на авось

• НА АВОСЬ coll

[PrepP; Invar; adv]

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⇒ (to venture sth.) counting on good fortune, success, even though chances may be against success:

- on the off-chance;

- hoping for the best;

- trusting to luck;

- chance it;

- [in limited contexts] by guess and by God.

     ♦ ...Они [Петька и Михаил] не с пустыми руками вернулись к избе. С рыбой... "Лиза, эво-то! Посмотри-ко!" - звонко закричал Петька, едва они завидели избу, и высоко над головой поднял вязанку с рыбой. "Да, - сказал Михаил... - А я думал: Ося-агент всё выбродил. Так, на авось кинулся" (Абрамов 1). ...They [Petka and Mikhail] did not go back empty-handed: there were fish... "Liza! Hey there! Look!" shouted Petka ringingly as soon as they caught sight of the house, and he lifted the string of fish high above his head. "Yes," said Mikhail. ..."I thought Osya the agent had fished the place out. I just threw out a line on the off-chance" (la).

     ♦ "Я не коммунхоз, на авось не работаю. И цена по совести. А тебе, как бывшему соседу, так и вовсе скидка" (Максимов 3). "I'm not the municipal repairs department when I work, I don't just hope for the best. And I'll give you an honest price. In fact, as a former neighbor, you get a discount anyway" (3a).

     ♦ [Городничий (в сторону):] Не знаешь, с какой стороны и приняться. Ну да уж попробовать... Попробовать на авось. (Вслух.) Если вы точно имеете нужду в деньгах или в чём другом, то я готов служить сию минуту. Моя обязанность помогать проезжающим (Гоголь 4). [Mayor (aside):] You don't know which side to tackle him [from]. But never mind that...let's have a go. ... Let's have a go and chance it. (Aloud) Should you in fact be short of money, or of anything else, I am prepared to be of immediate service to you. It is my duty to assist travellers (4b).