We often hear in conversations such an expression as “black sheep.” The meaning is not clear to everyone. It's about, usually about a person who is very different from others. They compare him to an albino crow. Sometimes in genetic code animals and birds fail.
As a result, the pigment that is responsible for the color of skin and hair is simply absent in the body. That is why there are absolutely white crows, horses, cows, squirrels and even elephants in the world.
White Crow, I must say, is the least common. We don’t even think that these birds may not be black or gray.
A white crow is a metaphor that denotes a person who has behavior, appearance, or a value system that is different from those around him.
A black sheep is someone who is too different from his surroundings. These may be differences in clothing, manners, outlook on life and hobbies. Sometimes society calls those who stand out strange.
There are often rumors about such people that not everything is right in their heads. Most of them are outcasts in society. Because not everyone is ready to accept those who are different from them. Not everyone is ready to accept the fact that the person next to them is independent of the rules accepted in society.
This is interesting! Sometimes the term “black sheep” is given a positive meaning. This is what they call bright and extraordinary people.
The phrase first appeared in Ancient Rome. At the end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd century, the poet Junius stated in his writings that only by chance could a slave become a king, and a prisoner achieve triumph. This happens less often than you might encounter a white crow.
Who is considered the black sheep?
Teenagers usually oppose themselves to society. They easily endure rejection from society and the absence of like-minded people. Many are afraid to stand out among their peers so as not to face ridicule.
But often the “white crows” become adults and mature individuals. They tend to have a harder time withstanding criticism from others.
It won’t be difficult to catch the bewildered glances of society and earn the nickname “black sheep.”
Here's what you need for this:
- Go against established foundations and norms.
- Show that your views are different from the views of others.
- Have an unusual appearance. Don't follow fashion trends.
- Get involved in something special.
To be considered a black sheep, it is enough to have an unusual appearance
Unfortunately, even these simple signs are enough to earn ridicule from others. But in no case should the “black sheep” strive to adapt to them, to become ordinary. Don't withdraw into yourself and become an outcast. There is no need to endure insults and contempt. Many will try to suppress the personality of such people. But you need to defend your views and be confident in yourself.
Of course, you shouldn’t go into conflict with others. The opinions of others must be taken with respect. During the communication process, you need to pay attention to their wishes and advice. Explain your point of view calmly. And it is advisable not to be offended.
Fact! Remember that your features can play into your hands. For example, tall girls can make a career as a model. People with original thinking become famous writers and screenwriters.
Useful video: where did the expression come from?
Parable of the White Crow
There is a legend about the white crow. Among ordinary crows there lived one with white plumage. The other birds often laughed at her. But the white crow was friendly and did not respond with anger to ridicule. True, she wanted to spend less time with the others. Therefore, the crow often soared high in the sky, completely alone.
The black birds didn't like it. They did not understand why the white woman did not worry about her “flawedness” and did not strive to please them. Every day they hated her more and more, envied her strength and freedom.
Crow felt it. That's why she dreamed of finding birds like her and not standing out anymore. When she flew away, the others began to regret what had happened. They remembered the good qualities of the white crow and finally admitted that they had behaved incorrectly.
From this parable we can draw the following conclusion: there is no need to worry about the behavior of your environment. Maintain your dignity and appreciate your differences.
Use of metaphor
The term "black sheep" is often used in culture.
Here are some examples:
- Valery Leontyev has a song “White Crow”. The group “Chaif” has a composition with the same name. It came out in 1987.
- The group “Nautilus Pompilius” also used phraseology in their song “Our Family”.
- About thirty years ago, the publication “Soviet Sport” published the column “White Crows Club”. It included notes for those who love sports and are adherents healthy image life.
- In 1990, a group of actors “Theater of Rains” was formed in the city of St. Petersburg. It was the crow of unusual color that began to symbolize this group. The fact is that actors consider themselves and their fans extraordinary personalities. And in our time, those who are tired of the cruelty and bitterness going on around them come to see the group’s performances.
Useful video: white crow in poetry for children
Conclusion
Now you know the origin of the phraseological unit “white crow” and its explanation. This is not an offensive expression, but a term that means a person who stands out from the rest. Interestingly, there are many other expressions with a similar meaning: “black sheep”, “ugly duckling”. In the East, another analogue is used - “white elephant”. There are plenty of regular elephants there, but white ones are considered very rare and valuable.
The world's nature is very multifaceted and mysterious, presenting humanity with many amazing mysteries, one of which is albinism. This rare phenomenon, which manifests itself in the animal world, is explained by a malfunction in the genetic code, when the pigment responsible for color is absent in the skin and hair.
This leads to the fact that the animal is born with a white color, unusual this species. In the animal environment, such an individual is called an albino, from Latin word“albus”, that is, “white”. This phenomenon occurs most often in rabbits and mice, less often in horses and cows. Cases have been recorded in squirrels, deer, and blackbirds. It is very rare to see a white tiger or elephant.
