«Акустика, конечно, не ахти, но ничего, работать можно» (Войнович 4). “Of course the acoustics are nothing to rave about, but it doesn’t matter, we’ll manage” (4a).
2. [modif; foll. by Adj denoting a positive quality, quantity, or distance] not very, not especially: not particularly; not all that; not terribly (too, exactly).
Хотя роль Евдокии, жены Игната Тимофеевича, директорши сельской школы-семилетки, была не ахти какая завидная — очень уж лобовата, ревность, страдания, разговоры поучительные, — но Ляля надеялась всех поразить. (Трифонов 1). Although the role of Yevdokia, Ignat Timofeevich’s wife and the principal of the seven-year village elementary school, was not a particularly enviable one—it was terribly overdone, with all sorts of jealousy, sufferings, and didactic conversations—still, Lyalya hoped to impress everyone. (1a).
А-54 • НЕ АХТИ СКОЛЬКО кого-чего coll [AdvP; Invar; quantit compl with copula (subj/gen: any common noun) or adv (quantif); fixed WO] a relatively small amount (of sth.), relatively few (people, things etc): not very (too) much (many); anything but plentiful (numerous); not an overabundance; [with count nouns only] few and far between; only a handful.
Денег у меня сейчас не ахти сколько, так что покупку телевизора придётся отложить. I don’t have too much money at the moment, so I’ll have to put off buying a TV
[ 6 ]
Б
Б-1 • БАБА С ВОЗУ — КОБЫЛЕ ЛЕГЧЕ [saying] rather rude (said sarcastically or angrily to or in refer. to a person who does not want to participate in sth. along with others, to keep others’ company etc) we are (or I am) better off without you: = good riddance to bad rubbish!
< In both Russian and English, the saying is often reduced to include only the first half.
Б-2 • БАЗАРНАЯ БАБА; БАЗАРНАЯ (РЫНОЧНАЯ) ТОРГОВКА highly coll, rude [NP; usu. obj, subj-compl with copula, nom or instrum (subj: human), or adv (after как); variants with торговка of a woman only] a loud, abusive person: fishwife; shrew; || кричать (орать) как базарная баба = scream (shriek, shout etc) like a fishwife.
Б-3 • не знАла bAea горя, (так) купила bAba
ПОРОСЯ; НЕ БЫЛО У БАБЫ ХЛОПОТ (ЗАБОТ), (ТАК) КУПИЛА БАБА ПОРОСЯ [saying] s.o. has caused himself much anxiety, trouble, or discomfort (said when new cares or worries arise for a person because of obligations or matters he has voluntarily undertaken): = trouble comes to him who seeks it; (it’s) a trouble of his (your etc) own making; I (he etc) invited trouble for myself (himself etc).
Б-4 • ПОДБИВАТЬ/ПОДБИТЬ (ПОДСЧИТЫВАТЬ/ПОДСЧИТАТЬ) БАБКИ highly coll [VP; subj: human] to examine and summarize the net results of sth.: sum it up (and draw conclusions); sum up what one has done; [lim] sum it up and see what we’ve (you’ve etc) got; [in refer. to scoring in games] tally up the score(s).
Три дня они заседали, обсуждали, а когда пришло время подбить бабки, оказалось, что ни до чего не договорились. For three days they discussed and debated, but when it came time to sum up what they had done, it turned out they had gotten nowhere.
Б-5 • БАБУШКА ВОРОЖИТ кому obs, coll [VPsubj; usu. pres; fixed WO] 1. (s.o.) is very lucky, everything comes easy (for s.o.): X-у бабушка ворожит = X is blessed with (good) luck; luck is (always) on X’s side; X is never down on his luck.
2. (s.o.) has the advantage of having influential friends, patronage: X-у бабушка ворожит = X has friends in high places; X has a friend at court.
Б-6 • БАБУШКА (ЕЩЁ) НАДВОЕ СКАЗАЛА (ГАДАЛА) coll [VPsubj; these forms only; subj-compl with быть0 (subj: usu. a clause) or indep. sent; ещё may take the initial position, otherwise fixed WO] it is yet unknown whether the event in question will happen or not (usu. the implication is that it will not happen): that (it) remains to be seen; it’s anybody’s guess; there is no telling (just yet); that’s (it’s) an open question; I wouldn’t be so sure about that; it could go either way; we shall (we’ll) see what we shall see; we’ll (just) have to wait and see.
«Мы после обеда засядем в ералаш, и я его обыграю». — «Хе-хе-хе, посмотрим! Бабушка надвое сказала» (Тургенев 2). “We’ll have a round of whist after dinner, and I’ll clean him out.” “He! he! he! We shall see! That remains to be seen” (2b). “After dinner we’ll sit down to a game of cards and I’ll clean him out.” “Ha, ha, ha! We’ll see! I wouldn’t be so sure about that!” (2g).
Б-7 • ВОТ ТЕБЕ, БАБУШКА, И ЮРЬЕВ ДЕНЬ! [saying] used to express the speaker’s surprise, dismay, or disappointment over an unexpected occurrence which he has just discovered and which betrayed his expectations: = here’s (that’s) a fine (nice) how-d’ye do (how-do-you-do)!; this is (here’s) a fine kettle of fish!
По левую сторону городничего: Земляника.; за ним судья, сделавший движенье губами, как бы хотел посвистать или произнесть: «Вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день!» (Гоголь 4). On the left side of The Mayor stands Zemlyanika.; next to him is the Judge. making a movement with his lips as though he were going to whistle and say: “Here’s a nice how-d’ye-do!” (4c).
< The origin of this saying is commonly linked to the ban in 1580-90 on the peasants' right to move from one landlord's estate to another's. Prior to this, peasants had the right to move during the two weeks surrounding St. George's (or St. Yury's, «Юрьев») Day, the day of the patron saint of field workers (Nov. 26, Old Style).
Б-8 • РАССКАЗЫВАЙ/РАССКАЖИ ЭТО СВОЕЙ бА-БУШКЕ (КОМУ-НИБУДЬ ДРУГОМУ less often СВОЕЙ ТЁТЕ) coll [imper sent; usu. this WO (variants with бабушке and тёте)] (used to express one’s strong disbelief of s.o.‘s statement) I absolutely do not believe that: you can’t expect me to believe that; don’t give me that; get outta (out of) here! Cf. tell it (that) to the marines!
Б-9 • У БАБЫ ВОЛОС ДОЛОГ, ДА (А) УМ КОРОТОК
[saying] (used to express the condescending opinion held by some men that women lack worldly wisdom) although a woman may be attractive, she lacks sound judgment: = long of hair and short of brains.
Строже всего Семён хранил тайну от жены. Баба и есть баба — волос долог, да ум короток. Поведай, не утерпит — разнесёт по селу (Тендряков 1). Simon kept his secret carefully from his wife. A woman was a woman—long of hair and short of brains, as the saying is. In all likelihood she wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut, and would go round telling everybody in the village
(1a).
Б-10 • ПОДВОДИТЬ/ПОДВЕСТИ (какую) БАЗУ (под что) offic; in coll speech, often iron [VP; subj: human or collect] to substantiate sth. (usu. with one’s own interests in mind): X подводит [AdjP] базу (под Y) = X justifies Y on [AdjP] grounds; X produces a(n) [AdjP] explanation (to back up (to support) Y); X makes a case for Y (based on.).
Почему и зачем издан этот Указ — это мне всё равно. И нечего подводить под это научную базу и трепаться о революции (Аржак 1). I didn’t care why the Decree had been put out. And there was no point in producing scientific explanations and in jabbering about the Revolution (1a).