К-168

КАК (ЧТО) ОТ КОЗЛА МОЛОКА coll, disapprov (как etc + PrepP these forms only subj-compl with бытье ( subj / gen : пользы, толку etc) fixed WO

s.o. or sth. is of absolutely no use, help etc: пользы от X-a как от козла молока — X is (about) as useful as tits on a boar

X is good for nothing one gets as much good out of X as milk from a he-goat trying to get some use out of X is like trying to get milk out of a billy goat.

«Старика мирного убивать - это тоже война?» -«...Такие, как дед Гришака, и настраивали казаков супротив нас... От него пользы было, как от козла молока, а вреда много» (Шолохов 5). "Killing a peaceable old man - is that war too?" . .It was old men like Grandad Grishaka who set the Cossacks against us.... Wfe got as much good out of him as milk from a he-goat. But he did a lot of harm" (5a).