Г-439

ПОШЛА ПИСАТЬ ГУБЕРНИЯ (И) ПОШЛО (ПОШЛА) ПИСАТЬ coll humor VP subj. (1st var. ) or VPimpcr s (2nd var) these forms only fixed WO

things started up, some action was undertaken etc in a very intense manner, everything was set in motion (and developed rapidly)

there they go

off they go (went) things really began to take off (of arguments etc) the fireworks started.

Галопад летел во всю пропалую: почтмейстерша, капитан-исправник, дама с голубым пером... всё поднялось и понеслось... «Бона! Пошла писать губерния!» - проговорил Чичиков... (Гоголь 3). The dancing was going full tilt: the postmasters wife, the police captain, a lady with a pale blue feather... -all of them had taken off and were now rushing and swirling about. "There they go!"Chichikov muttered .. (3e).

Общий хохот покрыл его (Луки Савича) голос... Все хохочут долго, дружно... Только начнут умолкать, кто-нибудь подхватит опять - и пошло писать (Гончаров 1). His (Luka Savich's) voice was drowned in the general laughter...They all laughed and laughed in unison....When the laughter began to die down, someone would start it anew and-off they went again (1a).

Егорша потолкался с недельку в райцентре, все разнюхал, повыведал, тому зубы заговорил, этому заговорил - сел на райкомовскую легковуху. И пошла писать губерния. Куда ни заехал, куда ни заявился - первый человек (Абрамов 1). Egorsha lingered for a week or so in the district center, had a good sniff around, wormed out some information, sweet-talked this one, sweet-talked that one, and.. .became the District Committee chauffeur. Then things really began to take off. Whomever he paid a call on, wherever he appeared, he was like a VIP (1a).

The source of the first variant is Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls («Мёртвые души»), 1842.