How do you like it? white toad and sturgeon? But the greatest rarity is the white crow, although all its relatives are gray or black. So it is not surprising that it was she who received the honor of immortalizing herself in the famous phraseological unit “white crow”.
The meaning of the phraseological unit “white crow”
"White in “rona” is a person who is very different from others in his outlook on life, behavior or appearance. The values, interests and goals of such a person differ greatly from the society in which he is located.
This is manifested in his extraordinary statements and actions. Such a person is considered strange and even crazy. But that's not true. He’s just concerned about completely different topics, which the vast majority are not interested in at all.
And for him this is almost the most important thing in life. But he may be indifferent to established and recognized values in society. It can also stand out due to its demeanor. He behaves quietly and modestly, does not bother anyone, may have a strange gait or constantly mutter something under his breath, is uncommunicative and taciturn.
His appearance can also set him apart from others. I don’t mean any physical defects, but self-expression in clothes, piercings, tattoos. Although in our time this hardly surprises anyone.
“You are the father of a man who fought against autocracy. You can rightfully be proud of Vasily Andreevich. - That’s right, but Vasily is among us black sheep was. And if he went against the king, then my merit is not there. “That’s how to say it,” Rogov laughed. “A bad seed does not produce a bad tribe.”
K.FSedykh (1908-1979), “Dauria”, 1948
“Are you also a collective farmer? - asked Sergei. - No, what are you talking about! — Lena raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m a guest here, unfortunately... That’s why my mother calls me black sheep».
S.P.Babaevsky (1909-20000), “Cavalier of the Golden Star”, 1947-1948.
"White Crow" - controversial personality. On the one hand, dissent, uniqueness and unusualness, and on the other, misunderstanding of others, the role of an outcast and loneliness. And yet there is something pure and vulnerable in this image.
Origin of the phraseological unit “white crow”
The first mention of the expression “white crow” occurs at the turn of the 1st and 2nd centuries by the Roman poet Decimus Junius Juvenal (circa 60 - no earlier than 128) or simply Juvenal in one of his satires:
“Fate gives kingdoms to slaves, brings triumphs to captives.
However, the lucky one is less likely to be the same white crow It happens".
Juvenal, "7th Satire".
Such a rare phenomenon as a “white crow” prompted the satirist to use such a metaphor. It can be seen that this vivid and accurate comparison sunk into the soul of the Romans, if after 20 centuries they use the expression “white crow”.
But still, the phraseological unit “white crow” has a negative character. People generally don’t really like people who are strange, different from everyone else, and stand out from the general mass of people. At the very least, they treat them with great caution and wariness.
Parable about the "white crow"
In fairness, one parable about the “white crow” should be mentioned.
From the very early childhood The “white crow” was disliked by her relatives. She did not understand why and why they hated her, they made fun of her, constantly played dirty tricks and teased her. But the bird did not respond to insults, but simply tried to be in the flock less often and communicate less. She flew high into the sky and indulged in loneliness.
Being without friends, the bird matured early. A hard life early taught the crow to overcome difficulties, which tempered her and made her resilient and strong. For this they began to envy her and hated her even more.
And then the crow’s patience ran out, and she decided to leave the flock and go in search of white crows similar to herself. The disappearance did not go unnoticed. The other birds suddenly remembered all of her good qualities, recalled with regret the insults inflicted on her.
The moral is that you should always remain yourself and be able to find friends and like-minded people.
In conclusion, I would like to say that along with the expression “white crow” there are other similar expressions based on the unusual color of the animal, which is radically different from the main color of animals of this species. These include little-known expressions in Russia and “black sheep”.
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Wherever we spend our time, at work, on vacation or at home, there are people among us huge amount ironic people and jokers. Their mentality is built in such a way as to highlight ordinary things and focus attention on them. Today we will talk about an old expression that was coined by a sarcastic person, this White Crow, you can find out the value a little lower. Our website is full of surprises and useful information, so read it, getting to know the very essence of things. I recommend visiting this resource, as we regularly post interesting news.
However, before I continue, I would like to recommend a couple of other publications on the topic of phraseological units. For example, how to understand Making a mountain out of a molehill; meaning of the expression They carry water to the offended; what does Broken Hour mean? what does rest in peace mean, etc.
So let's continue What does White Crow mean??
White Crow is a metaphor intended to denote a person who has a value system or behavior that is different from other people in that society
White Crow- this is what they say about a person who is somehow sharply different from others in his actions and thoughts
If you live in rural areas, then it is not surprising for you to see a white mouse or a white rabbit. On TV we were repeatedly shown white cows, horses, deer, and even white blackbirds. There are places in the United States where you can encounter white squirrels. In Tsarist Russia, white sturgeons were pulled out of the river more than once. Maybe you think that there is no such thing among amphibians" perversions"? You are mistaken, toads white colors, and even with red eyes like hot coals, are quite common in nature.
