The book examines the history and etymology of many Russian figurative expressions in a lively and accessible form: pechki-lavochki, zamorit chervyachka, vse ivanovskaya, na slo svobodno, etc. Particular attention is paid to linguistic riddles that require special commentary: to go home, brains on one side, tyutelka v tyutelka, on all fours, etc. When interpreting words and expressions, the...