There is an assumption that the “horse trail” in the expression appeared, due to the tradition of peasants letting their horses wallow on the ground before starting field work. In this way, a mud crust would form on their backs, which protected them from insects.
But, there is a more prosaic explanation and horses have nothing to do with it. It’s all about felt boots, which were felted starting from the toe or, as it was also called, from the ‘kone’ (‘кон’). The same name was given to the felt base for these shoes. Therefore, if a person had not yet started working on a new pair, it meant that the ‘kone’ (or ‘horse’ in Russian) had not yet been felted. Over time, a soft sign (‘конь’) was added to the word.
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
