положить глаз

• ПОЛОЖИТЬ ГЛАЗ на кого highly coll

[VP; subj: human (more often male)]

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⇒ to become actively interested in s.o., pay special attention to s.o. (often in refer, to one's being physically attracted to s.o. and desiring an intimate relationship with him or her):

- X (давно) положил глаз на Y-a ≈ X took notice (note) of Y (quite a while ago);

- X has been keeping an eye on Y (for quite a while);

- [in refer, to one's being physically attracted to s.o.] X has had his eye on Y (for quite a while);

- X took a fancy to Y (quite a while ago);

- X has had a yen for Y (for quite a while).

     ♦ А Иосиф вернулся из армии в семнадцатом, и вот рядом красивая молодая солдатка без мужа, Иосиф, естественно, положил на неё глаз... (Рыбаков 1). Now, Yosif came back from the army in 1917, and there, living right next door, was a soldier's pretty young wife, minus a husband. Naturally, Yosif had his eye on her (1a).

     ♦ "Всё бы ничего, да один обехэсник [from ОБХС - Отдел борьбы с хищениями и спекуляцией] на меня глаз положил" (Максимов 3). "Everything would have been all right if this cop from the embezzlement and illegal trading department hadn't taken a fancy to me" (3a).