- О-50
- ПОВОРАЧИВАТЬ/ПОВЕРНУТЬ
ПОВОРОТИТЬ) ОГЛОБЛИ (НАЗАД) highly collVP subj: human1. rude when addressed to the interlocutor to set off back i n the direction from which one came, leave some place ( usu. with the implication that one has failed, or is about to fail, to accomplish what one set out to do)X повернул оглобли - X went back (where he came from)X (gave it up and) turned back X turned back empty-handed (in limited contexts) X turned tail.(Подхалюзин:) А то вон, что сватался за Алимпияду Сам-соновну, благородный-то, - и оглобли назад поворотил (Островский 10). (Р:) As for that noble's courting Olimpiada Samsonovna-why he's turned tail already (10b).2. often disapprov to retreat from one's former position, renounce one's former convictions, go back on one's promise(s) etc: X повернул оглобли - X did (made) an about-faceX back-pedaled X changed his tune.
Большой русско-английский фразеологический словарь. — М.: ACT-ПРЕСС КНИГА. С.И. Лубенская. 2004.