в кои веки

• В КОИ-ТО <B КОИ> ВЕКИ coll

[PrepP; these forms only; adv; most often used with pfv past verbs; when used with impfv or pfv fut verbs, usu. denotes a repeated action; fixed WO]

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⇒ finally, for the first time in a long period or after a long wait:

- at (long) last;

- after all this time;

- after an eternity (of waiting <of silence etc>);

- [of repeated actions] once in a blue moon;

- once in a great while.

     ♦ "...Зачем ты это сделал [загнал полицмейстера в клозет]? Ты его не любишь?" - "Давайте об этом не будем", - предложил Виктор. "Так, а о чем же мы будем?.. В кои веки случилось что-то интересное, и сразу - не будем" (Стругацкие 1). "...Why did you do it [lock the police chief in the lavatory]? Don't you like him?" "Let's not talk about it," proposed Viktor. "Then what will we talk about?...At long last something interesting happens, and right away we can't talk about it" (1a)

     ♦ ...Близилось открытое и общемосковское - в кои-то веки! - собрание советских писателей... (Свирский 1). The open, all-Moscow conference of Soviet writers was approaching after an eternity of silence (1a).

     ♦ Ефим и Наташа приехали в субботу, как раз к тому дню, когда было решено накрыть стол... В кои веки собрались все вместе... (Рыбаков 1). Yefim and Natasha arrived on a Saturday, the very day we had decided to 'have a spread'...-once in a blue moon the whole family got together... (1a).