по пути

• ПО ДОРОГЕ; ПО ПУТИ

[PrepP; these forms only]

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1. [adv]

⇒ while one or s.o. is going some place, during a trip:

- along the way;

- on the way;

- en route;

- as one is walking (riding, driving);

- [in limited contexts] on the voyage (somewhere).

     ♦ По дороге он мне рассказывал о роскоши правительственных охот, куда он допускался в качестве опытного егеря... (Искандер 4). Along the way he told me about the splendor of government hunts, to which he was admitted as an expert huntsman (4a).

     ♦ ...Вдруг звонок в дверь. Иду открывать, мысленно по дороге чертыхаясь: кого еще там нелёгкая на ночь глядя принесла? (Войнович 1). ...All of a sudden the doorbell rang. I went to the door, cursing on the way: Who the hell could it be at this time of night? (1a).

     ♦ По пути [домой Николай] отправлял ей [своей невесте] письма с лоцманами (Солженицын 1). On the voyage home he [Nikolai] sent her [his fiancee] letters by pilot boats (1a).

2. по пути зайти, заехать, заглянуть куда, к кому [adv]

⇒ (to stop by somewhere, stop in to see s.o. etc) while going somewhere else:

- on the (one's) way (to...);

- while on one's way;

- while (when) passing by.

     ♦ ...Прежде, чем к князю, по дороге надо было заехать к Ивиным (Толстой 2). ...On the way to the Prince's I had to call in at the Ivins (2b).

3. [subj-compl with copula (subj: concr) or sent adv]

⇒ (located) at some point along s.o.'s (planned, intended) route or in the general direction s.o. is going:

- (right) on s.o.'s way (route);

- (right) on the way;

|| Neg не по пути{{}}≈ out of s.o.'s (the) way.

     ♦ Ты не занесёшь мой костюм в химчистку, если тебе по дороге? Could you take my suit to the cleaners if it's on your way?

     ♦ "У меня очень покойная коляска... я могу вас подвезти, а Евгений Васильич может взять ваш тарантас..." - "Да помилуйте, вам совсем не по дороге, и до меня далеко". - "Это ничего, ничего..." (Тургенев 2). "I have a very comfortable carriage. ...I can take you, and Yevgeny Vasilich can have your tarantass... " "But of course not, it is quite out of your way, and it is a long distance to my home." "It's nothing, nothing..." (2f)

4. по пути кому (с кем) [compl of copula, impers]

⇒ (s.o. is going) in the same direction as someone else:

- X-y и V-y (X-y с Y-ом) было по дороге{{}}≈ X was going the same way as Y;

- X and Y were going the same way;

- X was going Y's way;

- X was going (X's route took him) in the same direction as Y;

|| Neg X-у с Y-ом было не по пути{{}}≈ X and Y were going in different directions;

- our (your, their) paths parted (diverged).

     ♦ "...Меня поманил шофер захудалой машины, сказал так добродушно - ну вот, нам по пути, садись, подвезу..." (Иоффе 1). "...The driver of a car, a rather shabby car, beckoned to me and said, there now, we are going the same way - get in and I'll give you a lift" (1a).

     ♦ Обратно, из школы, Толе было по пути с заключёнными... (Аксенов 6). On the way back from school, Tolya's route took him in the same direction as the prisoners.. (6a).

5. по пути кому с кем [compl of copula, impers; in the affirm, the var. по пути is more common; more often neg]

⇒ having common interests, outlooks, sharing the same convictions etc:

- X-у с Y-ом по пути{{}}≈ X goes along with Y;

- X and Y think alike;

- X's aims (views etc) are the same as Y's;

|| Neg X-у с Y-ом (больше) не по пути{{}}≈ X and Y have come to a parting of the ways.

     ♦ Большой делец, он [Эфрос] откровенно соблазнял Мандельштама устройством материальных дел, если он согласится на создание литературной группы, - "вы нам нужны"... Мандельштам отказался наотрез. Каждому в отдельности он сказал, почему ему с ним не по пути... (Мандельштам 2). A great operator, he [Efros] frankly tried to tempt M[andelstam] with the prospect of being able to do well for himself if he would agree to the creation of a literary group ("We need you")... M[andelstam] refused outright. He told those present-each in turn - why he could not go along with them... (2a).

     ♦ "Вы, я вижу, бескорыстно любите деньги. Скажите, какая сумма вам нравится?" - "Пять тысяч", - быстро ответил Балаганов. "В месяц?" - "В год". - "Тогда мне с вами не по пути. Мне нужно пятьсот тысяч". (Ильф и Петров 2). "You, I see, love money. Tell me, how much would you like?" "Five thousand," Balaganov promptly replied. "A month?" "A year." "Then we don't think alike. I need five hundred thousand" (2a).

     ♦ "Смертельно жаль Потебню и его товарищей, - говорил я Бакунину, - и тем больше, что вряд по дороге ли им с поляками..." (Герцен 3). "I am mortally sorry for Potebnya and his comrades," I said to Bakunin, "and the more so that I doubt whether their aims are the same as those of the Poles" (3a).

     ♦ Нам не по пути с Юркой. Странно, правда? А ведь так бывает (Михайловская 1). Yuri and I came to a parting of the ways. Strange, isn't it? But it happens (1a).