А-36 • КАК В АПТЕКЕ coll, humor [как + PrepP; Invar; adv] exactly (the right amount, measure etc): precisely; to the drop (ounce, gram etc).
«Ты всё делаешь точно по рецепту?» — «А как же! Полстакана сахару, десять грамм желатина, чайная ложка ликёра. Как в аптеке». “You go exactly by the recipe?” “Of course! Half a cup of sugar, ten grams of gelatin, and one teaspoon of liqueur. to the drop.”
А-37 • БРАТЬ/ВЗЯТЬ НА АРАПА кого highly coll [VP; subj: human; often neg pfv fut, gener. 2nd pers sing не возьмёшь] to (try to) get sth. from s.o., make s.o. do as one wishes by telling him sth. deceitful (and getting him to act before he has had time to realize he is being tricked): X взял Y- а на арапа = X pulled a fast one on Y; Y was taken in by X; X hoodwinked Y; X threw dust in Y’s eyes.
Билеты на этот концерт давно распроданы, а попасть очень хочется. Решил я взять администратора на арапа: пришёл к нему, заговорил с акцентом, выдал себя за шведского журналиста — и вот они, билеты! The concert has been sold out for a long time, but I really wanted to go, so I decided to pull a fast one on the concert hall manager: I went up to him and, speaking with an accent, passed myself off as a Swedish journalist. And. here are the tickets!
А-38 • ЗАПРАВЛЯТЬ АРАПА (кому) substand [VP; subj: human; often neg imper] to lie, make things up, tell farfetched stories etc (in an attempt to dupe s.o. or make an impression): X Y-у арапа заправляет = X is trying to put one over on Y (to take Y for a ride); X is playing Y for a fool; [lim.] X is spinning Y yarns; [of lighthearted kidding] X is putting Y on; X is pulling Y’s leg.
«Ты что, лавочку здесь собрал? Рука руку моет, да? По тюрьме соскучился? Ты мне арапа не заправляй, не таких обламывали!» (Максимов 3). “So you’ve got a gang of crooks here? Honor among thieves? Can’t wait to go to prison, is that it? I’m warning you, don’t try to take me for a ride, we’ve had tougher ones than you to handle” (3a).
А-39 • НА АРАПА highly coll [PrepP; Invar; adv] (to accomplish sth.) by acting insolently, in a brash manner, in a way that defies accepted rules or expected approaches: bluff one’s way through (sth.); wing it; finagle (fast-talk) one’s way (into sth. etc).
Я не успел подготовиться к экзамену, пошёл сдавать на арапа — и, представьте, сдал! I didn’t have time to prepare for my exam, so I just winged it and, would you believe it, I passed! ♦ «На выставку пускают только по пригласительным билетам». — «Ничего, пройдём на арапа, не в первый раз». “You have to have a special invitation to get into this exhibit.” “Don’t worry, we’ll fast-talk our way in—it won’t be the first time.”
А-40 • ТАЩИТЬ/ЗАТАЩИТЬ (ПОТАЩИТЬ, ТЯНУТЬ/ ЗАТЯНУТЬ, ПОТЯНУТЬ) НА АРКАНЕ кого куда coll [VP; subj: human; usu. neg pfv fut, gener. 2nd pers sing не затащишь, neg pfv infin (used as impers predic), or impfv infin with придётся, надо etc] to force s.o. to go (to some place): X-а в место Y на аркане не затащишь (не затащить) = wild horses couldn’t drag X to place Y; try as you might (no matter what you do, however hard you try), you won’t get X to place Y; || X-а в место Y на аркане тащить нужно = X has to be dragged (you have to drag X) to place Y.
[Жарков:] [Егорьев] сказал — приду завтра, а скоро неделя этому завтра. Может, он просто не хочет. На аркане потяну, что ли (Розов 4). [Zh:] He [Yegorev] said he’d come tomorrow, and that was nearly a week ago.. Perhaps he doesn’t want to come. I can’t drag him here, can I? (4a).
А-41 • ТЯЖЁЛАЯ АРТИЛЛЕРИЯ [NP; fixed WO] 1. iron or humor a slow, sluggish person, or slow, sluggish people: a slowpoke (slowpokes); dead weight; (one who is) hard to get moving.
2. the most effective, powerful means of achieving sth. (to which one resorts when other means are exhausted): heavy artillery; big guns; [lim] one’s trump card.
.Первым делом надо было Вику прописать. Как ни облучала Вера [обаянием] начальника паспортного стола — не помогало. Письмо народной артистки Куниной тоже оказалось пустым номером. Пришлось вывести на позиции тяжёлую артиллерию в лице «очень ответственного» из номера люкс... (Грекова 3). .First of all Vika had to be registered in her [Vera’s] house.. No matter how Vera sparkled at the director of the passport bureau it didn’t help. A letter from People’s Artist Kunina also didn’t do the trick. She had to make use of heavy artillery in the form of a very important person staying in one of the luxury suites (3a).
А-42 • СДАВАТЬ/СДАТЬ В АРХИВ [VP; subj: human; often 3rd pers pl with indef. refer., infin with надо, пора, рано etc, or short-form past passive Part] 1. ~ кого to dis-
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miss s.o., regarding him as unfit for some activity (usu. of a person unfit to fulfill his responsibilities at work because of his age, lack of abilities etc): X-а сдали в архив — X was put (turned, sent) out to pasture; X was put on the shelf; X was written off as a has-been; X was sent to the glue factory; [lim] X is a back number.
В то время, когда Козлику исполнилось тридцать лет, князь ещё не совсем был сдан в архив. (Салтыков-Щедрин 2). At the time Kozelkov reached the age of thirty, the prince had not been put on the shelf altogether. (2a).
2. ~ что to stop using sth. forever because it has become outdated: X сдал Y в архив — X consigned Y to oblivion; X scrapped (shelved) Y; X put Y away for good; X relegated Y to the archives.
«Увы! — с сожалением ответил Берлиоз, — ни одно из этих доказательств ничего не стоит, и человечество давно сдало их в архив» (Булгаков 9). “Alas!” answered Berlioz regretfully, “all of these proofs are worthless, and mankind has long since consigned them to oblivion” (9c). “Alas!” Berlioz answered with regret. “None of these proofs is worth a thing, and humanity has long since scrapped them” (9a).
А-43 • (КАК (БУДТО, СЛОВНО, ТОЧНО)) АРШИН ПРОГЛОТИЛ coll, humor [(как etc +) VP; adv (variants with как etc) or predic with subj: human (all variants); past only; fixed WO] (a person who) has unnaturally straight posture (may refer to a permanent or a temporary characteristic): straight as a ramrod; ramrod-straight; stiff as a poker; (one) looks like he has a broomstick (a poker) up his butt.
«Я вот чего хотел-то: разводец бы нам организовать. Да что ты молчишь?» — как будто удивился [Дмитрий]. А она [Маруся] стоит и крикнуть не может. Ведь её — Дмитрий! Как же так?.. «Ну вот, будешь теперь стоять, как аршин проглотила.» (Суслов 1). “What I wanted was this: we should get a divorce.. Why are you so quiet?” he [Dmitry] asked, as if he were surprised.. And she [Marusia] stood there and couldn’t cry out.. It was her Dmitry! How could this be?. “So now you just stand there, stiff as a poker” (1a).