2. [used with negated verbs] not at any future time: never; not ever; nevermore; not in a million years.
В-29 • НА ВЕКИ ВЕЧНЫЕ (ВЕКОВ) elev [PrepP; these forms only; adv; fixed WO] eternally, for all time: forever (for ever) (and ever); (for)evermore (for ever more); till the end of time; for ages on end; unto ages of ages; forever and a day.
[Бакченин:] На веки вечные это будет самое святое воспоминание! (Панова 1). [B.:] It will be my most sacred memory forever and ever (1a). ♦ Так что отныне и на веки веков Сталин войдет в историю как автор многих работ. (Зиновьев 2). So, now and for ever more Stalin goes down in history as the author of many books. (2a).
В-30 • (КАК (СЛОВНО)) ПО ЩУЧЬЕМУ веленью
(-ию) coll [(как etc +) PrepP; these forms only; adv; fixed WO] in a most miraculous way, without anyone’s intercession: as if by magic; as if by some magic formula; (as though) at the wave of a (magic) wand.
Огромные мольберты с натянутыми на подрамки и загрунтованными холстами, словно по щучьему велению, выросли за одну ночь в разных углах мастерской (Лившиц 1). In the space of a single night huge easels, their canvases primed and on stretchers, grew up in various corners of the studio, as if by magic (1a).
< Part of the saying «По щучьему велению, по моему хотению». From the fairy tale about Emelya who set free the pike («щука») he had caught. The grateful pike promised that whatever Emelya wished would be granted as soon as he said «По щучьему велению, по моему хотению...».
В-31 • ДУТАЯ ВЕЛИЧИНА [NP; often subj-compl with copula, nom or instrum (subj: human)] a person whose scholarly or professional reputation is greatly exaggerated, has no factual basis: X — дутая величина = X is not what he’s cracked up to be; X’s reputation is overblown; X is a fraud.
В-32 • ИЗОБРЕТАТЬ ВЕЛОСИПЕД iron [VP; subj: human; usu. infin with зачем, не надо, не стоит etc; usu. this WO] starting from the very beginning, to duplicate sth. that already exists, is well known, effective etc: зачем изобретать велосипед? = why reinvent the wheel?
В-33 • ИДТИ/ПОЙТИ ПОД ВЕНЕЦ (К ВЕНЦУ) obs
[VP; subj: human] to marry, take a husband or wife: X пошёл под венец = X went to the altar; X went (walked) down the aisle; X wedded person Y.
[Квашня:] Не-ет, говорю, милый, с этим ты от меня — поди прочь. Я, говорю, это испытала. и теперь уж — ни за сто
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печёных раков — под венец не пойду! (Горький 3). [K:] Oh, no, my friend, says I, keep away from me with that. I went through all that before, says I, and now you won’t make me go to the altar even if you give me a hundred boiled crawfish (3b).
В-34 • ТЕРНОВЫЙ ВЕНЕЦ lit [NP; sing only] (symbol of) suffering, torment: crown of thorns.
«Сын за царя и отечество терновый венец принял.» (Шолохов 2). “Your son wore a crown of thorns for the tsar and the fatherland.” (2a).
< From the Biblical account of the crown of thorns that the soldiers put on Jesus' head before he was crucified (Matt. 27:29 et al.).
В-35 • ВЫДЕЛЫВАТЬ (ВЫПИСЫВАТЬ, ПИСАТЬ) (НОГАМИ) ВЕНЗЕЛЯ coll (КРЕНДЕЛЯ! coll, КРЕНДЕЛИ coll, МЫСЛЕТЕ obs); ВЫВОДИТЬ (ПИСАТЬ и т.п.) ВАВИЛОНЫ obs [VP; subj: human] (usu. of a drunken person) to walk with an unsteady, weaving gait: X выписывал (ногами) вензеля = X was staggering along; X was weaving (unsteadily) along.
В-36 • ОТ ВЕРБЛЮДА coll, humor [PrepP; Invar; used as indep. sent] used as a way to avoid directly answering the question: «Откуда?»—“Where (did you get that, did that come etc) from?”: aren’t we curious; wouldn’t you like to know.
В-37 • ЛЕГЧЕ ВЕРБЛЮДУ ПРОЙТИ! СКВОЗЬ (В) ИГОЛЬНОЕ УШКО (, чем (нежели).) [main clause in a compar complex sent] it would be easier to accomplish the impossible (than to accomplish the action in question which, presumably, should be possible): it is easier for a camel to pass (go) through the eye of a needle (than.).
.Легче верблюду пройти в угольное ушко, чем тюрзаку-террористу получить пропуск на члена семьи [для въезда на Колыму] (Гинзбург 2). It was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who had been imprisoned as a terrorist to obtain a permit for a relative [to come to Kolyma] (2a).
< From the Bible: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24 et al.).
В-38 • ВЕРЁВКА ПЛАЧЕТ по кому, по ком coll [VPsubj; usu. pres; fixed WO] 1. s.o. deserves strict punishment, deserves to be whipped: по X-у верёвка плачет = X is cruising for a bruising; what X needs is a good (sound) hiding (thrashing); X is asking for it.
2. Also: ПЕТЛЯ! ПЛАЧЕТ s.o. should be hanged: по X-у верёвка плачет = X deserves the gallows (to be strung up); X is asking for the noose (the hangman’s knot).
В-39 • ВИТЬ ВЕРЁВКИ из кого coll [VP; subj: human] to subject s.o. (usu. a meek or weak-willed person) to one’s will, be able to make s.o. do exactly as one wants: X из Y-а верёвки вьёт = X wraps (twists) Y (a)round X’s little finger; X walks all over Y; X has Y jumping through hoops; X bosses (pushes) Y around.
«Вот эдак кажинный [substand = каждый] раз, майор за ей [substand = ней], она — от него, не баба, а стервь, верёвки из нашего брата вьёт.» (Максимов 1). “That’s the way it happens every time. The major chases after her—she runs away from him. She’s not a woman—she’s a witch. She twists our lads round her little finger.” (1a).
В-40 • СКОЛЬКО (КАК) ВЕРЁВОЧКЕ НИ ВИТЬСЯ, А КОНЕЦ БУДЕТ; СКОЛЬКО ВЕРЁВОЧКУ (ВЕРЁВКУ) НИ ВИТЬ, А КОНЦУ БЫТЬ [saying] underhanded dealings, depraved behavior etc, no matter how long they continue, will eventually be stopped: = the pitcher goes often to the well, but is broken at last; the pitcher goes once too often to the well; [lim] it will catch up with you in the end.
«Воровал мой оголец, как ни попадя [ungrammat = всё, что попадётся]. Я тряпьё на базар таскала. Сколько верёвочке ни виться. Сгорели мы, как шведы. Он подельников выгораживал, всё на себя взял, ему на всю катушку, а мне, по моей глупости, — пять без поражения» (Максимов 3). “He stole everything he could lay his hands on, this man of mine. I used to take it all down to the market to sell. It caught up with us in the end. We went up in smoke. He wouldn’t squeal on his mates, he took all the blame, so they gave him the full treatment and I got five years without deprivation of rights for being stupid” (3a).
В-41 • ОДНОЙ ВЕРЁВОЧКОЙ (ВЕРЁВКОЙ, ЦЕПОЧКОЙ) СВЯЗАН с кем all coll [AdjP; subj-compl with быть0 (subj: human); usu. pres] (two or more people are) equally involved in sth.: X с Y- ом (X и Y) связаны одной верёвочкой = X and Y are in it together; X is (just) as mixed up in it as Y (is); X is as much a part of it as Y (is); X and Y are in cahoots (X is in cahoots with Y).