Liliputins - 187

The House of Romanov which supposed to be my castle turned out to be a house of cards ... "
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia


Liliputins. What, the heck, is this ?
http://www.stihi.ru/2012/08/18/5368




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a house of cards

an organization or a plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed The organization that looked so solid and dependable turned out to be a house of cards.
See also: card, house
Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006. Reproduced with permission.


a house of cards
an organization or a plan that is very weak and can easily be destroyed Their partners began to suspect that the company was a financial house of cards.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of house of cards (a small structure made of playing cards)
See also: card, house
Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003. Reproduced with permission.

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An Englishman's home is his castle
Meaning

The English dictum that a man's home is his refuge.

Origin

The maxim that 'An Englishman's home (or occasionally, house) is his castle' is most often cited these days in articles in the British right-wing press that bemoan the apparent undermining of the perceived principle that a man can do as he pleases in his own house, which they hold up as an ancient right. The grumbles centre about the feminist response 'what about Englishwomen?' and the public disquiet about the smacking of children, attacking of intruders etc. The proverb was used in almost all of the articles about the court case of Tony Martin in 2000. Martin was convicted by jury trial of murder, after shooting and killing a 16-year old who had broken into his house in Norfolk, UK.

Did Englishmen actually ever have a unique right to act as they pleased within the walls of their own home? Well, yes and no. Yes, in the sense that it has been a legal precept in England, since at least the 17th century, that no one may enter a home, which would typically then have been in male ownership, unless by invitation. This was established as common law by the lawyer and politician Sir Edward Coke (pronounced Cook), in The Institutes of the Laws of England, 1628:

"For a man's house is his castle, et domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium [and each man's home is his safest refuge]."

This enshrined into law the popular belief at the time, expressed in print by several authors in the late 16th century:

Henri Estienne's The Stage of Popish Toyes: conteining both tragicall and comicall partes, 1581, includes:

[The English papists owe it to the Queen that] "youre house is youre Castell."

Richard Mulcaster, the headmaster of Merchant Taylors' School in London, echoed this in his treatise on education - Positions, which are necessarie for the training up of children, 1581:

"He [the householder] is the appointer of his owne circumstance, and his house is his castle."

Judged against the standards of his time, Mulcaster was an enlightened educationalist. His charges were nevertheless terrified of him and he condoned methods in the 'castle' of his school that would result these days in a visit from Social Services. His own experience in castles wasn't that happy either - he was imprisoned for theft in 1555 in the Tower of London and probably tortured into a confession.

What was meant by 'castle' was defined in 1763 by the British Prime Minister with an admirable selection of names to choose from - William Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham, also known as Pitt the Elder:

"The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the crown. It may be frail - its roof may shake - the wind may blow through it - the storm may enter - the rain may enter - but the King of England cannot enter."

It is clear from the above that the law was established to give householders the right to prevent entry to their homes. Like the 'rule of thumb', which was popularly and mistakenly believed to be the right of a man to beat his wife, the 'Englishman's home is his castle' rule didn't establish a man's right to take actions inside the home that would be illegal outside it.

The principle was exported to the United States where, not unnaturally, the 'Englishman' was removed from the phrase. In 1800, Joel Chandler Harris's biography of Henry W. Grady, the journalist and writer on the US Constitution, included this line:

"Exalt the citizen. As the State is the unit of government he is the unit of the State. Teach him that his home is his castle, and his sovereignty rests beneath his hat."

These days, with all the news of banking collapses and mortgage foreclosures, men and women, English or American, might be glad to have somewhere to call home, even if they have to obey the law when inside it.

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The House of Romanov

The House of Romanov (Russian: Рома;нов,  was the second imperial dynasty, after the Rurik dynasty, to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on March 15, 1917, as a result of the February Revolution.

The direct male line of the Romanovs had however already ended with Peter II in 1730. After an era of dynastic crisis, the House of Holstein-Gottorp, a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg, ascended the throne in 1762 with Peter III, a grandson of Peter I. All rulers from the middle of the 18th century to the revolution of 1917 were descended from that branch. Though officially known as the House of Romanov, these descendants of the Romanov and Oldenburg Houses are sometimes referred to as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov.[2]

Emperor Nicholas II and many members of his extended family were executed by Bolsheviks in 1918 and it is believed that no member survived, ending the main line definitively. In 1924, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, the direct male-line patrilineal descendant of Alexander II of Russia, claimed the headship of the defunct Imperial House of Russia. His granddaughter, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, is the current pretender, her only child George Mikhailovich is her heir apparent.

