Author-developed usage of phraseological unity / free phrase as intertextual technique

Statement of the problem. The collection of phraseological units makes up a noticeable part of the lexicon. Phraseologisms, due to their expressiveness, are often used to give texts a greater expressive effect. A special place belongs to phraseological unity, capable of acting both as stable and as free phrases. Literature review. The use of such potentials as the basis of pictorial technique was considered by many linguists: V.V. Vinogradov, N.M. Shansky, A.I. Fedorov, D.N. Shmelev et al. The purpose of this article is a multifaceted analysis of the use of phraseological unit “to pull somebody’s leg” in fiction and journalistic texts of a number of Russian writers. Research results. On the example of the use of phraseological unity “to pull somebody’s leg” in a number of works, it is established that these phenomena are of an intertextual nature. It is advisable to consider specific phenomena related to this issue in a somewhat broader manner and in different aspects. Such an approach reveals not only a certain mutual similarity, but also the purely individual techniques of the original author, as well as the role of specific episodes in the explication of the probable intentions of the entire work as a whole. Conclusions. As a result of the study, there is noted the variability of the likely author’s intentions, the immanent pictorial potential of the phrase “to pull somebody’s leg”.