What is it like to shed crocodile tears? In what speech situations is it better to use the phraseological unit “crocodile tears”

Russian is often considered one of the most difficult languages. And although it is not included in the top 10, many difficulties may arise in the process of studying it. We are talking not only about its native speakers, but also about foreigners. The Russian language has a huge number of rules and even more exceptions to them. Also causing a number of difficulties is the lack of fixity in the arrangement of words in sentences and the phenomenon of polysemy. Other Slavic peoples can master the Russian language without much difficulty: Belarusians, Ukrainians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles. Representatives of the Asian world (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans) are unlikely to call this process easy. After all, Slavic languages, including Russian, are structured differently and are unusual for the brain of an Asian resident, and therefore difficult to understand and study.

And not just to be, but also to spread widely, often without even hiding the intentions of unidirectional didactics and political influence. But, paradoxically, almost all of them recognize the path state development neoliberals. But those who are against this can be called marginalized, communist, pro-Russian, supporters of a planned economy, Soviet nostalgia, etc.

Agree, the methodology for determining left and right based on sociological surveys is not the most objective methodology. If Western socialism, in the sense of the word, is impossible without democracy, transparency, openness and diversity, protection of human rights, the rule of law and, in defense of St. Margaret, a society of solidarity and mixed market economy, what leftist nostalgia for Soviet Union or maybe love for the Kremlin? And again, I repeat, almost no one in the institute community has any questions that only such a left-legal division will always be more favorable to the right, especially to conservatives and liberals.

Science of phraseology

It is not for nothing that many admired the beauty of the Russian language, calling it “great and powerful.” Great amount works of art, which have replenished the treasury of world literature, are written in Russian. It opens up great opportunities for writers due to its versatility and expressiveness. Epithets, metaphors, personifications, hyperboles - these and other means of artistic expression make speech richer.

In this case, it is convenient to openly intimidate and militarize the public, while authoritarian neighbors, whatever their natures, some of them are called terrorists, and other crimes cannot be noticed or even justified. On the right, all is forgiven if they are not from Russia, although Putin and his regime are neither left nor right, but a real, magnificent, practical, almost classical right.

However, the right-wing Order and Justice and the Labor Party will certainly not be able to fit into the European left framework. Because who isn't the conservative neoliberal "evil" group is the "lievi", on the left, in that sense? It seems to many that the desire for democratic socialism and communist crimes will be stirred into an emotional cocktail, and people on the left will be portrayed as corrupted by past sin and corrupt, or as if they were supposedly opposed to modern reformation or simply belligerents.

This list can safely include phraseological units. Crocodile tears is a speech pattern that has become widespread in the speech of Russians along with the expressions sit in a puddle, make a mountain out of a molehill, kill it on the nose and others. There are quite a lot of them in the Russian language. In bookstores you can find dictionaries that contain the most popular expressions. There is also an interpretation of each turn.

And a real left would be a big blow to the buttocks. Because they could resist the neoliberal experiment in Lithuania. So, unfortunately, the opposite happened? In the end, perhaps they are simply humanly afraid that they will be killed in the swamp valley.

You will not do anything, which is typical for proper paternalism. Yes, they are uncritical, the real neoliberal saints of Lithuania, and it is a sin to sacredly criticize saints. Of course, the colors are overwhelming, but not the level of discourse in public space? This level is tolerated and is attended by the Presidium, which participates in “covering democracy” and “Lithuania without struggle”. And in Lately they helped Lithuanian free market traders in their business affairs.

A distinctive feature of phraseological units is the absence of an author. You can trace the history of the emergence of a phrase, but it is impossible to name the person who first used this or that phraseological unit. Their main purpose is to give speech a certain emotional coloring and enhance its meaning. A phraseological unit can be recognized by several features:

Yes, yes, this is a subject for discussion, but why not discuss it? She is not without sin and does not make mistakes. But this party is often too often clouded, sometimes it is exaggerated and not always reasonable when it is impossible to remind the communist again and again to stick the label with corruption in order to organize the nomenklatura, which, unfortunately, is a manifestation, but which is still happening.

Like the biggest party in Lithuania, there are many people. Why then are there no mention of other parties that are likely to be corrupt, oligarchic, authoritarian, austerity driven, etc. Which openly represent the interests of big capital, in which there are neither former communists nor the Komsomol? Maybe it would be crazy to get drunk on Daukanto Square and there would still be traces of nomenclature there?

