ни тпру ни ну

• НИ ТПРУ НИ НУ highly coll

[Invar; predic; fixed WO]

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1. [subj: human or collect]

⇒ one does nothing, takes no action (usu. when some action is expected):

- X ни тпру ни ну{{}}≈ X doesn't make a move;

- X doesn't do a (damn) thing;

- X won't budge.

     ♦ Разве от этих бюрократов чего-нибудь дождёшься? Обещают помочь, а сами - ни тпру ни ну. Do you really expect anything from those bureaucrats? They promise to help, but don't do a damn thing.

2. [subj: abstr or human]

⇒ some work (a person etc) makes no progress:

- X ни тпру ни ну{{}}≈ X isn't getting anywhere;

- X is going nowhere (fast);

- thing X isn't moving at all;

- [in refer, to beginning an undertaking] I <he etc> can't get thing X off the ground.

     ♦ "...Я уже пятьдесят лет бьюсь над этой проблемой и ни тпру ни ну". (Евтушенко 2). "I've been struggling with the problem for fifty years and still haven't gotten anywhere" (2a).

3. [subj: concr]

⇒ (of a machine, device, apparatus) sth. is not functioning:

- X ни тпру ни ну{{}}≈ X isn't working;

- X is on the blink <on the fritz>.