2. [foll. by AdvP, short-form Adj, or Part denoting a positive quality, quantity, or distance] not very, not particularly: not any too.; not all that.; not especially.
Она его и раньше-то, своего собственного сына, не бог весть как хорошо знала, а теперь, через год разлуки? (Залыгин 1). Even before he went away she didn’t know him any too well, her own son, so what might this year of absence have done? (1a).
Б-124 • НЕ БОГ ВЕСТЬ (ЗНАЕТ) КАКОЙ coll [AdjP; fixed WO] 1. [modif (when foll. by NP) or subj-compl with copula (subj: any common noun)] not especially good, mediocre, not in any way speciaclass="underline" not all that good (great etc); not too (terribly, particularly) good (great etc); not much of a [NP]; nothing to brag (write home) about.
Конечно, не Бог весть какая комната могла получиться из бывшего чулана, но да разве в хоромах дело? (Максимов 3). You couldn’t make much of a home out of an old storeroom, true enough, but who wanted a mansion? (3a).
2. [modif; foll. by AdjP denoting a positive quality, quantity, or distance] not very, not particularly: not all that. ; not too (terribly, especially).; none too.
.Она внезапно догадалась, что Никандров её не любит. Он её не преследовал, не ухаживал за ней. относился как ко всем вокруг относится. Ну, а когда она бросилась к нему, почему бы ему и не подобрать кусочек, если даже он и не бог весть какой лакомый? (Залыгин 1). [context transl] .She suddenly realized that Nikandrov did not love her.. He hadn’t pursued her, hadn’t paid court to her. he’d behaved towards her exactly as he behaved towards everybody else. But since she’d forced herself upon him why shouldn’t he help himself, even if the morsel offered wasn’t the choicest? (1a).
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Б-125 • НЕ БОГ ВЕСТЬ (ЗНАЕТ) СКОЛЬКО (кого-чего) coll [AdvP; these forms only; usu. quantit compl with copula (subj/gen: human, concr, or abstr); fixed WO] relatively little, relatively few: not very (too) much (many); anything but plentiful (numerous); not an overabundance; [with count nouns only] few and far between; only a handful.
Б-126 • НЕ БОГ ВЕСТЬ ЧТО coll [NP; obj or subj-compl with copula (subj: concr or abstr); fixed WO] (sth. that is) nothing out of the ordinary, not very important or worthwhile: nothing special; nothing to brag (write home) about; no great shakes; no big deal.
«Муниципалитет составил петицию в департамент здравоохранения, господин Росшепер подпишется, вы, я надеюсь, тоже, но это не Бог весть что. Гласность нужна!» (Стругацкие 1). “The city council put together a petition to the Department of Health. Mr. Rosheper will sign it, and you, I hope, will also sign it but that’s no big deal. What I need is real publicity” (1a).
Б-127 • НЕ ДАЙ (НЕ ПРИВЕДИ) БОГ (БОЖЕ, ГОСПОДИ); НЕ ПРИВЕДИ ГОСПОДЬ all coll [these forms only; fixed WO] 1. [indep. clause, sent adv (parenth), or pre-dic (with subj: usu. infin)] (used to express concern that sth. disagreeable may happen, a warning to s.o. not to do sth., or the undesirability, inadmissibility of sth.) it would be bad, unfortunate if.: God (heaven) forbid; (may) God preserve (save) s.o. (from sth.); God (heaven) help s.o. (if.); [lim.] (avoid sth.) at all costs.
«А если бы сбились с пути, да до утра, не приведи господи, закоченели бы как ледышки» (Айтматов 1). “What if you’d been lost right through until morning, God forbid? You’d have frozen solid, like icicles” (1b).
2. [usu. predic (with subj: any common noun), indep. clause, or adv (intensif) ] (a person or thing is) extremely bad, awful etc, (some undesirable quality is) very strongly manifested, (some undesirable action is carried out) with extreme intensity: goodness (God), how [AdjP] one (sth.) is; one got (sth. is etc) incredibly [AdjP]; (s.o. (sth.)) like I hope never to see (hear etc) again; God (may the Lord) save us (you etc) from such a [NP] (from a [NP] like that); God (may the Lord) spare you (me etc) a [NP] like that; [lim] I wouldn’t wish him (her, that etc) on my worst enemy; [as a response to a question or a rejoinder to an exclamation] God, yes!; and how!; [lim.] a God-awful [NP].
«Когда я был ещё подпоручиком, раз, знаете, мы подгуляли между собою, а ночью сделалась тревога; вот мы и вышли перед фрунт навеселе, да уж и досталось нам, как Алексей Петрович узнал: не дай господи, как он рассердился!» (Лермонтов 1). “When I was still a second lieutenant we all got a little high one time, and during the night there was an alarm; so we came out lit up in front of the soldiers, and did we get it from Aleksey Petrovich when he found out: goodness, how furious he was!” (1a).
Б-128 • НЕ ПРИВЕДИ БОГ (ГОСПОДИ) СКОЛЬКО
coll [AdvP; these forms only; quantit compl with copula (subj/gen: any common noun); fixed WO] a lot: more. than you (one) can shake a stick at; scads (oodles, loads) of.
Б-129 • ПОМИЛУЙ БОГ! old-fash [Interj; Invar; fixed WO] (used to express the speaker’s strong disagreement with or objection to some suggestion, idea, or question—usu. one voiced by the interlocutor) absolutely not, I am appalled that
such a thing has been suggested, asked: (good) heavens, no!; goodness, no!; how could you even say (think) such a thing!; [lim] for God’s (goodness’, heaven’s) sake (, of course not)!; not on your life!
Б-130 • (САМ) БОГ ВЕЛИТ/ВЕЛЕЛ (кому) coll; И БОГ ВЕЛИТ/ВЕЛЕЛ obs, coll [VPsubj; past or pres; usu. used with infin; fixed WO] 1. it is proper, normal (for s.o. to do sth.): X-у сам бог велел сделать Y = it’s only natural for X to do Y; it’s in the order of things for X to do Y; it’s only fitting that X do Y; [lim] who wouldn’t do Y?
«Странно, как хорошо я всё это помню. — Он обнаружил, что у него побелели щёки и кончик носа. — Вот таким я и был тогда, на такого орать сам Бог велел» (Стругацкие 1). “It’s strange how well I remember it all.” He discovered that his cheeks and the tip of his nose had turned pale. “That’s the way I looked then—who wouldn’t go after a guy who looked like that?” (1a).
2. (s.o.) must (do sth.): X-у и бог велел сделать Y = it’s X’s (sacred) duty to do Y; it would be wrong for X not to do Y.
«Подойди, подойди, любезный! Я и отцу-то твоему правду одна говорила, когда он в случае был, а тебе-то и бог велит» (Толстой 4). “Come on, come closer, my dear! I used to be the only one to tell that father of yours the truth in the days when he was a court favorite, and now it’s my sacred duty to do the same for you”
(4a).
Б-131 • СКОЛЬКО БОГ НА ДУШУ ПОЛОЖИТ coll [AdvP; Invar; usu. adv (quantif); fixed WO] however much or many one desires, an arbitrary amount (may express the speaker’s opinion that the quantity in question is somehow inappropriate): as much as one likes (pleases, feels like, wants); however much one likes (would like etc)).