historical origins of drinking gesture

[Robert A. Rothstein]

Jules Levin wrote:
>
> Is it really the case that people don't know that
> the finger-neck routine is a simple icon representing the expression 
> "zalit' za galstuk"--one of a jillion
> synonyms for taking a drink, and if I remember correctly is a 
> translation from some language like German?
According to "Russkaia frazeologiia: Istoriko-etimologicheskii slovar'," 
compiled by A. K. Birikh, V. M. Mokienko and A. I. Stepanova (Moscow, 
2005) the expression zakladyvat'/zolozhit' (propuskat'/propustit', 
zalivat'/zalit') za galstuk is an internationalism with such parallels 
as French "s'en jeter un coup (un verre) and German "einen hinter die 
Binde giessen." However the dictionary also cites an earlier opinion by 
Mokienko that "oborot iavliaetsia sobstvenno russkim, that it dates from 
the first half of the 19th century and that P. A. Viazemskii attributed 
it to a "gvardeiskii ofitser" named Raevskii.

Bob Rothstein

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