Н-90

НЕТ И (ДА) НЕТ кого-чего coll VP subj / gen : usu. human, abstr , or concr pres or past often preceded by все fixed WO

(usu of s.o. or sth. eagerly awaited) a person (thing, or phenomenon) has not appeared, come, been seen etc (yet)

X-a нет и нет - there's (still) no sign of X

X has not materialized (in limited contexts) thing X has eluded person Y.

Мы ждем Петю с утра, а его все нет и нет. We've been waiting for Petya since morning, but there's still no sign of him.

. ..Хотя он, старик, при ней и хотя он все перетерпит ради дочери, счастья материнского ей все нет да нет... (Айтматов 1). ...Although he, the old man, was with her and would endure everything for his own daughters sake, the happiness of motherhood simply eluded her (1b).