Г-442

НИ ГУГУ coll Invar

1. ( usu. predic with subj: human or collect

usu. used in present or past contexts because of the absence of a verb in Russian, the tense of the verb in the English equivalent must be determined by the context) one keeps silent, does not say anything

X ни ryry = (past context) X didn't say ( breathe) a word

X didn't make ( utter, let out) a (one) peep X kept mum there wasn't ( s.o. didn't hear) a peep (a sound, a word) from (out of) X.

...Они здесь только покурить: дыма табачного в рот наберут, ни гугу (Ерофеев 3). ...They just went out there for a smoke, took a drag or two of tobacco smoke into their lungs, and never made a peep (3a).

...(Местная газета «Большевистские темпы») печатала чёрт-те чего, а о пропавшем Учреждении -ни гугу (Войнович 2). ...(The local newspaper Bolshevik Tempos) was printing all sorts of rubbish, but that the Institution had vanished, not one peep (2a).

2. от кого, откуда \Г-442 ( subj (with не бытье)) there has been no news, letter, response from some person or organization: от X-a ни гугу — there hasn't been a (any) word from X

there is no word from X person Y hasn't heard a thing from X.

3. \Г-442 (кому о ком-чём) (used as imper

do not tell anyone (or a certain person) about sth.

X-y (никому) (об Y-e) ни гугу = don't (you mustn't) say (breathe) a word to X (to anyone) (about Y)

not a word to X (to anyone) (about Y) don't (you mustn't) make (utter) a peep (a sound) to X (about Y) keep mum (about Y).

Говоря строго между нами, только уж ты, профессор, об этом никому ни гугу, - я соврал тебе давеча про наше хорошее положение. Положение у нас хуже некуда (Терц 6). Strictly between ourselves-but you really mustn't breathe a word, Professor-1 told you a lie when I said that things were not as bad as they might be. The fact is, they couldn't be worse (6a).

У меня гениальная идея, сказал Претендент, и они перешли на шепот. Только никому ни гугу, сказал Претендент (Зиновьев 1). "I've had a marvellous idea," said Claimant, and the rest of the conversation was held in whispers. "Not a word to anyone," said Claimant (1a).