“Don't drink water from your face” is a figurative expression that is used in Russian to emphasize the low importance of a person's external attractiveness in a given situation, for example, for family life.
Origin of expression
The main version of the origin of this proverb is related to the fact that in the traditional Russian family it was customary to attach great importance to the process of eating or drinking. Therefore, if the dishes intended for eating or drinking cracked or received other damage, drinking or eating from it was considered a bad omen.
The emergence of the expression "Do not drink water from your face" was based on drawing an analogy between the face and the dishes, which, like other elements of material wealth, was highly valued in mostly poor Russian families. In those days, medicine was not very developed, so the common people often suffered from various diseases, including smallpox, which, after recovery, left noticeable scars on the face of a sick person. In addition, hunting and field work quite often led to facial injuries, after which marks remained.
Therefore, the expression “Do not drink water from your face” was intended to emphasize that for long-term coexistence, facial beauty, which was often interpreted simply as the absence of pronounced marks after an illness or injury, is not as important as the integrity of drinking utensils.
Using an expression
The expression in question is widely used to characterize a person's appearance. So, it was actively used by writers and other literary figures who worked at different times. The use of this expression can be found in the works of such famous Russian authors as Anton Chekhov, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak, Vasily Shukshin and others.
Another option for pronouncing this proverb is to change the ending in one of the words: in this case, it is pronounced as "Do not drink water from your face." Finally, a common version is the proverb with the changed word order: "Do not drink water from your face." The preference for this or that version of the proverb in Russia has a certain geographical reference.
To convey the meaning that it is customary to invest in this proverb, there are other expressions in the Russian language, which, however, are less widespread. So, for example, among them can be called the sayings "Do not look for beauty, but look for kindness", "Beauty to the crown, and the mind to the end." It is noteworthy that, in addition to denying the importance of external attractiveness for marriage, they emphasize the importance of other virtues.
