кой черт

• КОЙ <КАКОЙ> ЧЕРТ highly coll, rude

[NP; these forms only]

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1. [usu. used as subj]

⇒ used to express irritation, annoyance:

- why (what, who) the devil (the hell);

- what in hell.

     ♦ ... To, что он участок свой загубил, это пострашнее всего. Да, загубил. Кой чёрт уродится, ежели уже трава выросла, а поле ещё не пахано! (Абрамов 1)...That he had ruined his own plot - that was the most terrible thing. Yes, ruined it. What the hell was going to grow if the grass was up already and the field hadn't even been plowed yet? (1a).

2. [Interj]

⇒ said with aggravation to express disagreement with or a denial of sth. stated previously (the word or phrase disagreed with or denied is usu. repeated after the idiom):

- like hell;

- what the hell are you talking about,...;

- what the hell do you mean by...

     ♦ "Ты что здесь делаешь?" - спросил дядя Кязым у Кунты. "А ты что, тоже заблудился?" - ответил Кунта вопросом на вопрос. "Кой чёрт я заблудился, - отвечал ему дядя Кязым, - я в собственном сарае..." (Искандер 4). "What are you doing here?" Uncle Kyazym asked Kunta. "Why, are you lost too?" Kunta said, answering a question with a question. "Like hell I'm lost," Uncle Kyazym replied. "I'm in my own barn..." (4a).

     ♦ "У тебя, кум, славный табак! Где ты берёшь его?" - "Кой чёрт, славный! - отвечал кум... - Старая курица не чихнёт!" (Гоголь 5). "You have splendid snuff, friend! Where do you get it?" "Splendid! What the hell do you mean by splendid?" answered the friend. ..."It wouldn't make an old hen sneeze!" (5a).