закатывать глаза

• ЗАВОДИТЬ/ЗАВЕСТИ ГЛАЗА

[VP; subj: human]

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1. Also: ЗАКАТЫВАТЬ/ЗАКАТИТЬ ГЛАЗА (of a person who is sick, about to faint etc; also of a person who wants to express some strong emotion or attract another's attention when flirting) to raise one's eyes so that the pupils are under the upper eyelids: X завёл глаза ≈ [of a sick person]

⇒ X rolled up (back) his eyes; X's eyes rolled back; [when expressing a strong emotion etc] X turned up his eyes; X rolled his eyes.

     ♦ ...Истерика Катерины Ивановны кончилась обмороком, затем наступила "ужасная, страшная слабость, она легла, завела глаза и стала бредить" (Достоевский 1). ...Katerina Ivanovna's hysterics had ended in a fainting spell, then she felt "terrible, horrible weakness, she lay down, rolled up her eyes, and became delirious" (1a).

     ♦ "Вы Безухову скажите, чтоб он приезжал. Я его запишу. Что, он с женою?" - спросил он. Анна Михайловна завела глаза, и на лице её выразилась глубокая скороь... "Ах, мой друг, он очень несчастлив", - сказала она (Толстой 5). "Tell Bezukhov to come. I'll put his name down. Is his wife with him?" he asked. Anna Mikhailovna turned up her eyes and an expression of profound sorrow came over her face. "Ah, my friend, he is most unfortunate," she said (5a).

2. obs to close one's eyes and fall asleep:

- X завёл глаза{{}}≈ X shut his eyes and nodded (dropped, dozed) off.