не худо бы

• НЕ ХУДО <НЕ ДУРНО, НЕ ПЛОХО> (БЫ) coll

[these forms only; impers predic with быть; usu. foll. by infin; fixed WO]

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⇒ it would not be bad, it is desirable, advisable (todo sth.):

- it's not <it wouldn't be> a bad idea (for s.o. to do sth.);

- it wouldn't be a bad thing (if s.o. did sth. <for s.o. to do sth.>);

- it would be a good idea (for s.o. to do sth.);

- it won't (wouldn't, couldn't) hurt (s.o. to do sth.;

- s.o. wouldn't do badly (by doing sth.).

     ♦ [Кочкарев:] Да ведь ты сейчас объявил, что хочешь [жениться]. [Подколесин:] Я говорил только, что не худо бы (Гоголь 1). [К.:] But you just now said that you wanted to [get marned]. [P:] I only said that it wouldn't be a bad idea (1a).

     ♦ "...Псарня чудная, вряд людям вашим житьё такое ж, как вашим собакам". Один из псарей обиделся. "Мы на своё житье, - сказал он, - благодаря бога и барина не жалуемся, а что правда, то правда, иному и дворянину не худо бы променять усадьбу на любую здешнюю конурку" (Пушкин 1).

     ♦ ... The kennels are marvellous...but I don't imagine your servants live as well as your dogs." One of the grooms took offence at this remark. "Thanks to God and our master, we have no complaints about how we live," he said, "but it's only true to say that some noblemen wouldn't do badly by exchanging their estate for any one of our kennels here" (1b).