1. Inability to rearrange words.

2. Replacing the speech pattern with one word that has a similar meaning.

3. The presence of figurative meaning.

Crocodile tears: the meaning of phraseology

This turn of phrase is used when talking about an insincere person who outwardly sympathizes with his interlocutor, but at the same time experiences completely opposite feelings. A similar expression exists in several languages, not only in Russian. For example, in English language similar turnover crocodile tears appeared in the 16th century, in German expression krokodilstranen arose around 1730.

Now the Social Democrats have a great opportunity to rebuild themselves and become a European left party, without being afraid to admit mistakes, learn to apologize and correct. And if the renewal fails for some reason, and this may happen, it is likely that a new left party will emerge in Lithuania. And believe me, this world is much more interesting and lively than the high walls of the right knee.

This unusual phenomenon was spotted by ecosystem ecologist Carlos de la Rosa last December along with a group of other researchers, students and tourists floating on the Puerto Viejo River in northeastern Costa Rica. The expedition members captured Julia butterflies and individual bees scattered around the crocodile caiman, which can grow up to 2.5 meters in length. As you can see from the video below, the neighbor calmly warmed himself in the sun, and the insects, meanwhile, fed on the tears of this great reptile.

Which is correct?

You can find two variants of the same phraseological unit:

1. Listening to my story about tragic fate Sonya, he wet himself crocodile tears.

2. Masha, you should avoid crocodile tears.

Many people wonder which usage is erroneous and which is correct. The adjective with the suffix -ov- is used when talking about material obtained from the skin of a predator (for example, a bag made of crocodile skin). The possessive adjective crocodile is used when talking about something that belongs to an animal (for example, crocodile eggs). In the case of phraseological units, it is permissible to use both options in speech.

The caiman seemed unfazed by the butterflies and also by the beatings near him. “It was one of those natural moments that you want to see live and close,” said C. de la Rosa. - But then the question arose, who will be here? Why do insects behave this way?

Although salt is abundant in the world's oceans, sodium chloride is a very rare and valuable substance on land. According to the ecologist, in areas where salt is very bad, animals often absorb it by drinking various body fluids from other animals - sweat, urine and even blood. Of course, and tears.

Recently, another group of scientists recorded a similar phenomenon in tropical forests Amazons are here. In the latter case, butterfly reptiles are believed to be an important source of salts. After the expedition, Carlos de la Rosa decided to conduct an online search, the results of which were very surprising to scientists: it turns out that such tears in nature occur quite often not only by scientists, but also by ordinary tourists, as well as professional natural science photographers.

First cases of use


Expression It has ancient history. It is first found in the texts of the ancient Romans. The famous library of Constantinople possessed books in which this speech pattern was presented. There are also references to this phraseological unit. In particular, in the book “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville,” which became widespread in England between 1357 and 1371, it is said that in Ethiopia there are crocodiles that cry while eating people.

According to the researcher, this phenomenon is probably not as rare in the animal kingdom as biologists have thought so far. However, it is still unclear what other insects are valuable in the absence of sodium chloride in crocodile tears. According to C. de la Rosos, further research is needed to answer this question.

Scientists are also not sure whether they get any benefits from drinking their tears. It's likely that caimans simply allow insects to drink their tears - they either don't care about it or can't get rid of the insects easily. These creeps do not tolerate or satisfy them, they shake their heads as they try to get rid of the bees and end up sinking back into the water.

A little about crocodiles

But where did this expression come from?

Crocodiles are known to leak fluid from their eyes when they eat. For a long time it was believed that these were tears that a predator sheds for its prey. Later, a famous medieval author in one of his treatises made the assumption that crocodiles’ tears do not appear out of pity and sympathy for the victim. This liquid is nothing more than drool before the most desired food. It is with this prejudice that the emergence of this phraseological unit is connected.

Also, a point of view later appeared according to which the liquid that flows from the eyes of crocodiles has nothing to do with pity. In fact, they have an underdeveloped system aimed at removing excess salts from the body. The glands that remove salts from the kidneys are located near the eyes. This is why crocodiles do not always cry, but only when these glands are working. This discovery, made by Swedish scientists, did not affect the phraseology. It's still popular.

When should you use turnover? ? The meaning suggests the answer: when you need to talk about a deceitful, insincere person who publicly expresses feelings that he does not experience.

