Т-191

НИ ТПРУ НИ НУ highly coll Invar predic fixed WO

1. (subj: human or collect) one does nothing, takes no action ( usu. when some action is expected)

X ни тпру ни ну - X doesn't make a move

X doesn't do a (damn) thing X won't budge.

Разве от этих бюрократов чего-нибудь дождёшься? Обещают помочь, а сами - ни тпру ни ну. Do you really expect anything from those bureaucrats? They promise to help, but don't do a damn thing.

2. ( subj: abstr or human) some work (a person etc) makes no progress

X ни тпру ни ну - X isn't getting anywhere

X is going nowhere (fast) thing X isn't moving at all (in refer, to beginning an undertaking) I (he etc) can't get thing X off the ground.

"...Я уже пятьдесят лет бьюсь над этой проблемой и ни тпру ни ну». (Евтушенко 2). "I've been struggling with the problem for fifty years and still haven't gotten anywhere" (2a).

3. ( subj: concr) (of a machine, device, apparatus) sth. is not functioning

X ни тпру ни ну - X isn't working

X is on the blink (on the fritz).