на носу

• НА НОСУ coll

[PrepP; Invar; subj-compl with быть (subj: usu. abstr)]

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⇒ sth. will happen (ensue etc) in the immediate future, very soon:

- X на носу{{}}≈ X is just (right) around the corner;

- X is close (near) at hand;

- X is almost here;

- X is (almost) on top of us (upon us);

- X is coming (up);

- it's almost (time for) X.

     ♦ "Нам надо, чтобы кузница сейчас дымила. Посевная на носу..." (Абрамов 1). "We need the smithy smoking away right now. The crop-sowing campaign is just around the corner" (1a).

     ♦ "Праздник на носу, жена велела продуктов купить" (Войнович 5). "The holiday's almost here and my wife wants me to do some shopping for her" (5a).

     ♦ [Лопахин:] И вишневый сад и землю необходимо отдать в аренду под дачи, сделать это теперь же, поскорее, - аукцион на носу! (Чехов 2). [L.:] The cherry orchard and the rest of the land must be leased out for summer cottages. You must act at once, without delay, the auction's almost on top of us (2c).

     ♦ [Сильва:] Да-да, надо ехать. У нас ведь там эта... сессия на носу (Вампилов 4). [S :] Yes-yes, we have to leave. We've got those uh.. exams coming up (4b).

     ♦ Незадолго до ареста, услыхав, что О. М[андельштам] ведет вольные разговоры с какими-то посторонними людьми, я напомнила: "Май на носу - ты бы поосторожнее!" (Мандельштам 1). Not long before his arrest, hearing M[andelstam] talk rather carelessly with some people we did not know, I said to him: "You'd better watch out - it's almost May!" (1a)