Let's give examples

1. No one will believe your sympathy, everyone knows what it is .

2. Wolf pack lila over the body of the lamb they killed.


So, if one person complains to another about the vicissitudes of fate, but understands that the sympathy of the interlocutor is nothing more than a farce, then he should be advised not to pour . After all, people are not given the opportunity to know in advance what situation they may find themselves in after some time. And a public demonstration of insincere emotions can play a cruel joke in the future.

Russian is often considered one of the most difficult languages. And although it is not included in the top 10, many difficulties may arise in the process of studying it. We are talking not only about its native speakers, but also about foreigners. The Russian language has a huge number of rules and even more exceptions to them. Also causing a number of difficulties is the lack of fixity in the arrangement of words in sentences and the phenomenon of polysemy. Other Slavic peoples can master the Russian language without much difficulty: Belarusians, Ukrainians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles. Representatives of the Asian world (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans) are unlikely to call this process easy. After all, Slavic languages, including Russian, are structured differently and are unusual for the brain of an Asian resident, and therefore difficult to understand and study.

Science of phraseology

It is not for nothing that many admired the beauty of the Russian language, calling it “great and powerful.” A huge number of works of art that have replenished the treasury of world literature are written in Russian. It opens up great opportunities for writers due to its versatility and expressiveness. Epithets, metaphors, personifications, hyperboles - these and other means of artistic expression make speech richer.

This list can safely include phraseological units. Crocodile tears is a speech pattern that has become widespread in the speech of Russians along with the expressions sit in a puddle, make a mountain out of a molehill, kill it on the nose and others. There are quite a lot of them in the Russian language. In bookstores you can find dictionaries that contain the most popular expressions. There is also an interpretation of each turn.

A distinctive feature of phraseological units is the absence of an author. You can trace the history of the emergence of a phrase, but it is impossible to name the person who first used this or that phraseological unit. Their main purpose is to give speech a certain emotional coloring and enhance its meaning. A phraseological unit can be recognized by several features:

1. Inability to rearrange words.

2. Replacing the speech pattern with one word that has a similar meaning.

3. The presence of figurative meaning.

Crocodile tears: the meaning of phraseology

This turn of phrase is used when talking about an insincere person who outwardly sympathizes with his interlocutor, but at the same time experiences completely opposite feelings. A similar expression exists in several languages, not only in Russian. For example, in English, a phrase similar in meaning crocodile tears appeared in the 16th century, in German the expression krokodilstranen arose around 1730.

Which is correct?

You can find two variants of the same phraseological unit:

1. Listening to my story about the tragic fate of Sonya, he wet himself crocodile tears.

2. Masha, you should avoid crocodile tears.

Many people wonder which usage is erroneous and which is correct. The adjective with the suffix -ov- is used when talking about material obtained from the skin of a predator (for example, a bag made of crocodile skin). The possessive adjective crocodile is used when talking about something that belongs to an animal (for example, crocodile eggs). In the case of phraseological units, it is permissible to use both options in speech.

First cases of use

Expression has an ancient history. It is first found in the texts of the ancient Romans. The famous library of Constantinople possessed books in which this speech pattern was presented. There are also references to this phraseological unit. In particular, in the book “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville,” which became widespread in England between 1357 and 1371, it is said that in Ethiopia there are crocodiles that cry while eating people.

A little about crocodiles

But where did this expression come from?

Crocodiles are known to leak fluid from their eyes when they eat. For a long time it was believed that these were tears that a predator sheds for its prey. Later, a famous medieval author in one of his treatises made the assumption that crocodiles’ tears do not appear out of pity and sympathy for the victim. This liquid is nothing more than drool before the most desired food. It is with this prejudice that the emergence of this phraseological unit is connected.

Also, a point of view later appeared according to which the liquid that flows from the eyes of crocodiles has nothing to do with pity. In fact, they have an underdeveloped system aimed at removing excess salts from the body. The glands that remove salts from the kidneys are located near the eyes. This is why crocodiles do not always cry, but only when these glands are working. This discovery, made by Swedish scientists, did not affect the phraseology. It's still popular.

When should you use turnover? ? The meaning suggests the answer: when you need to talk about a deceitful, insincere person who publicly expresses feelings that he does not experience.

