If a person is asked to do something that he does not want or cannot physically do, to the question: “When will everything happen?” - he can answer: "When the cancer on the mountain whistles." Today we will analyze the meaning of expression.
Careful analysis of the image of cancer
When a person uses “cancer”, “mountain” and “whistle” in one sentence, he thus expresses his attitude to a certain event, which, in his opinion, is unlikely - this is usually said when they want to smooth the corners. In fact, the likelihood that the cancer will climb a mountain, put a claw in its mouth and whistle at the full power of the lungs is not that small, such a possibility is not even theoretically possible. In other words, if you ask anyone: “When will the cancer on the mountain whistle?” - the answer will be: “Never!” And this is closest to the meaning of the saying or phraseology. Cancer will not be able to whistle for three reasons:
- He has no lungs.
- He does not have fingers to make a whistle loud, disturbing the minds, hearts and ears.
- Due to the anatomical features, the cancer will not climb the mountain.
And if someone asks in all seriousness: “And when will the cancer on the mountain whistle?” - they will look at him perplexed.
Zoological data say: some types of crayfish can make sounds similar to whistles, but such an action occurs, as a rule, in water, and animals use their claws for these purposes. In a stable expression, cancer complicates the task to impossibility. Yes, and besides, it’s not about some special kind of crayfish, but about river. It is clear that the latter cannot do any such tricks, and in general a creature is simple, if not primitive, without special signs of creative or extraordinary nature.
Key of expression and example
In a decent society - at a social event - a person cannot use the expression "when the cancer on the mountain whistles", it is too crude and vernacular. But the situation changes when two friends talk about football, and one asks the other:
- When will Russia beat Brazil 5-0?
- Phraseologism "cancer on the mountain whistles" you know? That's when the arthropod whistles at the full power of its lungs, which it does not have, then wait for the victory of our national team over Brazil.
There was even such a joke: in order for Russia to become the world champion in football, Brazilians need to become the world champion in hockey. Since then, the alignment of forces in world football has changed somewhat, now the Germans and Spaniards set the tone, but the joke is still relevant.
Synonym
It would seem that the whistling of cancer and rain are phenomena that have varying degrees of probability. Whistling of an animal is impossible in principle, and rain is likely on any day of the week. But the expression about cancer, which we are closely considering, and the phraseology “after the rain on Thursday” are synonyms.
If we don’t know exactly where the expression about cancer came from, then with rain on Thursday there is certainty. It is known that the Slavs were not always Christians, before faith in God they worshiped a host of gods. Thursday was the day of Perun. Prayers were sent to the supreme god of the ancient Slavs, so that he would give the earth rain. It is easy to understand that God, since he is very busy, did not hear people too often. Paganism has become a relic and history, and the proverb remains to signify unfulfilled hopes. Such is the story of phraseologism "after a rain on Thursday."
