не первой свежести

• НЕ ПЕРВОЙ СВЕЖЕСТИ coll

[NPgen; Invar; subj-compl with copula or nonagreeing modif; fixed WO]

=====

1. [subj: a noun denoting a food product]

⇒ not as fresh as it could or should be:

- X был{{}}не первой свежести ≈ X wasn't very <particularly> fresh;

- X was going bad;

- X was starting to spoil;

- [of milk, cream etc] X had turned;

- [of bread, a cake etc] X was pretty stale.

     ♦ Не покупай это мясо: оно не первой свежести. Don't buy this meat-it's going bad.

2. [subj: a noun denoting an item of clothing, piece of linen etc]

⇒ having been worn or used since its last washing, sth. is less than totally clean:

- X был{{}}не первой свежести ≈ X was not completely <quite, very> clean (fresh);

- X had already been worn <used, slept in etc>.

     ♦ На Васе были помятые брюки и рубашка не первой свежести. Vasya had on wrinkled pants and a shirt that had already been worn.

3. [subj: анекдот, новости, информация etc]

⇒ an anecdote (joke, some news, information etc) is not the most recent:

- [of an anecdote or joke only] stale;

- (that's) an old one <a chestnut>;

- that one has been around for a while;

- [of news, information etc only] old (news);

- nothing new;

- [in limited contexts](information etc that s.o.) already knows (has known for quite a while etc).

     ♦ Анекдот, рассказанный Геннадием, оказался не первой свежести и никого не насмешил. The anecdote Gennady told was an old one and didn't make anyone laugh.

4. [subj: human]

⇒ (often of a person, more commonly a woman, who tries to appear younger than he or she actually is) one no longer is or no longer looks very young:

- not exactly in the first flush (the first blush, the prime) of youth;

- not exactly in the flower of (one's) youth;

- no youngster;

- [in limited contexts] no spring chicken.

     ♦ Несмотря на искусство гримёра, было видно, что актриса уже не первой свежести. Despite the makeup artist's skill, it was obvious that the actress wasn't exactly in the first flush of youth.