чего я там не видал?

• ЧЕГО Я (ты и т.п.) ТАМ (ТУТ, ЗДЕСЬ) НЕ ВИДАЛ <НЕ ВИДЕЛ> ? highly coll

[VPsubj; past only; usu. indep. sent; fixed WO]

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⇒ there is no reason why I (you etc) need to or would want to go there (or stay here):

- чего X там (тут) не видал? ≈ why on earth (would X want to) go there (stay here)?;

- whaft the point of going there (staying here etc)?;

- X won't see anything there (here) he hasn't seen before;

- what does X want there (around here)?;

- who needs it?

     ♦ Так было с Францией - вдруг [Сергей] сказал, что исчезло всякое желание ехать... Сказал ей: "Чего я там не видел? То, что мне нужно, я могу найти только здесь..." (Трифонов 3)...Не [Sergei] had decided against the trip to France. He suddenly announced that he had lost all desire to go... .He said to her, "What's the point of going to France? Everything that I need can be found [only] here" (3a).

     ♦ "Говорил я тебе, чудаку, не связывайся... Майор узнает, на фронт пойдешь, а чего ты там не видел на фронте-то, или не навоевался?" (Максимов 1). "I told you, you crank, don't get involved. ...If the major finds out you'll be off to the front, and you won't see anything there you haven't seen before. Haven't you had enough of fighting?" (1a).

     ♦ Первые же слова Егорши: "Здорово, невеста!" - ...полымем одели ее щёки. Но она не растерялась: "Проваливай! Чего здесь не видал?.. Нечего тебе тут делать" (Абрамов 1). Egorsha's first words - "Hi there, fiancee!" - ...brought a blush to her cheeks. But she did not lose her head. "Get lost! What do you want around here?...There's nothing here for you" (1a).