2. ~ чем humor to produce sth. (often a literary work) after lengthy preparation, effort: X разрешился от бремени Y- ом = X (finally (recently etc)) brought forth Y; (in the end (at long last etc)) X came out with Y.
Б-224 • ПРОБИТЬ БРЕШЬ в чём [VP; subj: abstr; usu. this WO] to do damage, harm to sth.: X пробил брешь в Y- е = X put a dent in Y; X dealt a (serious) blow to Y.
Покупку швейной машины придётся отложить: это пробило бы большую брешь в нашем бюджете. We’ll have to put off buying a sewing machine—that would really put a dent in our budget.
Б-225 • ОСТРЫЙ КАК БРИТВА (язык) [AdjP; modif] (s.o. is) sarcastic, caustic, resourceful in a conversation, quick and clever with words: у Х-а язык острый как бритва = X has a tongue like a razor; X has a razorlike tongue (wit); X has a razor-sharp tongue (wit); X is tart-tongued (sharp-tongued).
.«Агент реакции» оказался вовсе не страшен. Во-первых, он выказал полнейшее отсутствие всякого обскурантизма и совершенно свободно говорил о новой литературе... Изрядное впечатление произвёл и острый как бритва язык гостя (Акунин 6). The “agent of reaction” proved not to be frightening at all. In the first place, he demonstrated a total absence of any obscurantism whatever and spoke quite freely about the latest literature. The guest also produced quite an impression with his razor-sharp tongue (6a).
Б-226 • НЕ В БРОВЬ, А (ПРЯМО) В ГЛАЗ попадать,
бить и т.п. coll [PrepP; these forms only; adv or subj-compl with copula (subj: слова, замечание etc); fixed WO] (to say sth.) aptly, addressing what is most essential; (some criticism, observation etc is) apt, exactly right: hit the nail on the head; hit the bull’s-eye (bull’s eye); hit the mark; (be) right on target (on the mark).
Б-227 • (И) БРОВЬЮ (ГЛАЗОМ, УХОМ, НОСОМ УСОМ) НЕ ВЕДЁТ/НЕ ПОВЁЛ; (И) БРОВЬЮ НЕ ШЕВЕЛЬНУЛ all coll [VP; subj: human; more often pfv past; usu. this WO] one does not outwardly react to sth., does not display his emotions toward sth. said or done in his presence: X и бровью не повёл = X didn’t bat (blink) an eye (an eyelid); X didn’t (so much as) turn a hair; X didn’t raise an eyebrow; [lim] X didn’t (even) seem to hear; X didn’t show a flicker of interest.
«Борода-то у вас настоящая?» — спросила Таня. «Можете дёрнуть», — улыбнулся Востоков. Она с удовольствием дёрнула. Востоков даже и глазом не повёл (Аксёнов 7). “Is your beard real?” “You may pull it, if you like,” Vostokov said, smiling. She gave it a good, stiff tug. Vostokov did not blink an eye (7a).
[ 30 ]
Б-228 • (СТОИТ) ТОЛЬКО БРОВЬЮ (УСОМ) ПОВЕСТИ! (ШЕВЕЛЬНУТЬ) (кому) coll [VP, impers, pres or past (var. with стоит); infin only, impers predic (var. without стоит); a clause in a compound sent or the main clause in a complex sent (foll. by a как- or чтобы-clause)] a hint or indication from s.o. is sufficient (to get another to do sth.): X-у стоит только бровью повести = all X has to do is (X need only) drop a hint (say the word, give the signal); [lim] X just has to snap his fingers.
Б-229 • НЕ ЗНАЯ (НЕ СПРОСЯСЬ) БРОДУ НЕ СУЙСЯ В ВОДУ [saying] do not attempt sth. unfamiliar to you unprepared (said when a person fails at some undertaking because of his lack of knowledge of it; also said as a warning against acting hastily, rashly): = look before you leap.
.[Полицмейстер] мне заметил: «.Я бы ему, дураку, вздул бы спину, — не суйся, мол, в воду, не спросясь броду, — да и отпустил бы его восвояси, — все бы и были довольны.» (Герцен 1). .He [the politsmeyster] observed: “.I would have given the fool a good drubbing—to teach him to look before he leaps— and would have sent him home. Everyone would have been satisfied.” (1a).
Б-230 • ХОТЬ БРОСЬ substand [Invar; predic with subj: human, animal, concr, or abstr] (a person or thing is) useless: good for nothing; no good (at all); of no value (at all); worthless.
Пятьдесят пять лет ходил он на белом свете с уверенностью, что всё, что он ни делает, иначе и лучше сделано быть не может. И вдруг теперь в две недели Анисья доказала ему, что он — хоть брось. (Гончаров 1). He had lived in the world for fifty-five years in the conviction that nothing he did could be done better or differently, but it took Anisya only two weeks to show him that he was good for nothing. (1b).
Б-231 • ПИТЬ/ВЫШИТЬ (НА) БРУДЕРШАФТ (НА ТЫ
obs) (с кем) [VP; subj: human; if there is no obj, subj: pl] to drink a special ritual toast indicating that camaraderie, a sort of brotherhood, has developed between two (or occas. more) individuals (the participants clink and drink their glasses, kiss, and begin to address each other using the familiar «ты» and/or by their first names): X с Y- ом (X и Y) выпили на брудершафт = X and Y drank Bruderschaft (brotherhood, fraternity).
Когда подали шампанское, все поздравили меня, и я выпил через руку «на ты» с Дубковым и Дмитрием и поцеловался с ними (Толстой 2). When the champagne was served everyone congratulated me and I drank Bruderschaft [sic], with linked arms, with Dubkov and Dmitri, and embraced them (2b).
< Брудершафт is a borrowing from the German Bruder-schaft.
Б-232 • ПОЛЗАТЬ НА БРЮХЕ (перед кем) highly coll, derog [VP; subj: human] to be servile to, fawn before, s.o.: X ползает на брюхе перед Y- ом = X crawls on his belly (before (to) Y); X grovels (before Y); X kowtows (bows and scrapes) (to Y).
Бретейль вспомнил [фон Шаумберга] и поморщился. Да, эти [немцы] чувствуют, что они победили. Они опьянели от победы. Зачем говорить с таким человеком о сотрудничестве? Его не сумели поставить на колени. Теперь он заставит нас ползать на брюхе (Эренбург 4). Breteuil remembered von Schaumberg and frowned.. Yes; these Germans realized they were the conquerors. They were drunk with victory.. What was the use of talking to such a man about collaboration? He had not been brought to his knees before and now he was forcing the French to crawl on their bellies (4a).
Б-233 • ВСЕ ТАМ БУДЕМ [saying] everybody will die eventually: = we all have to go sometime; no one lives forever; [lim] all men are mortal.
Посреди Старопанской площади. велись оживлённые разговоры, вызванные известием о тяжёлой болезни Клавдии Ивановны. Общее мнение собравшихся горожан сводилось к тому, что «все там будем». (Ильф и Петров 1). In the middle of the square. an animated conversation was in progress following the news of Claudia Ivanovna’s stroke. The general opinion of the assembled citizens could have been summed up as “We all have to go sometime”. (1a).
Б-234 • ВИДНО БУДЕТ [VP; impers; Invar; usu. a clause in a compound sent preceded by another clause; often after а там, а дальше etc] it will become clear in time, as matters progress, how one or s.o. should act or what some outcome will be: (I will (we can, you should etc) do sth. and) see what happens; we shall (we’ll, I’ll) see; [lim] we’ll (let’s, I’ll etc) see what’s to be done; we (you etc) can sort things out later.