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as a mouse; X is (as) gentle (meek) as a lamb; you’d never hear a peep from (out of) X.
«И чего на него нашло такое? Никому никогда не перечил, тише воды, ниже травы был — и на тебе вдруг!» (Айтматов 1). “What’s come over him? He never crossed anyone, always quiet as a mouse, and now—look at him (1a). “What on earth’s come over him? He never crossed anybody, he was meek as a lamb—then this all of a sudden” (1b).
В-206 • ЧИСТОЙ (ЧИСТЕЙШЕЙ) ВОДЫ [NPgen; these forms only; nonagreeing modif; fixed WO] 1. special (of precious stones, mainly diamonds) of high quality, absolutely clear: of the first water; flawless.
«.Восемьдесят каратов, особенно если речь идёт о камнях чистой воды, — это очень много» (Акунин 7). “Eighty carats is still a considerable size, especially if one is dealing with stones of the first water” (7a).
2. coll [most often used with nouns referring to a negative quality] (sth. is) the most genuine, authentic (example of some object, phenomenon etc), (s.o.) embodies some trait to the highest degree possible: of the first order (water); sheer; thoroughgoing; true; par excellence; pure and simple.
[Шаманов:] Ты славная девочка, ты прелесть, но то, что ты сейчас сказала, — это ты выбрось из головы. Это чистейшей воды безумие (Вампилов 2). [Sh.:] You’re charming, you’re adorable, but what you’ve just said—you must put it out of your mind. It’s sheer madness (2a). ♦ А Александр Васильевич, между прочим, чистой воды догматик (Стругацкие 4). Incidentally, Alexander Vassilevitch is a dogmatist par excellence (4a).
В-207 • ВОЖЖА (ШЛЕЯ) ПОД ХВОСТ ПОПАЛА кому highly coll [VPsubj] s.o. behaves strangely, wildly, as if possessed by sth.: X-у вожжа под хвост попала = something got (must have got(ten)) into X; something came over X.
В-208 • опускАть/опустИть (выпускАть/вЫПУСТИТЬ и т.п.) ВОЖЖИ coll [VP; subj: human] to lessen control (over one’s subordinates or anyone under one’s control), relax discipline: X опустил вожжи = X loosened (slackened, eased up on) the reins.
Стоит нам хоть чуть-чуть ослабить вожжи — и сын начинает приносить двойки. Whenever we ease up on the reins even the slightest bit, our son starts bringing home Ds.
В-209 • прибирать/прибрать ВОЖЖИ К РУКАМ; ДЕРЖАТЬ ВОЖЖИ В РУКАХ both coll [VP; subj: human] to concentrate power or leadership in one’s hands, taking full control of sth. or some group of people: X прибрал вожжи к рукам = X seized (took) the reins of power; X took the reins of power into his hand(s).
В-210 • ДА ТОЛЬКО ВОЗ И НЫНЕ ТАМ [sent; fixed WO] (usu. in refer. to long and useless discussions that lead nowhere) sth. is not moving, progressing: but so far there has been no headway (progress); but things are still right where they started; but it (still) hasn’t gotten past the talking stage.
< From Ivan Krylov's fable "Swan, Pike and Crab" («Лебедь, Щука и Рак»), 1816.
В-211 • БЕЗ ВОЗВРАТА [PrepP; Invar; adv] 1. irreversibly, forever: irrevocably; for good; never to return; and will never return.
Я понял, что молодость прошла без возврата. I realized that my youth was gone, never to return.
2. давать, брать что ~ coll (to give sth. to s.o.) without asking him to return it, (to take, borrow sth.) without planning to return it: [in refer. to giving sth.] for good; for keeps; [in refer. to taking, borrowing sth.] never returning it (them); never intending to return it (them); with no intention of returning it (them).
Ваня завёл себе привычку брать книги у друзей без возврата. Vanya made a habit of borrowing his friends’ books and never returning them.
В-212 • ВЗЛЕТАТЬ/ВЗЛЕТЕТЬ НА ВОЗДУХ [VP; usu. pfv; fixed WO] 1. Also: ВЗЛЕТАТЬ/ВЗЛЕТЕТЬ В ВОЗДУХ [subj: concr or, less often, animal or human] to explode or be destroyed in an explosion: X взлетел на воздух = X was blown to bits (to pieces, to smithereens); X was blown up (blown sky-high); X got blown to kingdom come; thing X blew up.
Предвидя конечную гибель, она решилась умереть геройскою смертью и, собрав награбленные в казне деньги, в виду всех взлетела на воздух вместе с казначеем и бухгалтером (Салтыков-Щедрин 1). [context transl] Foreseeing ultimate ruin, she resolved to die an heroic death. Gathering up the money she had garnered from the treasury, in full view of everyone she blew herself up together with the treasurer and bookkeeper (1a).
2. [subj: abstr] (of plans, hopes, dreams) to fall through, end in nothing: X взлетел на воздух = X went up in smoke; X was blown to smithereens.
В-213 • КАК ВОЗДУХ нужен, необходим и т.п. кому [как + NP; Invar; adv (intensif)] (s.o. needs some person or thing) very much: X нужен Y- у ~ = Y needs X as much as the air Y breathes; X is as necessary to Y as the air Y breathes; Y needs X as much as air to breathe.
После падения Франции я не раз встречал людей. разлагаемых потребностью политической деятельности. Им надобна, как воздух, сцена и зрители. (Герцен 1). After the fall of France I more than once met people. who were disintegrated by the craving for public activity.. A stage and spectators are as necessary to them as the air they breathe. (1a).
В-214 • ПОРТИТЬ/ИСПОРТИТЬ ВОЗДУХ euph, highly coll [VP; subj: human] to expel foul-smelling gas through one’s anus: X испортил воздух = X let one fly; X broke wind; X cut one (the cheese).
В-215 • СОТРЯСАТЬ ВОЗДУХ iron [VP; subj: human; often used with впустую, попусту etc] to engage in excessively wordy and often trivial talk (expressing an unfounded opinion, a point of view that one cannot prove etc, or saying things that an interlocutor finds irrelevant): X впустую сотрясает воздух = X is just spouting (a lot of) hot air; X is (just) throwing words around; X is indulging in empty (idle) talk; || X любит сотрясать воздух = X likes to hear himself talk. о СОТРЯСЕНИЕ ВОЗДУХА [NP] = (a lot of) hot air; mere rhetoric (palaver); vaporous talk.
.Большинство слушали с неослабным вниманием, поскольку дипломат не из тех, кто попусту сотрясает воздух (Акунин 7). .Most of us continued listening attentively, for the diplomat is not a man to indulge in idle talk (7a).
В-216 • ХВАТАТЬ ВОЗДУХ ртом [VP; subj: human; fixed WO] to draw quick short breaths with one’s mouth open: Х хватает воздух (ртом) = X is gasping for air (at the air); X is gulping (for) air.
Верхняя часть гроба с треском отлетела в сторону, Бердичев-ский сел, хватая ртом воздух, огляделся по сторонам (Акунин
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2). The top of the coffin flew off with a resounding crack and Berdi-chevsky sat up, gulping air, and looked around (2a).