Д-268

НА ДОРОГЕ (HA УЛИЦЕ, НА ПОЛУ, HA ЗЕМЛЕ) HE ВАЛЯЕТСЯ coll VP pres only fixed WO

1. ( subj: usu. concr) sth. cannot be obtained easily, without effort

X на дороге не валяется = you don't (won't) find X lying around (in (on) the street)

you don't (won't) find X (just) waiting to be picked up (be found ) X won't just fall into your lap X can't be had just for the asking ( usu. of money) X doesn't grow on trees.

"...На заем стали подписываться. Я без памяти-то на триста рублей подписалась... И Лизка, глупая, пятьдесят рублей выкинула...» - «Пущай ( ungrammat - пускай)», -миролюбиво сказал Михаил... «Да ведь деньги-то не щепа -на улице не валяются» (Абрамов 1). " ..Everyone began signing up for the Loan. Without thinking, I put myself down for three hundred rubles....And Lizka, silly girl, threw in fifty rubles...."Let her," said Mikhail peaceably.... "But money isn't wood chips-you don't find it lying around on the street" (1a).

2. (subj: human (often pi), abstr , or concr) some type of person (thing etc) is rare, not often found: (of people or things)

Х-ы (такие NPs), как X,) на дороге не валяются = Xs (NPs) like X) are hard (not easy) to come by Xs (NPs) like X) don't come along every day Xs (NPs) like X) are few and far between there aren't (that) many Xs about (around) (these days)

(of qualities etc) X на дороге не валяется - X is hard (not easy) to come by.

«Рекомендую: Золотарев, Илья Никанорыч... кадровый товарищ, такие нынче на дороге не валяются...» (Максимов 1). "Let me introduce you: Ilya Nikanorych Zolotarev. He's.. .an experienced comrade. There aren't that many of them about these days..." (1a).