Among the rare exotic animals, perhaps,It is the Mexican jerboa that causes the most questions. What does he look like, where does he live, what does he eat, and most importantly, why is it said about the fur of this unseen beast with enthusiastic aspiration, then with frank sarcasm? Latin America in general and Mexico in particular are really full of all kinds of animals that are not found on other continents. But the search for a mysterious cone can never succeed.
According to the remaining documentary evidenceThe main advantage of this animal is an elegant soft fur, which is used to make ladies' stoles, boas, perhaps even fur coats. A person, at least a little familiar with zoology, will certainly experience legitimate astonishment. The jerboas are small mice-like rodents, is it possible to get enough skins on a fur coat? Technically it is possible, the length of the carcass of the largest jerboa reaches 26 centimeters. After all, sewn fur coats are made from the skins of squirrels or chinchillas.
On the other hand, like vole mice are notfur trapping beast, and the jerboa happily escaped the fate of sables and foxes. The legitimate question remains, why is this wonderful fur on everyone’s lips? Mexican jerboa, alas, a fictional animal, and we owe this miracle of nature to Ilf and Petrov. Their immortal work "The Twelve Chairs" gave us a huge amount of catchphrases. The expert assessment of valuable furs from the recognized maestro Ostap Bender stepped into the people.
The wife of the engineer Shchukin received from the authorsthe nickname "ogre" is not at all due to some terrible sins. Compared with the savages of the Mumbo-Yumbo tribe, whose vocabulary is about three hundred words, Ellochka managed only three dozen. Particular emphasis is placed on the "horror", "darkness", "cr-rr-rasota" and "ho-ho." It would seem, where does the Mexican jerboa?
Among the various hobbies of Ellochka leadingposition held a battle with the daughter of an American billionaire Vanderbilda. All the small salary of the spouse was put on the altar of the struggle, and it was to wipe the nose of the arrogant Vanderbilde that two chairs from the headset, which was hunted by comrade Bender, were purchased. But the luxurious wardrobe, designed to beat the pitiful silks and diamonds of an American woman, was built from a re-made jacket, dresses with dog-skin trim, and a chinchilla tippet, which was successfully “the Russian hare killed in the Tula province”. This hare chinchilla Ellochka was called the "Mexican jerboa". However, Ostap instantly made a correction by awarding the title of the Shanghai leopard to the hare, which finally defeated the impressionable Eater.
To splurge and sell cheap furfor the price of an expensive one, there is no need to be a hero of a satirical novel. In fact, this happens quite often, and the happy owner of a fur coat doesn’t know who her new dress was during her lifetime — an elite sable or a simple proletarian muskrat. Approximately the same situation with leather jackets. Modern technologies allow not only to cut a piece of glass under a diamond, but also to give out a leather substitute for the skin of a young goat. Thus, the Shanghai leopard, Mexican jerboa, “young dermatin's skin” and other unique goods appear on the counter. Cheap fur is dyed, plucked, trimmed and even curled to give it the necessary texture. Artificial fur can also suddenly be so “natural” to such an extent that it can easily be mistaken for the skin of an unknown animal.
Rampant exotics in fur ranks began in "dashingnineties, when rampant wild capitalism demanded to extract money from everything. Truly Bendery combinations allowed to give out a hat from Tuzik, situated near Moscow, in an unkind hour that fell to the skaters, for the elite skin of a Canadian wolf. If the price allowed, it was not so important what fur went on a fur coat - a Mexican jerboa or rabbit at the last gasp.
Now we can hope that the titled salons,selling furs, sell you exactly what is on the price tag, and this is really a silver mink or still less expensive animal. The breeders of the breeders have done a great service to the furriers, and the rabbit fur of the chinchilla breed is really very similar to the color and appearance of the chinchilla skin. A rabbit can fake if not everything, then almost everything: a llama, chinchilla, fox, sable. What is the arrogance of the seller. The highest risk of buying a coney is the market. A cheap natural fur coat is almost one hundred percent tushkan, because, alas, natural furs are not cheap.
Despite the fact that any ShanghaiThe (Mexican) jerboa refers to furs, this phrase quickly broke the framework and now applies to anything. Mexican, Brazilian and other jerboas are called mongrel dogs and cats, which the owners are trying to pass off as some unknown elite breed. This is a mocking title, which is assigned to anything, if the owner has the intention to give out cheap for expensive and elite. Especially if it is not very good at it.
The closest relatives of this exotic animal -"Young leatherette", from the skin of which cheap handbags, jackets, jackets and all kinds of shoes are sewn. In fact, a leather substitute can be so qualitative that it will last much longer than a genuine leather of poor dressing, but these are details - few of the buyers are so well versed in this. The result is a Mexican jerboa acquired at exorbitant prices. Photos of the purchase can be safely laid out on the Internet with the note: "Beware scammers."
If we consider the nearestrelatives of the jerboa as fur-bearing game animals, the closest will be the same popular rabbit, wild hare or more expensive squirrel. There is nothing wrong with a budget coat, rabbit fur is also soft and warm enough, but durability is less, and it should be relatively inexpensive.
Like other similar expressions, idiom proMexican jerboa can be used in literary text, colloquially. Journalists who write on topical issues of the day often use various metaphors, comparisons and phraseological features. At the same time, in business and official letters it is better to refrain from demonstrating your extensive vocabulary. In addition, despite the huge popularity of the novel “The Twelve Chairs”, not everyone knows the source and meaning of the phrase, this can lead to misunderstandings. If it is necessary to avoid ambiguity and embarrassing situations, refrain from wit.
