не грех

• НЕ ГРЕХ кому coll

[NP; Invar; impers predic with быть; used with pfv infin; usu. pres or subjunctive]

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⇒ it would not be inappropriate, it would be good for s.o. (to do sth.):

- X-y не грех сделать Y ≈ it wouldn't be half bad if X did Y;

- it wouldn't be a bad thing <idea> forXtodo Y;

- it wouldn't hurt X to do Y;

- [in limited contexts] there's no harm in doing Y.

     ♦ Товарищ Ростова, разговорившись о женщинах, стал смеяться Ростову, говоря, что он всех хитрее и что ему бы не грех познакомить товарищей с спасённою им хорошенькой полькой (Толстой 5). One of his [Rostov's] comrades, talking of women, began to twit Rostov, saying that he was the sliest of them all, that it would not be half bad if he introduced them to the pretty little Polish woman he had rescued (5a).

     ♦ "Им бы самим у него поучиться не грех, да за науку в ножки поклониться..." (Максимов 1). "It wouldn't be a bad idea for them to come and learn from him and bow down in gratitude to him..." (1a).

     ♦ [Хороших:] Илья! Не пил бы ты больше, а шёл бы лучше в собес или куда там... (Дергачёву). А тебе то же самое: не грех бы и остановиться, об работе подумать (Вампилов 2). [Kh.:] Ilya! You'd be better off going down to the Social Security Office, or somewheres, instead of drinking anymore. (To Dergachev.) And you too. It wouldn't hurt you to stop right there and strrt thinking about some work (2b).