Some particularly inquisitive citizens will be interested in the nature of such an anomaly. However, " the box just opened", not worth mentioning here evil spirits, it’s all about a special pigment, which is practically absent in white animals. Creatures with such a deviation are usually called albinos. It is worth noting that albino crows are an extraordinary rarity.
This expression was first used by a satirist and poet Juvenal, who in one of his works expressed the idea that " A slave can become a king, a captive can escape, but such lucky people are rarer than a black crow..."
His contemporaries really liked this comparison, and subsequently began to use it everywhere. Much time has passed since then, but this expression is so " it's ingrained"in our speech, that seeing unusual person, standing out from its surroundings with strange qualities, immediately " sculpt"there's a label on it -" white crow".
At that time, thought seemed to be going in the same direction among many peoples. Since in the east a similar saying was also born - “White elephant"Among the aborigines of the Indochina peninsula, elephants with white skin and red eyes are highly valued, mainly because of their rarity.
After reading this short article, you will now be aware of White Crow meaning phraseological unit. And only you can decide whether to be offended by this innocent nickname or not.
White Crow- a special symbol, it denotes both uniqueness and originality, which is associated with alienation and rejection by others. Most citizens use the phraseology "white crow" to denote something strange and something an unusual person with behavior and conversations radically different from other people around him.Why are it so rare to find albinos in nature?
In fact, it is almost impossible to meet a "black sheep". This is an extremely rare event that occurs as a result of a strong mutation of the genes responsible for pigmentation. Since it is much easier to notice a “white crow” than the same bird with a natural color, it becomes much more vulnerable and easily detected by all kinds of predators.Therefore, the second meaning of the expression “white crow” is associated by many with such concepts as suffering, chosenness and defenselessness. The great rarity of these birds in nature began to be mentioned in many works, and the first The poet Juvenal, who lived in Ancient Rome, is considered to mention white crows. His work was published in the 1st century AD.
This is what this satirical poet wrote about “white crows”:
"A slave has a chance of becoming a king, captives will be able to gain freedom and only a black sheep will remain a black sheep"
This comparison made the whole of Rome applaud the talented poet. Similar phrases that are associated with a feature appearance and uniqueness can be found among other nations.
A similar metaphor appeared in the East - there, instead of the expression “white crow,” they use the phrase “white elephant.” Since an albino elephant is an extremely rare phenomenon, this idiom appealed to the taste of oriental people.
White elephants are considered gender divine beings and are highly revered in Indochina.
The metaphor “black sheep” in the same way became an analogue of the Russian phrase “white crow”. Since most sheep are white, the appearance of a black sheep among them is a unique phenomenon.
The main meaning of the Russian metaphor “white crow” is conveyed by the idioms of other peoples:
- in German "Ein weißer Rabe", which means the same white crow
- in French "Un moution a cinq pattes", which means a ram with five legs
- in Spanish "Mirlo blanco", which means blackbird.
Read more.
What do you call a person who is not like the majority? One of the options is “white crow”. The meaning of phraseological units will be discussed using clear examples.
Definition
Let's start with the obvious. Crows are usually black, sometimes black and gray, but never white. Albinos are generally a rare phenomenon.
Hence, the white crow (see below for the meaning of the phraseological unit) is an object that stands out strongly from the general series. This is not just a quantitative difference, but a natural internal feature of something that creates a completely different idea of \u200b\u200bthe state of affairs. Vague wording. Examples will help us clarify this.
Examples
Imagine a typical school environment. With the usual division into “hooligans” and “nerds”. Hooligans do not learn; they love to make trouble in the broadest sense of the word. Botanists, on the contrary, are diligent students, do not drink alcohol, and read books. The reader knows for sure both of them. So, the white crow (the meaning of the phraseological unit is studied with all care) is a bully, to the point of trembling in his hands book lover, and absolutely any: historical, artistic, scientific.
He is considered a man “out of this world” by fellow bullies and nerds alike. People are prone to maximalism, so you have to be a hooligan or a nerd, but until the very end, “to the bottom,” as V.V. Mayakovsky said. A person who perceives reality as a mosaic in which elements can be freely shuffled makes a strange and wonderful impression on those around him. They talk about this: “Oh! There's a white crow." The meaning of phraseological units now does not cause difficulties.
This is not a sentence
In fact, being very different from your surroundings is not so bad, because it can be so-so. But we must understand that this characteristic does not mean anything. Among hooligans, a person who reads books is a black sheep. Then, for various reasons, the company may change, and the person will find himself in an environment where it is a shame not to read, not to be interested in something, not to develop.
There is a wonderful literary analogy a person for whom the definition of “black sheep” is suitable (the meaning of the phraseological unit, there was an example with it a little earlier, but we still decided to concretize our reasoning). We are, of course, talking about Alex from Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. Main character works, without a doubt, a terrible person, but at the same time he has a developed (or innate) sense of beauty and some kind of intelligence. This is what makes him stand out from the crowd.
