держать нос по ветру

• ДЕРЖАТЬ НОС ПО ВЕТРУ <ПО ВЕТРУ> coll, disapprov

[VP; subj: human or collect]

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⇒ to adjust, accommodate o.s. to the circumstances by changing one's behavior, convictions etc unscrupulously:

- X держит нос по ветру{{}}≈ X follows <trims his sails to> the prevailing winds;

- X goes as the wind blows;

- X tacks with the wind.

     ♦ Толе при любом начальстве будет хорошо, он умеет держать нос по ветру. No matter who his boss is, Tolya will do fine: he knows how to trim his sails to the prevailing wind.

     ♦ Он [Вадим] удивительно умел держать нос по ветру, всегда тянулся к более сильным... (Рыбаков 2). Vadim was remarkably good at tacking with the wind, and he had always been drawn to stronger personalities (2a).