видишь ли

• ВИДИШЬ <-ТЕ> ЛИ coll

[these forms only; sent adv (parenth)]

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1. used to introduce an explanation or to attract the interlocutor's attention to the statement to which it belongs:

- you see.

     ♦ [Таня:] Вы это серьёзно? [Колесов:] Что? [Таня:] Да вот приглашаете на свадьбу... [Колесов:] С полной ответственностью. Видите ли, женится мой друг, и на свадьбу я обещал прийти с самой симпатичной девушкой в городе (Вампилов 3). [Т.:] Are you serious about it? [К.:] About what? [T.:] About inviting me to a wedding... [К.:] I take full responsibility. You see, a friend of mine is getting married and I promised to bring the prettiest girl in town to the wedding (3b).

2. used to express a sarcastic reaction to sth., or one's annoyance, indignation etc at sth.:

- if you please;

- wouldn't you know it;

- can <could> you believe it.

     ♦ [Львов:] У несчастной жены всё счастье в том, чтобы он был возле неё, она дышит им, умоляет его провести с нею хоть один вечер, а он... он не может... Ему, видите ли, дома душно и тесно (Чехов 4). [L.:] ... His untortunate wife's entire happiness is in having him near her; he's the breath of life to her, she begs him to spend just one evening with her, and he...he cannot. ...He, if you please, feels cramped and stifled at home (4a).

     ♦ "Они [профсоюзы] возомнили себя, видите ли, школой коммунизма! Тогда как последней являемся мы, органы [КГБ]!" (Алешковский 1). "Can you believe it, they [the trade unions] think they're the school for communism, when everyone knows it's us, the agency [the KGB]" (1a).