"Dashing trouble is the beginning" - one of the common sayings of the Russian language. A native speaker will understand the whole background of what is happening, while a foreigner will see in this proverb only a set of words.
Knowledge of sayings and their appropriate use not only decorates speech, but also refers to the origins of the language and to the history of our own people.
What is "dashing trouble"
If the word "trouble" is understandable even to a small child, then the word "dashing" and, moreover, the combination "dashing trouble" requires clarification.
"Dashing" in this context is a short form from the adjective "dashing". According to V. Dahl's dictionary, the word "dashing" has several meanings, moreover, diametrically opposite ones. Dashing - valiant, grasping, lively, agile, dandy, daring, uchory, brave and decisive, and on the other hand - evil, spiteful, vengeful, crafty.
The proverbs of the Russian people, in addition to generalizing practical experience, also express mood. "Dashing trouble" is found not only in the expression under study. It's dashing trouble to wrap up the overcoat, and then he went; dashing trouble to acquire a caftan, but a shirt can be sewn at home; dashing trouble to acquire bread, but with bread you can live as a pan; it’s hard to die, and they will be buried there - a comparison of the use of phraseological units in all these expressions allows us to conclude about a comic-dismissive attitude to the problem posed in the second part of the phrase.
You don't need to have a linguistic flair to trace the connection between the expression "dashing" and "dashing". "Zalyvatsky" - dashing, perky, daring. In the context of the persistent expression "dashing trouble", one can see the shade of a dashing attitude to the problem - a typically Russian character trait.
The origin and meaning of the expression "dashing trouble is the beginning"
The expression "dashing trouble is the beginning" shows the dependence of the meaning on the semantic stress. Academician Likhachev ascribes the origin of the phraseological unit to Peter I in the form of the statement “It’s hard for the first deer to rush into the fire, the rest will all be there”. In this context, "dashing trouble" is used in its direct meaning "terrible trouble", which is analogous to the less expressive expression "the claw is stuck - the whole bird is lost." Here the semantic emphasis falls on the word "trouble" and on its definition - "dashing". Indeed, it will be a disaster if you do not consider the beginning of action. The consequences of an ill-considered act can be dire.
But if you compare the expression with similar phraseological units in other languages, then the emotional color changes. In Latin - Omne initium difficile - it is always difficult to start. In Slavic languages - Croatian počeo je pola učinjeno, Bulgarian “zapochna e half svrshena”, Serbian “pocheo јe ambassador's sex” - an approximate translation of all expressions - “started - half done”. And also in the Ukrainian "dear initiative" - "the beginning is more expensive."
That is, if we compare all the phraseological units of the Slavic languages, it is clear that the beginning of the case is given a decisive role in achieving a common goal. In the Russian equivalent, all three words carry the same semantic load and are most often pronounced with a tongue twister, like a kind of spell. But the original meaning is that the main thing in any undertaking is to decide on it. And the key phraseological unit "dashing trouble" is a characteristic of a purely Russian approach to solving any problems. The saying means that starting any business is difficult, and then it will be easier.
