В-274 • ВОР У ВОРА ДУБИНКУ УКРАЛ [saying] a swindler cheated another swindler: = one thief robs another.
В-275 • НЕ ПОЙМАН — НЕ ВОР [saying] a person should not be considered guilty of a wrongdoing if he is not caught at the scene of the crime (said when there is no irrefutable evidence of s.o.‘s guilt; sometimes said with regret when s.o.‘s obvious guilt cannot be proven): = innocent until proven guilty; a thief isn’t a thief unless you catch him in the act; a thief isn’t a thief till he’s caught (in the act) (till he’s caught red-handed).
«А откуда вам известно про его штуки?» — «Говорили в институте.» — «Чего ж вы ему тогда холку не намылили?» — «Не пойман — не вор» (Семёнов 1). “How do you come to know so much about his tricks?” “They were talked about at the Institute.. ” “Why didn’t you settle his hash at that time?” “You’re not a thief till you’re caught” (1a).
В-276 • НА ВОРЕ ШАПКА ГОРИТ [saying] a person who is guilty of sth. cannot hide his guilt (said when a person unwittingly shows himself to be guilty through his behavior or words in a case when he otherwise would not have been suspect): = that’s his (her) guilty conscience speaking.
В-277 • СТРЕЛЯНЫЙ (СТАРЫШ) ВОРОБЕЙ; СТРЕ-ЛЯНАЯ ПТИЦА all coll [NP; usu. sing; often subj-compl with copula (subj: human); fixed WO] an experienced, worldly-wise person who is not easily fooled: wise old bird; old hand; no novice; (one) has seen a thing or two in one’s time; [lim] (one) wasn’t born yesterday; seasoned (as one is).
Конечно, Исидор Маркович прав — он опытнейший врач, старый воробей, его приглашают на консультации в другие города. (Трифонов 4). Isidor Markovich was right, of course—he’s an experienced surgeon, an old hand, they invite him for consultations in other cities. (4a).
< From the saying «Старого воробья на мякине не проведёшь». See В-278.
В-278 • СТАРОГО ВОРОБЬЯ! НА МЯКИНЕ НЕ ПРОВЕДЁШЬ [saying] you cannot outwit or deceive an experienced, worldly-wise person (said in praise of o.s. or another person who, thanks to his experience, is able to see through s.o.‘s sly intentions or deception): = he (she etc) is too old a bird to be caught with chaff; you can’t catch old birds with chaff; an old fox isn’t easily snared.
< «Мякина» is the husks and stalks separated in the winnowing and threshing of grain and certain other crops.
В-279 • ВОРОН ВОРОНУ ГЛАЗ НЕ ВЫ1КЛЮЕТ [saying] people who share common—usu. mercenary—interests act together and do not betray one another: = a crow doesn’t peck out the eye of another crow.
В-280 • ВОРОН (ГАЛОК, МУХ) СЧИТАТЬ; ВОРОН (МУХ) ЛОВИТЬ all coll, disapprov [VP; subj: human] 1. [often pres (in questions), neg imper, or infin with хватит, нечего etc] to look around aimlessly, absent-mindedly, getting distracted from what one is doing: X ворон считает =
X stands (sits etc) gaping; X stands (sits etc) there just looking (around); || Neg Imper ворон не считай = [in limited contexts; with verbs of motion] look (watch) where you’re going.
«Чего ворон-то считаете? — закричала Анна и замахала рукой. — Не видите, кто приехал?» (Абрамов 1). “Are you going to stand there just looking?” Anna waved her arms. “Don’t you see who’s come?” (1b).
2. to spend time aimlessly, lazily, be idle: X ворон считает = X loafs (around); X twiddles (sits around twiddling) his thumbs; X does absolutely nothing; X sits on his hands; X goofs off.
Прекрати ворон считать! Сейчас же садись за уроки! Quit goofing off! Sit down and do your homework right now!
