The Russian language is full of winged phrases and phraseological units, but it is far from always clear why they started to say so, where this statement came from, and what exactly it means. However, studying such phrases and their origin is extremely interesting. Here, for example, what does it mean to lay behind a collar?
The meaning of winged expression
This phrase means "drink, " "drink alcohol." So, for example, when they say about a person “he often lays behind the collar”, it means that he suffers from alcohol addiction. The meaning of the phrase is understandable, but why did they start to say that? And here is the collar, and what is being laid for it? The answer can be found in the story.
Origin of phrase
They began to lay the collar under Peter I. The fact is that during his reign, the emperor ordered the stamping on the left collarbones of shipbuilders. This was done so that the artisans did not run away to other works. Such a mark allowed them to drink a glass of vodka in a tavern absolutely free of charge. To do this, the shipbuilder just needed to unfasten the collar and show the branded patch of leather. Only the best masters were subjected to such a procedure. However, this reward or punishment is still a very big question. This theory is one of the most widespread, but there is not a single documentary evidence of its reliability.