Let's give examples

1. No one will believe your sympathy, everyone knows what it is .

2. Wolf pack lila over the body of the lamb they killed.

So, if one person complains to another about the vicissitudes of fate, but understands that the sympathy of the interlocutor is nothing more than a farce, then he should be advised not to pour . After all, people are not given the opportunity to know in advance what situation they may find themselves in after some time. And a public demonstration of insincere emotions can play a cruel joke in the future.

0 In the Russian language you can find sayings and proverbs that have their roots deep in world history. However, many people still have no idea about them ancient origin. Therefore, our website tries to briefly talk about the meaning and significance of such catchphrases. Add this resource to your bookmarks so as not to lose it in this vast ocean of information. Today we will talk about a funny phrase, this Crocodile tears, you can read the meaning a little later.
However, before continuing, I would like to tell you about a couple more interesting publications on the topic of phraseological units. For example, what does it mean to go into a rage; which means Give a head start; the meaning of the expression Where the eyes look; how to understand the Colossus with Feet of Clay, etc.
So let's continue What does crocodile tears mean?? This expression was borrowed from the German language" Krokodilstranen", from an old German belief that when a crocodile devours its prey, it cries.

Crocodile tears- these are insincere regrets, feigned condolences


What does Crocodile Tattoo mean?

Also in ancient Egypt local residents considered Nile crocodiles to be carriers of otherworldly evil forces. The frightened aborigines, in order to pity these terrible creatures, began to feed them and pray to them in order to pacify their rage and anger.
An ancient Greek scientist named Aelian ( Greek military writer, lived in Rome under the emperors Trajan and Hadrian around 98 - 138), mentioned in one of his treatises that the crocodile is a rather cunning creature that is capable of taking water into its mouth and waiting for prey. As soon as a person or animal begins to go down the path, he immediately throws a stream of water out of his mouth, after which he waits for the victim to slip and go into his mouth.

Other ancient explorers reported witnessing crocodile Having devoured a person, he begins to shed tears that drip onto the remains of the meal.
In one of the Russian explanatory dictionaries of the 17th century, which was called "Azbukovnik", there are several lines about this ferocious predator. " A crocodile lives in water... When it starts to eat a person, then it sobs and cries, but does not stop eating, and, tearing its head away from the body, looks at it and chokes on tears."

Similar behavior has been observed in antiquities, and gave rise to the formation of phraseological units, which are known today among many nations.
It remains to be seen whether these reptiles really shed tears when swallowing their victims?

Until recently, this issue remained a mystery, “closed under seven seals.” More Erasmus of Rotterdam, trying to logically substantiate this expression, expressed the idea that the crocodile does not shed tears at all, but drool.
Many centuries have passed since that time, and thanks to the inquisitive minds of the German scientists Schmidt-Nielsen and Fange, the answer that had been sought for a long time was finally found.
It turns out that the crocodile has special glands for rejecting excess salty liquid from the body. Their excretory ducts are located right next to the eyes of these modern dinosaurs. As a result, it becomes clear that some people witnessed the work of these glands during their meals.

From all of the above we can conclude that " crocodile tears" - these are tears of hypocrisy and deceit. In fact, these secretions cannot be fully called tears at all. However, this expression has survived to this day, and will probably be used for hundreds of years.
Even if these same reptiles disappear, the proverb will remain as a reminder to future generations of the existence of real dinosaurs in the past. It is possible that some old tales about the Serpent Gorynych have a real basis, but that is another story.

After reading this short publication, you will now be aware of Crocodile tears meaning and the origin of this curious

Russian is often considered one of the most difficult languages. And although it is not included in the top 10, many difficulties may arise in the process of studying it. We are talking not only about its native speakers, but also about foreigners. The Russian language has a huge number of rules and even more exceptions to them. Also causing a number of difficulties is the lack of fixity in the arrangement of words in sentences and the phenomenon of polysemy. Other Slavic peoples can master the Russian language without much difficulty: Belarusians, Ukrainians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles. Representatives of the Asian world (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans) are unlikely to call this process easy. After all, Slavic languages, including Russian, are structured differently and are unusual for the brain of an Asian resident, and therefore difficult to understand and study.

Science of phraseology

It is not for nothing that many admired the beauty of the Russian language, calling it “great and powerful.” A huge number of works of art that have replenished the treasury of world literature are written in Russian. It opens up great opportunities for writers due to its versatility and expressiveness. Epithets, metaphors, personifications, hyperboles - these and other means of artistic expression make speech richer.