George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death. George was a grandson of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the first cousin of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.



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for·tress noun  : a place that is protected against attack : a fortified place

Full Definition of FORTRESS
:  a fortified place :  stronghold; especially :  a large and permanent fortification sometimes including a town
— for·tress·like  adjective
 See fortress defined for English-language learners »
See fortress defined for kids »
Examples of FORTRESS
<the boys built a snow fortress and then challenged the neighborhood kids to an in-your-face snowball fight>

Origin of FORTRESS
Middle English forteresse, from Anglo-French fortelesce, forteresse, from Medieval Latin fortalitia, from Latin fortis strong
First Known Use: 14th century

Related to FORTRESS

Synonyms
bastion, castle, citadel, fastness, fortification, fort, hold, redoubt, stronghold

Related Words
battlement, breastwork, bulwark, earthwork, embattlement, parapet, rampart; bunker, dugout; blockhouse, garrison house; alcazar, casbah (also kasbah






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Английский : My Home Is My Castle      

My Home Is My Castle       

House is essential for man's life. A house serves as a shelter and a place to satisfy all our needs: we sleep, eat, hide ourselves from bad weather, store personal property, work and rest there. So we want not just a house but a home. So what is the difference between a house and a home? It is considered that the place where you live is your home whatever type of house it is. British speakers often say that your home is the place where you belong and feel comfortable, so it is more than just a house. Some people think of home in terms of where they grew up or where they lived. For them it is a place that brings back old memories or feelings. The state of a person's home can physiologically influence his or her behavior, emotions, and mental health. Some people may become homesick when they are separated from their home environment.

There are a lot of proverbs and sayings supporting the importance of home to a person: East or West, home is best; There is no place like home; My house is my fortress; Home, sweet home; Home is where the heart is; Home is home, though it be never so homely; Dry bread at home is better than roast meat abroad and many others. Such sayings exist in any language and in any culture. Houses differ from one culture to another, depending on the world outlook of a certain community, which has its roots in the religion of a nation, its traditions and historic heritage. That is why there are so many types of houses and ways of life in the world. There are certain cultures in which members lack permanent homes, such as with nomadic people.

A person's home can tell us what culture he belongs to, because consciously or unconsciously, one usually keeps to one's native traditions, though it is rather difficult to do so in the modern world, especially in the city.

An Englishman's motto is 'My home is my castle.' A house doesn't only ensure privacy or give a sense of stability and security, but it is also a status symbol. A big and expensive house means that its owner is a very successful person. There are different types of houses in Britain. For example, a terraced house is a house joined to a row of other houses. A semi-detached house is joined to another house. The British dream of living in a detached house (which means a separate building) though having a detached house is much more expensive than a semi-detached or a terraced one. A cottage is a small, usually old house, typically in a rural, or semi-rural location. A bungalow is a fairly modern house built on only one level. Most people don't like blocks of flats, because they don't suit British attitudes and don't give people enough privacy. Besides many blocks of flats are badly built and are associated with poverty and crime.

Nowadays some people prefer living in a houseboat. It is a boat designed to be used as a human dwelling. In the United Kingdom, canal narrowboats are used as homes and also as mobile, rented, holiday accommodation. Over 15,000 people live afloat in Great Britain. They are found throughout the canals, rivers and coasts; in cities, in the country and in harbours. Some cruise continuously, some are permanently moored and the others mix cruising and mooring. Many people find houseboats very attractive because they can stay in one area for a few weeks or months and than move somewhere else. It helps them feel closer to Nature and escape from everyday problems of life ashore.

While travelling many people use a travel trailer or a caravan which is towed behind a road vehicle. It is much more comfortable than a tent and it gives travellers the opportunity not to spend their money on a motel or hotel. There are travel trailers and caravans of various types. They may be little more than a tent on wheels or they may contain several rooms with furniture and equipment. Travel trailers are especially popular in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

A house can say much about its inhabitants: their way of life, tastes, financial position, etc. No matter what type of house a person has, he should feel comfortable there. As a rule one's house is associated with one's family. Living under one roof people become closer and begin to understand each other better. So we can say that a house unites and for every person his house is a small Universe, a sacred place where love, friendship, mutual understanding and mutual respect reign.