Exploring the roots of the Russian language.
The expression, which urges the interlocutor to return to the main topic of conversation, is a literal translation of the French expression revenons à nos moutons.
This phrase originates from a line in an anonymous French farce from the 15th century titled 'The Lawyer Pierre Pathelin'. In the play, there is a scene in court where a cloth merchant and a shepherd argue about stolen sheep, but then start to get personal.
With the phrase 'Let's get back to our sheep', the judge tries to steer the conversation back to a constructive path.
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