) - unsuccessfully fight with real or unprecedented, only imaginary obstacles (a hint of Don Quixote, who fought with unprecedented enemies-giants and windmills) (Large explanatory and phraseological dictionary (1904) )
Fight with windmills(trans.) - against an imaginary enemy). (Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language (1992), N. Yu. Shvedova, "The Mill")
An expression from the novel "Don Quixote" (1605 - 1614) by the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra (1547 - 1616). There is an episode in this novel when a knight (Don Quixote) rushed with a spear to windmills, seeing giants in them.
Examples
Duncan Clark
"Alibaba. The history of the world ascent" (2016), translated by Sarychev K. M., ch. 2:
"Like a modern Don Quixote, Jack enjoys fight against windmills from retail to financial reporting, entertainment, healthcare and more"
(1829 - 1906)
"" (1871), The case of David and Nikolai Chkhotua and others (Tiflis case):
"I confess that I do not understand this alibi, and for the following reasons: I think that this evidence is not evidence, that it resembles the wheel of the windmill, with which the prosecution seriously fought, unaware that it is an inanimate object."
(1860 - 1904)
(1887), d. 1 yavl. 5:
"Darling, do not fight alone with thousands, don't fight the windmills, do not beat your forehead against the walls ... May God protect you from all kinds of rational households, unusual schools, hot speeches ... Lock yourself in your shell and do your little, God-given deed ... This is warmer, more honest and healthier .. "
(1823 - 1886)
"Profitable place" 4, 7. Zhadov:
Fighting windmills is when it is senseless and futile, trying to expect and seek justice from those and there who do not want and cannot provide it."Oh, what a bore! No, it's better ... what with fight with windmills".
This expression was coined by the famous Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra (1547-1616) and applied it in his popular novel " The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote"
"Immediately before their eyes appeared either twenty or thirty windmills, which were located on a large field. And as soon as Don Quixote saw them, he said to his good friend:
- This is a very significant event that fate gave us. Look there, my squire Sancho Panza - there are twenty, if not more, terrible giants in the distance - I intend to challenge each of them to a duel and defeat them all to a single. The trophies that we get from the bodies of these monsters will become the basis of our well-being. It will be a fair battle - to destroy this disgusting seed from the face of the earth, this feat will be pleasing to our Lord.
"And where did you find the terrible giants?" asked Sancho Panza.
- Yes, here they are, in front of us, waving their strong and big hands, - his master answered with all the gravity. “Look carefully Sancho at their hands, I think some of them reach a length of several miles.
“Yes, what are you talking about, dear sir,” his squire began to object with fervor, what you see in this field are not giants at all, but the most ordinary mills, and what seems to you their hands are their wings, which are under the action of the wind sets the millstones in motion.
Right now, you can only see an inexperienced adventurer, - Don Quixote dropped, - when you look closely, you will see giants. And if you are afraid, then give me the way and pray for me, and I alone will enter into a merciless battle with them.
With these words, and not paying any attention to the exhortations of his squire, who asked him to stop and not do stupid things, because he was going to fight not with giants, but with the most ordinary windmills. Having given his spurs to his beloved horse Rocinante, he rushed towards the giants, in whom he believed unconditionally. Driving up quite close to them, and not seeing the mills in front of him, he began to exclaim loudly:
- Stop vile and dangerous monsters! You see that only one worthy knight attacked you.
At this very moment, the previously weak breeze grew stronger and turned into a gusty wind, and noticing that the large wind wings began to spin, Don Quixote said:
- Wave your hands! If you had much more of them than the giant Briareus, then even then I would not have retreated from the glorious battle!
Exclaiming these words, he immediately asked for the protection of his mistress Dulcinea, asked him to help him endure such severe trials and, raising his shield, threw his horse into a gallop, flying up to the mill sufficient for a spear, he stuck it into the wing of the mill nearest to him, however, in this At the same time, a very strong wind blew, and the wing twitched with such force that only splinters remained from the spear, and the wing, catching both the rider and the horse, who found themselves in a very comical position, after a while threw them to the ground.
