady Godiva when she rode naked through Coventry); Morton's fork (after John Morton (1420–1500), who was Archbishop of Canterbury and chief minister of Henry VII; the expression refers to the argument used by Morton to extract loans); the Queensberry rules (after Sir John Sholto Douglas, Marquis of Queensberry, who drew up a code of rules to govern boxing in 1869); according to Hoyle (after Edmond Hoyle (1672–1769), barrister and writer of works on card games); sweet Fanny Adams (after the 8-year-old victim in a famous murder case in 1867; it is often abbreviated in speech to sweet FA, which is vulgarly understood to be a euphemism for the taboo phrase fuck all); happy as Larry (probably after the famous Australian boxer Larry Foley (1847–1917)); a Potemkin village (after Count Potemkin (1739–1791) who ordered a number of sham villages to be built for the Empress Catherine II's tour of Crimea).

In some cases, the source of the PN is unknown (live the life of Riley, Murphy's law). In one case, the PN is not actually a name: Uncle Sam is apparently a humorous interpretation of the letters stamped on army supply boxes during the War of 1812, i. e. U.S.

The collected expressions exemplify the two mechanisms exploited in the use of PNs in phraseology: on one hand, the use of very common names (e.g. keep up with the Joneses, where Jones, one of the most frequent family names, is used as a generic name for one's neighbours); on the other hand, the 'cultural allusion', i. e. the reference to people and places the members of British culture are (or were) familiar with. In this case, denotational (and connotational) meaning is established extracting salient bits of information from world knowledge associated with each of them.

Also the examination of place names reveals interesting aspects. They refer to:

–              places in UK: London, with its fog and districts (a London particular, from Dickens's Bleak House; the man on the Clapham omnibus); Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which was a centre of coal-mining (carry coals to Newcastle); Coventry, probably from an old story that soldiers on military duty there were greatly disliked by the people of the town (send to Coventry); Bristol, a major port trading with America in the 17th and 18th century, hence the reference to ships newly painted, with scrubbed surfaces and brass polished (shipshape and Bristol fashion); the Cheshire county (grin like a Cheshire cat, after the character in Carroll's Alice in Wonderland); the Irish town of Kilkenny (fight like Kilkenny cats); Blarney Stone near Cork (have kissed the Blarney Stone); the Forth Bridge in Scotland (paint the Forth Bridge);

–              eastern countries related to the British colonial past: India, in like the Black Hole of Calcutta, referring to an event in Calcutta in 1756, when a large number of Europeans were put into one very small prison for a night; in the morning, only a few were still alive; China, in all Lombard Street to a China orange, (not) for all the tea in China, from China to Peru

–              places related to classical heritage: fiddle while Rome burns; between Scylla and Charybdis

–              places on the Continent: Spain (build castles in Spain), and Waterloo (meet one's Waterloo).

6. The Grouping of Idioms Based on the Semantic Origin of the Proper Noun Contained

There are many idiomatic expressions that contain proper names. The same as other idioms, they came from people's everyday life, folklore, prose and poetry, myths, fairy tales, fables, songs, slang, and other sources.

Quite a few idioms with proper names are familiar to people of different nationalities, and it's natural that a student of English wants to know how to say those colorful expressions in English. It should be stressed, though, that idioms with proper names are not used in speech or writing often. For example, we all know such expressions as Pyrrhic victory; as wise as Solomon; Uncle Sam. But how often do we actually use them? Generally, we prefer more neutral phrases in everyday speech.

Also, some idioms containing people's names, names of nationalities, cities, or countries may be perceived as offensive stereotypes and cliches, and should be avoided.

