какой-никакой

• КАКОЙ-НИКАКОЙ substand

[AdjP; modif]

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⇒ perhaps (a person, thing, phenomenon is) not adequate, not very good, but at least he or it is there, available etc:

- какой-никакой X ≈ a bad <poor etc> X perhaps, but an X all the same;

- bad <poor etc> as X is, still he <it etc> is an X;

- bad <poor etc> as he <it etc> is, he <it etc> is an X all the same;

- not much of an X, but an X (all the same);

- (at least) some sort of an X.

     ♦ Первый весенний день. Как-то не верится: и солнышко припекает, и слегка закапало. Какая-никакая худенькая весна показалась (Терц 3). The first spring day. It's hard to credit: the sun is quite hot and a few drops of melted snow fall pitapat from the roof. Still a poor and feeble thing perhaps, but spring all the same (3a).

     ♦ "А хоронить будете по-православному иль по-гражданскому?" - "По-граждански". - "Тогда дороже". - "Это почему же?" - "Как сказать... От православного какой-никакой доход: глядишь, за крестиком накажут посмотреть, чтобы не слямзили..." (Федин 1). "D'you want a Christian burial or a civil one?" "A civil one." "Then its dearer." "Why is that?" "How shall I put it... From a Christian one you get some sort of profit: maybe they'll tell you to watch the cross, so's no one swipes it..." (1a).