3. to be inactive (in a situation when some action is required or expected): X ворон считает = X (stands back (by) and) does nothing; X sits on his hands; X takes no action.
Вопрос о том, какому отделу отдать освободившееся помещение, ещё не решён, но если вы будете ворон считать, то ваш отдел его точно не получит. It has yet to be decided which department will get the offices that have been vacated, but if you don’t take action yours certainly won’t.
В-281 • КУДА ВОРОН КОСТЕЙ НЕ ЗАНОСИЛ (выслать, загнать кого, попасть и т.п.) coll [subord clause (usu. after туда); fixed WO] (to exile, send s.o.) very far away, to a most remote place: to the back of beyond; to the middle of nowhere; to the land of no return.
В-282 • ЧЁРНЫЙ ВОРОН (ВОРОНОК); ЧЁРНАЯ МА-РУСЯ all coll [NP; fixed WO] a police wagon for transporting prisoners: Black Maria.
Я думал, что на улице меня ждёт «чёрный ворон», куда меня втащат, заламывая руки. Но никакого «ворона» не было, и мой провожатый предложил мне пройти пешком (Войнович 1). I expected there to be a Black Maria outside, that my arm would be twisted as I was thrown inside. But there was no police van waiting, and my escort suggested that we go on foot (1a).
В-283 • БЕЛАЯ ВОРОНА coll [NP; sing only; usu. subj-compl with copula, nom or instrum (subj: human) or obj-compl with считать, называть etc (obj: human); fixed WO] a person who is vastly different from those around him, unlike all the rest: X был (казался) белой вороной = X was the odd man (one) out; X was (seemed to be) out of place (among (in).); X stood (stuck) out like a sore thumb.
Среди советских писателей он [Эренбург] был и оставался белой вороной. С ним единственным я поддерживала отношения все годы (Мандельштам 2). He [Ehrenburg] was always the odd man out among the Soviet writers, and the only one I maintained relations with all through the years (2a). ♦ .Все обрадовались, прочтя фамилию Лозинского в списке первых писателей, награждённых орденами. В этом списке он был белой вороной. (Мандельштам 1). .Everybody was pleased to see Lozinski’s name in the list of the first writers ever to receive Soviet decorations. He was quite out of place in this company. (1a).
В-284 • ВОРОНА В ПАВЛИНЬИХ ПЕРЬЯХ derog [NP; usu. sing; often subj-compl with copula, nom or instrum (subj: human); fixed WO] a person who tries in vain to appear better or more important than he is in reality: jay (jackdaw) in peacock’s feathers (plumes).
< (?) Loan translation of the French "Le Geai pare des plumes du paon" (title of La Fontaine's fable). It came into
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widespread usage through Ivan Krylov’s fable “The Crow” («Ворона»), 1825.
В-285 • ПУТАНАЯ ВОРОНА (Й) КУСТА БОЙТСЯ [saying] a person who has been frightened by sth. or has suffered because of sth. becomes extremely wary and begins to fear even those things which are not dangerous: = once bitten (burned etc) twice shy.
Подозрительная дружба Фомина с Капариным не осталась незамеченной. Несколько коммунистов из батальона устроили за ними слежку, сообщили о своих подозрениях начальнику политбюро Дончека Артемьеву. «Пуганая ворона куста боится, — смеясь, сказал Артемьев. — Капарин этот — трус, да разве он на что-либо решится? За Фоминым будем смотреть . только едва ли и Фомин отважится на выступление» (Шолохов 5). The suspicious friendship between Fomin and Kaparin did not pass unnoticed. Some of the Communists in the battalion started keeping a watch on them and reported their suspicions to Artemyev, head of the political Bureau of the Don Emergency Commission.. “Once frightened twice shy,” Artemyev said, laughing. “That Kaparin is a coward. D’you think he’d ever dare to start anything? We’ll watch Fomin. but I shouldn’t think even Fomin would risk any action” (5a).