<...>
"Shut up, Sancho," said Don Quixote. - I want to note that military circumstances tend to change quickly. In addition, I believe, and not without reason, that the clever Freston, this is the man who stole the room from me along with the books, was able to turn my giants into windmills in order to take away my victory - he hates me fiercely. But sooner or later, his evil magic will not withstand the power of my knight's blade"
“... Then their eyes opened either thirty or forty windmills standing in the middle of the field, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them, he turned to his squire with these words:
Fate guides us in the best possible way. Look, friend Sancho Panza: there are thirty, if not more, monstrous giants - I intend to fight with them and kill them all to a man, the trophies that we get will be the basis of our prosperity. This is a fair war: to wipe out the bad seed from the face of the earth means to serve God faithfully.
Where do you see giants? asked Sancho Panza.
Yes, there they are, with huge hands, - answered his master. “Some of them have arms nearly two miles long.
Pardon me, señor,” objected Sancho, “what you see there are not giants at all, but windmills; what you take for their hands are wings: they whirl in the wind and set the millstones in motion.
Now you can see an inexperienced adventurer, - said Don Quixote, - these are giants. And if you are afraid, then move aside and pray, and in the meantime I will enter into a cruel and unequal battle with them ... "
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
I already wrote once how much. Therefore, after the old city of Toledo - the former capital of Spain - our route passed through a mountain of mills and Cryptian fields - those along which Don Quixote of La Mancha rode on his horse Rosinante.
From the history of windmills Don Quixote
The first mill in the province of La Mancha appeared here in the 11th century. Current windmills, or as they are also called - Cervantes mills, have existed here for over 500 years, and there were once 32 of them! True, now we have counted 12, and only three of them - Burleto, Infanto and Sardinero - belong to the 16th century, the rest - to the 20th century. Surprisingly, millstones are still working at one of the oldest mills, and flour can be obtained from the grains! The brave Don Quixote did not defeat this windmill, nor did time 🙂!
How to get to the opponents of Don Quixote - the windmills of Cervantes
Coordinates: 39 ° 45.01’’ N, -3 ° 60.74'' E Province of Castile La Mancha in Spain. Mills and nearby lock rise on a hill above the village of Consuegra and are visible from almost anywhere in the village. But along the streets, perhaps, as in a labyrinth, you will have to run around. Follow the signs on a pink background Castillo Molinos "and be sure to reach the goal 🙂 .
Windmills Consuegra on the map of Spain:
Our photo walk through the windmills of Don Quixote in the province of La Mancha in Spain
The windmills of Don Quixote won us over: they offer a magnificent view of the expanses of the province of La Mancha in Spain.
Kostya fights with windmills, portraying Don Quixote of La Mancha:
Near the windmills of Don Quixote is located lock Consuegra. But since there are a lot of similar castles in Spain, we reacted to it without much enthusiasm and did not even go inside. Even above this castle of the province of La Mancha towered crane, which also did not contribute to the desire to get into the territory of the fortress.
Now back on the road! And ahead of us are hundreds of kilometers of well-groomed fields, gardens and lands, flowering meadows and mountains, as well as the final destination for today - the city of Badajoz.
Fought the windmills of Don Quixote
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The original source of the image is the novel (1615) "Don Quixote" by the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra (1547-1616). The hero of the work, Don Quixote of La Mancha, takes the windmills for a detachment of knights and enters into battle with them with deplorable consequences for himself.
Ironically: about the struggle with imaginary, far-fetched obstacles.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of winged words and expressions. - M.: "Lokid-Press". Vadim Serov. 2003 .
See what "Fight with windmills" is in other dictionaries:
Fight windmills- Iron. It is pointless to waste time and effort in the fight against an imaginary danger. To talk about art and style, considering such books, in which there are no traces of art and style, would mean fighting with windmills (Zhukovsky. On Criticism). From… … Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language
fight windmills- Fight (fight) with windmills Fight with imaginary enemies; wasting energy aimlessly According to an episode in the novel by M. Cervantes Don Quixote (1605 1614), whose hero fought with windmills, thinking that he was fighting giants ... Dictionary of many expressions
- (inosk.) unsuccessfully struggle with real or unprecedented, only imaginary obstacles (a hint of Don Quixote, who fought with unprecedented enemies - giants and windmills) Cf. They (realized people) do not want to fight with ... ...
Fight with windmills (innok.) unsuccessfully fight with real, or unprecedented, only imaginary obstacles (a hint of Don Quixote, who fought giants and windmills with unprecedented enemies). Wed They (comprehended ...
