< «Аршин» is an old Russian measure of length (0.71 meter). The term also refers to a stick or ruler of that length (formerly used by merchants, tailors etc).
А-44 • МЕРИТЬ (МЕРЯТЬ) (кого-что) НА какой АРШИН (какмм АРШИНОМ, НА какую МЕР(К)У, какой МЕР(К)ОЙ) often disapprov [VP; subj: human] to evaluate s.o. or sth. by certain (as specified by the modifier) criteria: X мерит Y-а [AdjP] аршином — X measures (judges) Y by a [AdjP] yardstick; X judges (measures) Y by [AdjP] standards; || X мерит Y- а не на тот аршин — X measures Y by the wrong yardstick; X judges (measures) Y by the wrong standards.
«.Народ другой стал с революции, как, скажи, заново народился! А они [генералы] всё старым аршином меряют» (Шолохов 5). “The people are different since the revolution, it’s like they’d been born again! But these generals, they still measure everything by the old yardstick” (5a). ♦ «.Подобных ему людей не приходится мерить обыкновенным аршином.» (Тургенев 2). “People like him can’t be judged by ordinary standards” (2e).
< See А-43.
А-45 • МЕРИТЬ (МЕРЯТЬ) на один АРШИН (ОДНИМ АРШИНОМ, НА ОДНУ МЕР(К)У одной МЕР(К)ОЙ) кого-что [VP; subj: human; obj: pl, often всех, всё; often infin with нельзя, не надо etc; the verb may take the final position, otherwise fixed WO] to evaluate dif-
ferent people, things, phenomena by the same criteria, without taking into account their individual properties or qualities: X мерит Y-ов на один аршин — X measures Ys by the same yardstick; X judges (measures) Ys by the same standards.
< See А-43.
А-46 • МЕРИТЬ (МЕРЯТЬ) на свой АРШИН (СВО-ИмаршИном, на свою мЕрку своей мЕрКОЙ, ПО СЕБЕ;) кого-что often disapprov [VP; subj: human; obj: often всех, всё; often infin with нельзя, не надо etc; the verb may take the final position, otherwise fixed WO] to evalute s.o. or sth. one-sidedly, subjectively, applying solely one’s own criteria: X мерит Y- а на свой аршин — X measures Y by X’s own yardstick (measure); X judges (measures) Y by X’s own standards; [lim] X measures another man’s foot by X’s own last.
«.Как всё переменилось! Пушкин, всю жизнь издевавшийся над рогами — и вдруг поборник женской чести и верности.» — .«Всё это так, но мы всё время забываем, что тогда было всё другое, другое всё тогда было. Вы меряете на свой аршин» (Битов 2). “.How everything changed! Pushkin, who all his life had mocked at horns—and suddenly he’s the champion of his wife’s honor and fidelity.”. “That’s all true, but we keep forgetting that things were different then, everything was different. You’re measuring by your own yardstick” (2a).
< See А-43.
А-47 • ВИДЕТЬ НА ТРИ АРШИНА (НА ДВА АРШИНА, НА АРШИН) В ЗЕМЛЮ (ПОД ЗЕМЛЁЙ, ПОД ЗЕМЛЮ) obs, coll [VP; subj: human; the verb may take the final position, otherwise fixed WO] to be very observant, perceptive, astute: X на три аршина в землю видит — X never misses (doesn’t miss) a trick (a thing); X is nobody’s fool; you can’t put one over on X; there are no flies on X.
< See А-43.
А-48 • НАКАЛЯТЬ/НАКАЛИТЬ АТМОСФЕРУ (где)
[VP; subj: human or abstr] to cause a situation to become tense, make people agitated: X накалил атмосферу — X generated tension; || атмосфера накалена — the atmosphere has become very heated.
А-49 • РАЗРЯДИТЬ АТМОСФЕРУ [VP; subj: human or abstr; often infin with надо, нужно etc or in a чтобы-clause] to alleviate the strain or anxiety in a situation, make people calmer, more relaxed: X разрядил атмосферу — X eased (reduced) the tension (in the air); X diffused the situation; X cooled things off (down); [lim] things simmered down.
А-50 • КАК АУКНЕТСЯ, ТАК И ОТКЛИКНЕТСЯ [saying] you will be treated the same way as you treat others (often said when justifying the behavior of a person who repays unkindness or ill will with the same): = as you sow, so shall you reap; you reap what you sow; one ill (good) turn deserves another; what goes around comes around; as the call, so the echo.
А-51 • АХИ И (ДА) ОХИ; ОХИ И (ДА) АХИ all coll [NP; pl only; subj or obj] words used to express lamentation, regret, or delight, surprise etc: [lamentation, regret etc] oh mes and oh mys; ohs and ahs; moans (sighs) and groans;
[ 5 ]
[delight, surprise etc] oohs and ahs; gasps of delight and astonishment.
«И матери моей хорошо: день её до того напичкан всякими занятиями, ахами да охами, что ей и опомниться некогда.» (Тургенев 2). “.Mother, too, is happy: her day is crammed with so many occupations, and so many oh’s and ah’s that she hasn’t time to stop and think.” (2a).
А-52 • НЕ АХТИ КАК coll [AdvP; Invar; fixed WO] 1. Also: НЕ АХТИ coll [adv or impers predic] not very well; (it is) not very good, pleasant etc: not particularly (terribly, too) well (good); not all that well (good).
[Лёва:] В доме у вас не ахти. [Альберт:] Я это чувствую. [Лёва:] Молодец! [Альберт:] Но мне хочется, чтобы было хорошо (Розов 4). [L.:] Things are not too good at home just now, are they? [A.:] That’s what I feel. [L.:] Good lad! [A.:] But I want them to be good (4a).
2. [adv; foll. by Adv or short-form Adj or Part denoting a positive quality, quantity, or distance] not very, not especially: not particularly; not all that; not terribly (too, exactly).
.Пока он [Гладышев] в горнице накачивал и разжигал примус, гость его остался в передней. Чонкин ещё не успел как следует рассмотреть всё, что было в этой комнате, как яичница была готова, и Гладышев позвал его к столу. Здесь было тоже не ахти как убрано, но всё же почище, чем в передней. (Войнович 2). While Gladishev pumped and kindled the primus, his guest remained in the front room.. Chonkin had still not managed to have a proper look at everything in the room when the omelet was ready and Gladishev summoned him to the table. The back room too was not particularly tidy, but at least it was a bit cleaner than the front room (2a).
А-53 • НЕ АХТИ КАКОЙ coll [AdjP; fixed WO] 1. Also: НЕ АХТИ coll [modif (when foll. by NP) or subj-compl
with copula, var. with какой—nom or instrum (subj: any common noun); var. не ахти is used as subj-compl only] not especially good, rather poor: not so great (hot); not the best (the greatest, the most brilliant etc) (of.); not much of a.; nothing to rave (to brag, to write home) about.