This list can safely include phraseological units. Crocodile tears is a speech pattern that has become widespread in the speech of Russians along with the expressions sit in a puddle, make a mountain out of a molehill, kill it on the nose and others. There are quite a lot of them in the Russian language. In bookstores you can find dictionaries that contain the most popular expressions. There is also an interpretation of each turn.

A distinctive feature of phraseological units is the absence of an author. You can trace the history of the emergence of a phrase, but it is impossible to name the person who first used this or that phraseological unit. Their main purpose is to give speech a certain emotional coloring and enhance its meaning. A phraseological unit can be recognized by several features:

1. Inability to rearrange words.

2. Replacing the speech pattern with one word that has a similar meaning.

3. The presence of figurative meaning.

Crocodile tears: the meaning of phraseology

This turn of phrase is used when talking about an insincere person who outwardly sympathizes with his interlocutor, but at the same time experiences completely opposite feelings. A similar expression exists in several languages, not only in Russian. For example, in English, a phrase similar in meaning crocodile tears appeared in the 16th century, in German the expression krokodilstranen arose around 1730.

Which is correct?

You can find two variants of the same phraseological unit:

1. Listening to my story about the tragic fate of Sonya, he wet himself crocodile tears.

2. Masha, you should avoid crocodile tears.

Many people wonder which usage is erroneous and which is correct. The adjective with the suffix -ov- is used when talking about material obtained from the skin of a predator (for example, a bag made of crocodile skin). The possessive adjective crocodile is used when talking about something that belongs to an animal (for example, crocodile eggs). In the case of phraseological units, it is permissible to use both options in speech.

First cases of use


Expression has an ancient history. It is first found in the texts of the ancient Romans. The famous library of Constantinople possessed books in which this speech pattern was presented. There are also references to this phraseological unit. In particular, in the book “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville,” which became widespread in England between 1357 and 1371, it is said that in Ethiopia there are crocodiles that cry while eating people.

A little about crocodiles

But where did this expression come from?

Crocodiles are known to leak fluid from their eyes when they eat. For a long time it was believed that these were tears that a predator sheds for its prey. Later, a famous medieval author in one of his treatises made the assumption that crocodiles’ tears do not appear out of pity and sympathy for the victim. This liquid is nothing more than drool before the most desired food. It is with this prejudice that the emergence of this phraseological unit is connected.

Also, a point of view later appeared according to which the liquid that flows from the eyes of crocodiles has nothing to do with pity. In fact, they have an underdeveloped system aimed at removing excess salts from the body. The glands that remove salts from the kidneys are located near the eyes. This is why crocodiles do not always cry, but only when these glands are working. This discovery, made by Swedish scientists, did not affect the phraseology. It's still popular.

When should you use turnover? ? The meaning suggests the answer: when you need to talk about a deceitful, insincere person who publicly expresses feelings that he does not experience.

Let's give examples

1. No one will believe your sympathy, everyone knows what it is .

2. Wolf pack lila over the body of the lamb they killed.


So, if one person complains to another about the vicissitudes of fate, but understands that the sympathy of the interlocutor is nothing more than a farce, then he should be advised not to pour . After all, people are not given the opportunity to know in advance what situation they may find themselves in after some time. And a public demonstration of insincere emotions can play a cruel joke in the future.

Crocodile tears

Crocodile tears
According to an ancient belief (which has no basis in reality), a crocodile, before eating a caught victim, sheds tears, as if mourning it. Thus, in one of the ancient Russian “Azbukovnikov” it is written: “Korkodil is a water beast... Whenever a person has food, then he cries and sobs, but does not stop eating; and when he tears the head from the body, he cries at it in vain.”
Allegorically: about someone’s feigned, hypocritical, false sympathy or regret (ironic, disapproving).

encyclopedic Dictionary popular words and expressions. - M.: “Locked-Press”. Vadim Serov. 2003.

Crocodile tears

The expression is used to mean: hypocritical tears, feigned regret; applies to people who pretend to be greatly distressed by the misfortune of someone for whom they themselves are preparing the death. Based on the ancient belief that a crocodile sheds tears before it eats its prey.

Dictionary of catch words. Plutex. 2004.


