\"The Bastille Taken\": Idioms, Proverbs, Sayings, and Jokes About France's Main Fortress On July 14, 1789, the Parisian crowd stormed the fortress-prison of the Bastille. This event echoed throughout the world and forever changed the course of history. But along with the revolution, the Bastille gave birth to a whole layer of culture — idioms, proverbs, sayings, and countless jokes that still live on. From school anecdotes to philosophical quotes — the image of the Bastille is deeply rooted in the language, becoming a symbol not only of freedom but also of popular humor. \"Take the Bastille\": The Main Phraseologicalism of the Revolution The most famous idiomatic expression associated with the Bastille is undoubtedly \"take the Bastille.\" In its literal sense, it means the storming of the fortress on July 14, 1789, but in its figurative sense, it symbolizes the victory over oppression, the destruction of the old order, and the triumph of freedom. As historians write, \"its fall symbolized the end of the old world.\" This phrase has become a byword for any decisive action against injustice. We encounter it in various contexts in literature. For example, in one quote from Russian classics, we read: \"Well, if there is a tribune whose voice will point the way — the order of human nature, if there is a common goal — a fortress that needs to be taken, the Bastille that needs to be destroyed — The Bastille has been taken. The revolution has won.\" Here, the Bastille serves as a metaphor for any tyranny that the people must smash. The name \"Bastille\" itself (from French bastille — fortress) deserves special attention. In many languages, it has become a byword for a prison or a place of confinement. For example, in English slang, the word \"bastille\" was used as a general term for a prison, and its abbreviated form \"steel\" was a favorite expression among the lower classes. In a figurative sense, \"sitting in the Bastille\" meant being in confinement, and \"brea ... Read more