Today, idioms, idioms, or winged words are often used in our speech. Sometimes we use them without hesitation, without understanding their meaning and without looking into the history of these expressions.
For example, there is such a catch phrase - “Open secret”, which is used quite often. But few people know exactly what it means.
In order to understand this, you must first determine who is open. Most researchers are inclined to believe that this is a national theater hero-doll, something akin to our Russian Petrushka. He is the same joker, mocker and badass, only hunchbacked and pot-bellied.
Like Petrushka, the open sign, speaking because of its screen, shouts out to the people things that are known to everyone and everyone. But for various reasons they try not to talk about them aloud. This is the very “open secret" known to all.
Speaking of the “pedigree” of the puppet hero, it is worth noting that he did not come from Petrushka, but, most likely, from the Italian Pulcinello. Actually, both the Czech Kashparek and the English Punch, to some extent, are also “relatives” to Polisinel.
Since ancient times, the main and characteristic feature of this jester was considered his excessive talkativeness. Moreover, he loves secrets, but does not know how to keep them. Péciniel immediately tells everyone everything, warning at the same time that one should not tell anyone about such secrets. As a result, the secret very soon becomes known to everyone. That is, the “Open Secret” is a well-known truth that someone is trying to present as a discovery.
Another feature of this French puppet folk hero is frivolity, buffoonery. According to the scenes of scenes with openings, he deliberately exposes himself to be a fool, pursuing a particular goal. However, the definitions of "buffoon" and "ridicule" and stuck with him.
And when, in France, after the Thermidorian coup, young people appeared on the streets who followed an inconceivable, ridiculous fashion, they immediately stuck to the word “open door, ” that is, ridiculous, clownish, who made himself a laughing stock. And what else to call guys with huge hairs on their heads, reminiscent of dog ears, and in shortened readings?
Nevertheless, the hunchbacked satirist, joking and grimacing, was doing his main thing: he, as if in a shout, shouted to the people about the lawlessness happening around. And today his name is not forgotten. Everybody knows the secret of Open Door, they talk about him everywhere, but he is, as it were, unknown to anyone.
For example, the existence of a “white” and “black” salary in Russia. Is this a secret to anyone? No, of course, but no one is going to hold leaders accountable for these frauds. Moreover, when accepting documents for calculating a pension, specialists take into account only documented figures, pretending that they don’t know this General Secret (salaries in envelopes).
Or such an interesting fact as renting a house. Everyone knows that the owners rent apartments without registration, do not pay taxes, but they take three skins from tenants. What is not an open secret?
The meaning of an expression that has come down to our times from the distant past is to report long-known facts. But the second hidden meaning of the phrase is to skillfully pretend that this hackneyed truth is heard for the first time.
