ищи ветра в поле

• ИЩИ <ДОГОНЯЙ> ВЕТРА В ПОЛЕ; ИЩИ-СВИЩИ (ВЕТРА В ПОЛЕ; ИЩИ ДА СВИЩИ all coll

[Imper sent; these forms only; often after теперь, тогда etc; fixed WO]

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⇒ (usu. in refer, to people) it is no use searching, you will not be able to find s.o. or sth. (said when s.o. or sth. has disappeared completely and is impossible to locate):

- you can (go) whistle for him (her etc);

- you'll never find (see) him (it etc) again;

- he (it etc) is gone with the wind.

     ♦ [Хороших:] А теперь где те геологи? [Дергачов:] Ищи-свищи (Вампилов 2). [Kh.:] And where are them geologists now? [D.:] You can go whistle for them (2b).