This article will address the question of what is wolf appetite. Examples of using this expression in speech will also be given.
What does wolf appetite mean?
This expression has several meanings. Like phraseologism - a stable combination of words - it can be used to describe a person (another living being) with increased appetite. This is usually said about those who eat eagerly, hastily, a lot.
But sometimes in the expression “wolf appetite” the interpretation is not at all connected with the absorption of food. A new meaning appeared as a result of the transfer of the description of the process, when the phrase means greed and gluttony during meals, on a more general level - the very being of a person. That is, the question “what is wolfish appetite” can be answered as follows: it is the gluttony, greed and greed of the person, which manifests itself in everything. Usually this phraseology is used with a negative connotation.
But, as it turns out, in medicine there is a disease with that name. The meaning and interpretation of the term “wolf appetite” in this sense is synonymous with an ailment called bulimia.
How do you work, so do you eat
It somehow happened that the wolf in humans is associated with an evil beast, always hungry, merciless and treacherous. But in fact, all predators live as intended by nature. They hunt in order to feed themselves and leave their offspring, and not for pleasure. And there is absolutely no deceit in their behavior.
The proverb “Wolf feed the feet” just indicates that the livelihood of these animals goes to work. And alas, they manage to eat them not every day. This is probably why wolves eat with great appetite. He also needs to restore the energy spent on the search for food.
A method of transferring a behavioral stereotype to a person allows the question: “What is wolf appetite?” reply: "This is the hunger of a hard-working and very hungry individual."
The desire to eat is natural to all living things
Why the wolf was chosen as the main character in the expression that describes severe hunger is not clear. After all, all living things that have been deprived of food for a long time eat greedily. It is enough to see how a kitten choked on the street chokes on food or a calf choked with milk, weaned from the mother and not able to drink milk from the bowl for a long period.
But it was the wolf that became the animal that was taken as a prototype in this phrase. Probably the reason was the fact that the wolf does not always have the opportunity to get enough. Indeed, in the natural habitat, it is quite difficult for him to find food. It is difficult to defeat large herbivores alone, but in a pack of moose or roe deer it is necessary to divide it into many. It’s hard to get enough of small animals.
Inability to eat beautifully
Sometimes the phrase is used not in relation to a hungry person, but as a description of the process of food absorption. Everyone knows that predators do not chew food. Wolves tear off or gnaw off a piece of the right size. Then they swallow it without chewing.
Those who were able to observe this picture compared the behavior of a predator during a meal with the absorption of food by some people who do not care about the impression they make on those present. Looking at someone who hastily grabs food and swallows large chunks without chewing, they say: “This is what a wolf appetite is!” The meaning of this expression in this context is a comparison of the process of a sloppy and hasty process of absorbing food almost without chewing by a person with the consumption of food by a predator who simply does not know how to do this otherwise.
The story of the Gray Wolf
Father brought a small puppy to the house in early spring. The man went to the forest for brushwood, and returned with a bag moving in his hands. But where did the puppy come from in the woods? This the children did not know.
“It's a wolf cub, ” my father explained. - His mother was shot down by hunters. His brothers and sister died of starvation, without waiting for the nurse. Only this one survived.
“He probably wants to eat, ” said the mother and put down a bowl of stew on which she chopped bread.
The wolf hesitantly stumbled to the bowl, attracted by the appetizing aroma of meat soup, sniffed carefully. And then suddenly eagerly pounced on food, champing and choking. His tail was initially pressed to his hind legs, and his back was arched warily. The wool on the nape stuck out with hedgehog needles.
- You see how he eats … It is not for nothing that they say about a starving man that he has a wolfish appetite! - grinned mother.
“They say nothing in vain, by the way, ” added the father. “Wolves are no worse than any other creature.” Evil and cruel make them be nature itself. But we will feed our Gray one far away, and bring up the home dog as it should be, and you will see that the wolf can be faithful and devoted to man. And for the future there will never be a wolf - only as much as it should be.
And so it happened. A year later, a beautiful and intelligent wolf, very similar to a German shepherd, grew out of Gray. He guarded a flock of sheep so that no one dared to approach him close. And he himself had never posed for one, even the smallest lamb. And Gray ate with feeling and dignity, as befits a pet that is fed regularly.
Here is the saying about wolf appetite! And the proverb “How many wolves do not feed, but he looks into the forest” can also be called into question after this story.
Greed is a human trait, not an animal
It is often said of an infinitely greedy individual - not necessarily with regard to food - that he has a wolfish appetite. The meaning of the expression here has a figurative meaning. Attributing an animal to gluttony and greed, people use the phrase, characterizing a person with immoderate desires in other areas of life. Phraseologism “wolf appetite” in the context with a description of a greedy person can mean a desire to have an excessively huge amount of money, jewelry, land - everything that has practical value.
In fact, in the animal world, everything is different. If you keep a wolf from birth in such conditions when he constantly has food at the same time, you will notice that the animal will not eat more than he needs. And the wolf will not pounce on food. Gluttony and greed are traits that are more human than animal.
Myths about wolves
Why, in fairy tales, the wolf is always represented by a kind of blunt beast, no one can answer for sure. In fact, this animal is very reasonable. It is extremely difficult to catch him. They easily figure out where the hunter set a trap, rarely fall into the traps.
When herding a roe deer in a herd, wolves use the talents of commanders: they are not just thoughtlessly rushing after the victim, but they are driving it to a place where they can easily cope with it. How do animals without a communication language manage to coordinate their actions? Here is another riddle.
It has long been observed that animals rarely attack for no reason. They are forced to this either by hunger, or the need to protect their territory, offspring, or a threat to their own security. And wolves kill mostly sick, old, feeble animals. No wonder they were awarded the title of "orderlies of the forest." Thanks to them, deaths from diseases are very rare among forest herbivores.
Speaking of wolf appetite, one cannot fail to mention one important feature. No matter how hungry this beast is, it will always coordinate its actions with unspoken wolf laws, which are often also higher than human ones. Although this expression is used in our language with a negative connotation, unfortunately …
But a person can kill another in order to take money or other values from him, not because of hunger. He can spend this money later on drinking, drugs, pleasures, for acquiring luxury goods for himself or his (his) beloved (chosen one).