Razg. Unapproved Fighting imaginary enemies, wasting energy aimlessly. BTS 123, 532 BMS 1998, 371; FSRYA, 241 ... Big dictionary of Russian sayings
fight windmills- disapproved. fight imaginary enemies; useless waste of energy. From the novel by the Spanish writer M. Cervantes "The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha" (1605-1615). The poor nobleman Don Quixote, having read chivalric novels, imagined himself ... ... Phraseology Handbook
fight, fight with windmills- see mill ... Dictionary of many expressions
- (an extravagant defender of outdated views, or oppressed imaginary or real) Cf. Rogozhin, who received the name of Don Quixote, was an eccentric, of whom there were few in the world even at that time, and in our stereotypical age, not a single one can be found. He… … Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary
Don Quixote (an extravagant defender of outdated views, or oppressed imaginary or real ones). Wed Rogozhin, who received the name Donquixote, was an eccentric, of which there were few in the world even at that time, but in our stereotypical age ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
Windmills in Siberia (photo by S. M. Prokudin Gorsky, 1912) A windmill is an aerodynamic mechanism that performs mechanical work due to wind energy captured by the roof ... Wikipedia
Books
- Don Quixote of La Mancha (CDmp3), Cervantes Miguel de Saavedra. The audiobook is a retelling of the greatest Renaissance novel, The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha, by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Poor noble Don...
- Don Quixote of La Mancha (MP3 audiobook), Miguel de Cervantes. The audiobook is a retelling of the greatest Renaissance novel, The Cunning Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha, by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Poor noble Don...
The source of the expression is the novel by the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra (1547-1616) " The cunning hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha».
“Then their eyes were opened either thirty or forty windmills standing in the middle of the field, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them, he turned to his squire with these words:
“Fate guides us in the best possible way. Look, friend Sancho Panza: there are thirty, if not more, monstrous giants - I intend to enter into battle with them and kill them all to a man, the trophies that we get will be the basis of our prosperity. This is a just war: to wipe out the evil seed from the face of the earth means to serve God faithfully.
Where do you see giants? asked Sancho Panza.
“Yes, there they are, with huge hands,” answered his master. “Some of them have arms nearly two miles long.
“Pardon me, señor,” objected Sancho, “what you see there are not giants at all, but windmills; what you take for their hands are wings: they whirl in the wind and set the millstones in motion.
- Now you can see an inexperienced adventurer, - said Don Quixote, - these are giants. And if you are afraid, then move aside and pray, and in the meantime I will enter into a cruel and unequal battle with them.
With the last word, not heeding the voice of Sancho, who warned him that he was not going to fight with giants, but, no doubt, with windmills, Don Quixote gave Rocinante spurs. He was absolutely sure that they were giants, and therefore, not paying attention to the cries of the squire and not seeing what was in front of him, although he was very close to the mills, he loudly exclaimed:
"Stop, you cowardly and vile creatures!" After all, only one knight attacks you.
Just then a light breeze blew, and noticing that the huge wings of the windmills were beginning to spin, Don Quixote exclaimed:
- Wave, wave your hands! If you had more of them than the giant Briareus, and then you would have to pay!
Having said this, he completely surrendered himself under the protection of his mistress Dulcinea, turned to her with a plea to help him endure such a difficult test, and, shielding himself with a shield and setting Rocinante at a gallop, plunged a spear into the wing of the nearest mill; but at that moment the wind turned the wing with such frenzied force that only splinters remained from the spear, and the wing, catching both the horse and the rider, who found himself in a very miserable position, threw Don Quixote to the ground. Sancho Panza galloped to his aid at full speed, and, approaching, made sure that his master could not move, so heavily did he fall from Rocinante.
- Oh, my God! Sancho exclaimed. “Didn't I tell your ladyship to be careful that they were only windmills? No one would confuse them, except for the one who has windmills spinning in his head.
"Be quiet, friend Sancho," said Don Quixote. — It should be noted that there is nothing more changeable than military circumstances. Moreover, I believe, and not without reason, that the wise Freston, the same one who stole my books along with the premises, turned the giants into windmills in order to deprive me of the fruits of victory - he hates me so much. But sooner or later, his evil spells will not resist the power of my sword.