The lists below illustrate some English idioms and proverbs with proper names. They include idioms that are still in use as well as some bookish or outdated expressions:

Idioms with people's names

Barbie Doll – an attractive but mindless person (man or woman);

before you could say Jack Robinson – very quickly;

doubting Thomas – a skeptic; a person who refuses to believe without clear proof;

every Tom, Dick and Harry – any / every ordinary man;

GI Joe – an American soldier;

Jack of all trades – a person who is able to do many manual jobs;

Joe Blow / Joe Doakes – an average citizen;

John Bull – a typical Englishman; the English people;

John Doe – 1. an unnamed person in legal proceedings; 2. an anonymous average citizen;

John Hancock – a person's signature;

Johnny-come-lately – a newcomer; a participant who started later than the others;

Jolly Roger – a pirate flag;

keep up with the Joneses – to try to achieve the same social position and wealth as one's neighbors or acquaintances;

Mister Right (or Miss Right) – the person one would like to marry; a perfect match;

Mr. Nice Guy – a very decent, friendly man;

Peeping Tom – a voyeur; a person who secretly watches other people undressing.

the real McCoy – the genuine thing, not an imitation;

rob Peter to pay Paul – to borrow from one to give to another;

Tommy Atkins – a British soldier;

Uncle Sam – the U.S.; the U.S. government.

Idioms with the names of countries, cities, streets, and nationalities

be Greek to someone – to be completely unintelligible to someone;

the Big Apple – the nickname of New York City;

Black Russian – a cocktail made from coffee liqueur and vodka;

carry coals to Newcastle – to bring something to a place which has plenty of such things already;

double Dutch – completely unintelligible language, especially technical jargon;

French leave – departure without goodbye, notice, or permission;

go Dutch – to pay for oneself (in a restaurant, movie theater);

grin like a Cheshire cat – to smile or grin inscrutably;

Indian summer – a period of warm weather in autumn;

in plain English – in simple, understandable language;

in Queer Street – in financial instability, in difficulty or trouble;

Madison Avenue – the advertising industry of the United States;

meet one's Waterloo – to be defeated;

on Easy Street – in wealth, in financial security and comfort;

Pardon my French – used as an apology for vulgar or obscene language;

Silicon Valley – the world of computers and high technology;

Utopian dreams / schemes – beautiful but impracticable plans;

Wall Street – American money market; American financial oligarchy.

Idioms with the names of months and days

April fool – the victim of a joke played on April Fools' Day;

as mad as a March hare – a mad or peculiar person;

May queen – a girl crowned with flowers and honored as queen on May Day;

Blue Monday – Monday as a depressing workday after Sunday;

Black Friday – any Friday on which financial or other misfortunes happen;

girl Friday – a low-ranking office assistant with various duties;

man Friday – a true servant;

a month of Sundays – a very long time;

Sunday best / Sunday clothes – one's best clothes for special occasions;

Sunday driver – an inexperienced driver;

Sunday School – school for religious instruction on Sundays;

when two Sundays come together – never.

Idioms from mythology and ancient history

Achilles' heel – the most vulnerable spot;

Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end;

as rich as Croesus – a very rich person;

as wise as Solomon – a very wise person;

between Scylla and Charybdis – between two equally disastrous alternatives (also: between two fires, between the hammer and the anvil);

cut the Gordian knot – to solve a difficult problem quickly and boldly;

Janus-faced – having two contrasting aspects or qualities;

Pandora's box – a source of various unforeseen troubles and evils;

Pyrrhic victory – a victory where the loss is bigger than the gain;

Trojan Horse – something that is designed to undermine or destroy from within;

work like a Trojan – to work very hard.

7. Conclusion

Some points emerge from the analysis. First, the largest group of expressions is constituted by idioms having the structure of noun phrases. Secondly, the personal and place names involved in phraseology are historically, socially or culturally prominent in British culture. Among them, there is a predominance of personal over place names, and within the former, a predominance of male over female names, and first names over family names, with a number of hypocorisms. Thirdly, many units express evaluation (often disapproval or criticism).

The expressions examined constitute a rich repertoire of resources potentially available to users, who can select the most appropriate expression according to their communicative needs: for example, to add humour, to emphasise an idea, to express a negative evaluation indirectly.

The present study has provided a starting point, and further research can make the picture of phraseology involving proper nouns more accurate and complete.

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