How oak & horses help Russians talk about death
In the Russian language, there are dozens of words or phrases devoted to this sensitive topic that no one wants to call by its true name. Get better acquainted with two vernacular idioms, which use names of trees and animals.
‘Дать дуба’ ('Dat duba', literally means 'give an oak')
This is quite a rude, low vernacular expression. Metaphorically, it means to become as immobile as an oak tree, ie. to straighten up. There’s also the verb 'задубеть' ('zadubet'), which also has 'oak' in its root. And this word means to become stiff, to freeze up. Many Slavic folk traditions are related to 'giving something to an oak', which is related to sacrifices.
‘Двинуть кони’ ('dvinut koni', literally means 'move horses')
Another low-vernacular expression about death. It has origins from prison jargon and slang. 'Horses' ('кони') is an euphemism for legs. So, to move them means to straighten them up like a corpse.
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