According to one version, a ‘nose’ was the name given to the groom's offering to the bride's parents. That is, ‘nose’ is literally a noun from ‘to carry’". If they did not accept it and refused, then he was left without a wife and with nothing. According to another version, it was called... "a bribe for luck" or, more simply, a bribe. If it was not possible to bribe someone, then the unlucky corrupt official was left with “his nose” ie. nothing.
Over time, the expression acquired a broader meaning - it began to be said when someone was deceived or had a bad luck. In one of Vitaly Bianki's stories, a squirrel escapes from a fox: "And just as the squirrel ran up to the birch tree, before he could even bite the mushroom, suddenly out of nowhere from the grass - a fox appeared from the side! And at him. We gasped. But, the squirrel noticed the danger in time, turned around and, in two leaps, found himself on the birch. He instantly flew up the trunk and hid under the very top, where he curled up into a ball of fear. And the fox was ‘left with its nose’ ie. nothing." An English equivalent idiom would be: “The one left holding the bag.”
Dear readers,
Our website and social media accounts are under threat of being restricted or banned, due to the current circumstances. So, to keep up with our latest content, simply do the following:
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
Subscribe
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
