не дремать

• НЕ ДРЕМАТЬ{{}}

[VP; subj: human, collect, or animal; usu. past or pres]

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⇒ to be vigilant, watchful, ready to act:

- X не дремлет{{}}≈ X is wide-awake;

- X keeps his eyes open;

- X is not asleep;

- X is on the alert <the lookout, his guard>;

- X is not to be caught napping.

     ♦ В то время, когда Ираида беспечно торжествовала победу, неустрашимый штаб-офицер не дремал и, руководясь пословицей: "Выбивай клин клином", научил некоторую авантюристку, Клемантинку де Бурбон, предъявить права свои (Салтыков-Щедрин 1). While Iraidka was unconcernedly celebrating her victory, the intrepid staff-officer was not asleep. Guided by the proverb "One nail drives out another," he found an adventuress, a certain Clementinka de Bourbon, and put her up to presenting a claim (1a).

     ♦ Прошёл слух, что я выступал у курчатовцев, и стали приходить мне многие приглашения... И в этих учреждениях всё как будто было устроено, разрешено директорами, повешены объявления, напечатаны и розданы пригласительные билеты, - но не тут-то было! Не дремали и там [в КГБ] (Солженицын 2). The news that I had appeared at the Kurchatov Institute got around, and invitations began to arrive in large numbers. ... These institutions seemed to have everything arranged - directors had given their permission, notices had been put up, invitation cards were printed and distributed-but it was not to be! They [the KGB] were not to be caught napping (2a).