Proverbs and sayings have long become an integral part of the culture of speech. And often we use folk aphorisms automatically, without thinking about their meaning and origin or not knowing at all that the phrase used is a proverb. One of the most popular winged phrases is the phrase "small spool, yes expensive." The meaning of this saying, although it lies on the surface, is not clear to the younger generation. We will try to figure out where this folk wisdom came from and what it makes sense.
What used to be called spool?
To understand the meaning of winged expression, first you need to deal with the unfamiliar word "spool". This is archaism, an obsolete word. It came from the "goldman" - a gold coin that was used in Kievan Rus and later.
In addition to coins, this word is also called a technical device in steam engines, but the proverb appeared much earlier than such devices were invented, so the word "spool" is understood as a monetary unit.
The origin of winged expression
The weight of the spool (or zlatnik) was 4.2 grams, and it was often used as a measure of weight. Over time, a small weight was widely used, equal in weight to this gold coin and inheriting its name. That is why, over time, the word "spool" began to mean a unit of measure and was actively used by pharmacists, jewelers and culinary specialists until the 20th century (in 1917, Russia was introduced and began to be used as the main international system of units, or SI).
Such a weight was used to find out the amount of pure silver, precious stones or gold coins, and since even a small golden stone was of great value, over time this folk wisdom appeared.
“Small spool, yes dear”: meaning of expression
This winged expression is used in a wide variety of situations, mainly to characterize not only a person, but also some object. The meaning of the proverb “small spool, yes dear” indicates the exceptional features and qualities of someone or anything that has an ordinary appearance. And it is precisely for these qualities that a person or object is appreciated.
By the way, like many other popular expressions, this popular aphorism also has a continuation. One of the options is considered "great Fedor, but a fool, a small spool, but expensive." The meaning of this proverb is as follows: despite his youth or small stature, a person has many advantages.
And in the book of V.I. Dahl, which contains a large number of Russian proverbs and sayings, several versions of the famous aphorism are indicated at once:
- "The spool is small, yes the gold weighs, the camel is great, and they carry water." Obviously, in this version of the famous proverb we are talking about the measure of weight and value of the subject.
- "Small is the spool, but dear. The stump is great, but the hollow." And here it is the generally accepted meaning that is implied: even a plain or small-looking object can turn out to be very expensive and have high value.
- "Small is the spool, but weighty. And the spool is small, but dear." This expression is about money. Indeed, on a small by weight spool in Russia, one could purchase many different goods.