Synonyms:

See what “Crocodile tears” are in other dictionaries:

    Fake tears, because the crocodile, tormenting its prey, seems to be crying like a child. Explanation 25000 foreign words, which came into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. Mikhelson A.D., 1865. CROCODILE TEARS Fake tears, because... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

    Cm … Synonym dictionary

    Crocodile tears- wing. sl. The expression is used to mean: hypocritical tears, feigned regret; applies to people who pretend to be greatly distressed by the misfortune of someone for whom they themselves are preparing the death. Based on an ancient belief that a crocodile... ... Universal additional practical Dictionary I. Mostitsky

    crocodile tears- feigned tears, insincere regrets. The expression arose in Russian as a result of the literal translation of the complex German word Krokodilstranen. The first entry is in Weismann’s “German Latin and Russian Lexicon” in 1731. Appearance... ... Phraseology Guide

    Shedding crocodile tears- It is hypocritical to regret (pretend to be) about some unpleasant incident, without actually experiencing negative feelings at all. If suspicions are raised about this, it does not contribute to creating a good impression of... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

    shed crocodile tears- it is hypocritical to regret (pretend to be) about some unpleasant incident, without actually experiencing negative feelings at all. If suspicions are raised about this, it does not contribute to creating a good impression of... ... Culture of speech communication: Ethics. Pragmatics. Psychology

In the Russian language there is such a phrase as “crocodile tears”, which each of us has probably heard at least once. This phrase paints before us the image of a crocodile shedding tears and wiping them with a handkerchief. What does the expression “crocodile tears” mean? Do crocodiles really cry? Below you will find answers to all these questions.

Crocodile tears - the meaning of phraseology

The Russian language is rich in various expressions that have a figurative meaning and are often understandable only to Russian people. One of these is the phraseological unit “crocodile tears”. What is the meaning of the phrase “crocodile tears”?

“Crocodile tears” means insincere tears, hypocritical and feigned regret, false compassion. It is noteworthy that the phraseological unit “crocodile tears” is one of the few that is used not only in the Russian language. It is also found in many other languages.

The expression “crocodile tears” is used in relation to those people who pretend to be overly upset by the trouble or misfortune of someone to whom they themselves caused it.

But in reality these people don't experience negative emotions, but only pretend and even rejoice at the troubles of those people for whom they prepared them. They say about such a person that he “sheds crocodile tears.”

Why do crocodiles cry?

Since ancient times, there has been a legend that a crocodile cries over its prey during a meal. But a crocodile is a bloodthirsty and terrible predator. The crocodile's tears are unlikely to be a manifestation of anxiety or remorse for the murdered victim. Indeed, crocodile tears have nothing to do with compassion or regret. This is how the international phraseology “crocodile tears” arose.

So why do crocodiles cry? All these beliefs from ancient times about the tears of a crocodile prompted scientists to clarify this controversial issue. Researchers have made many observations of these predators. And it turns out that crocodiles really cry, but not out of pity.

In fact, everything is very simple, and crocodile tears are just a way to remove salts from the body. The thing is that crocodiles suffer from excess salts in the body. And in order to reduce their level, crocodiles have special glands that are located in the eye area.

All reptiles of the genus true crocodiles have such special glands. For example, the Nile crocodile. When a crocodile accumulates too many salts, the glands begin to actively work and cause tears.

Thus, the crocodile cries only when it needs to remove salts from the body. Along with the crocodile's tears, unnecessary harmful substances. Like this unusual feature of these predators, which has nothing to do with the feeling of compassion of crocodiles for their victims.

If you liked this article and want to learn even more interesting things about animals, subscribe to site updates and receive the latest and interesting news about the animal world first.

Since ancient times, many peoples have believed that a crocodile cries when it eats its prey. And it seems that he is crying out of pity for the one he is now eating. Since “this cannot be, because it can never be,” then the expression crocodile tears(or shedding crocodile tears) in a figurative sense means to hypocritically show regret to one’s victim, to hypocritically worry, to show feigned condolences.

In fact, a crocodile has glands under its eyes through which excess salt is removed from the body. , which looks very similar to tears.

By the way, our human tears also partially perform the function of removing salts - try your tears on your tongue - they are salty. Crocodile tears - one of the few absolutely international phraseological units. It has been known since the time Krokodilstranen ancient Rome . In Rome it meant “to shed tears over the vanquished.” In German dictionaries it looks like.

, in English the direct analogue is

Crocodile tears

In general, shedding crocodile tears among all nations means falsely, insincerely showing regret or sympathy for someone whom they themselves have destroyed.

During the heyday of the art song, the song “Monologue of the Nile Crocodile” was popular at bard festivals. I first heard about it in song back in 1979! The lyrics are cool, the guitar accompaniment is very simple - three chords.

Monologue of the Nile crocodile

I crawled out of the Nile onto the coastal sand,

Having eaten a cow's forehead.

And now crocodile tears are flowing down

On the sad cheeks into the toothy mouth.

I touch my swollen belly with my paw,

And the memories come again

That she was such a moonhorn,

Full of fire and charm.

She walked to the water with a tired gait,

Leaning over, she drank it, cold.

Then I kissed her on her scarlet lips,

And a hungry passion floated through my heart.

Oh, why did I like you so much?

Why were you irresistible?

Why did you return the kiss to me, beauty...

Where are you now, my beloved????...

I know everything will pass, everything will be digested....

Only tears are dripping and tears are dripping...

Alexander Bystritsky

Other interesting expressions from Russian speech:

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Orphan Kazan - a very interesting expression. Orphan - understandable, but why exactly?

Like a goat's milk (to receive) - they talk about a person from whom there is no benefit,

King for a daythey talk about leaders or bosses who find themselves in power

Expression sink into oblivion familiar and understandable to everyone. It means to disappear from memory,

Name of the city-state Carthage we know from history books

Pulling chestnuts from the fire - this expression will gain complete clarity if we add to

This expression - squaring the circle, you've probably come across it somewhere. And that's what it is

Like looking into the water - an expression that is clear in meaning, but not immediately clear in meaning

The expression at the top of Ivanovo, or rather, to yell at the top of Ivanovo, is very well known

The expression or phrase and there are spots on the sun emphasizes that in the world

The expression even when an old woman suffers a hole speaks for itself. According to the dictionary

And you Brute! - an expression familiar to almost every educated person, even

Ivan, who does not remember his kinship, is a purely Russian expression rooted in our

Word candles in Russian has several meanings: first of all, these are candles for

Expression to make mountains out of molehills completely clear, does not contain any

Register Izhitsa- an expression from the category of things that have passed from our everyday life into the past. But

The crocodile is crying. Phraseologism in pictures.

The expression “crocodile tears” has a long history and a very simple explanation. When a crocodile eats its victim, it crawls out of the water and tears well up in its eyes, and the crocodile’s eyes are not covered with eyelids. The only thing that the expression does not explain is where people watched the crocodile so closely. This is the most interesting thing!

Crocodile tears expression originates in the history of theater, in the Greek city-polises. The Greek polis was a city-state. There was always a theater on its outskirts. The Greek theater was similar in shape to a modern stadium, only the raised benches were made of stone, and the field was an oval similarity to the field of a modern stadium. The “field,” as now, was divided into two parts, separated by a ditch. And the ditch was filled with water and crocodiles swam in it.

Tragedies were played in one part of the field, and comedies in the other. These genres were also invented by the ancient Greeks. The earliest comedies that have come down to us belong to Aristophanes. They were written around 425 BC. e. Aristophanes' comedies have no plot - they are just funny, incoherent scenes. On a scaffold built on the “comedy” half of the stage, people in grotesque masks and skins are jumping. All other ancient comedies looked something like this. But the comedy was performed at the end of the performance.

But at the beginning they played a tragedy. Tragedy is younger than comedy. A real tragedy required both a chorus and a plot, and it arose from a ritual sacrifice to Dionysus. And therefore, even before the appearance complex works, slaves were simply released into the second half of the “field” - against wild animals or simply against each other, which is of course cheaper. When the battle was over, the blood was washed off and the remains were thrown into the ditch. The tragedy ended like that - the crocodiles ate the remains, crawled out of the water and “cryed.” And on the second half of the stage, a comedy was being played. People laughed and took any joke seriously.

« Crying crocodiles» were well remembered by the ancient Greeks. From the Greeks phraseological unit passed to the Romans as an idiom of feigned regret over the vanquished, then found its way into books in Latin. This expression entered the Russian language when translated from the German word Krokodilstränen (“German-Latin and Russian Lexicon” by Weissmann, 1731). It is also found in many other modern languages.