на волоске

• НА ВОЛОСОК <НА ВОЛОСКЕ, НА ВОЛОС obs> от чего{{}}

[PrepP; these forms only; subj-compl with copula (subj: usu. human or collect; prep obj: usu. от смерти, от гибели etc; usu. used with past verbs]

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⇒ one is very close (to death, ruin etc) (if used with a past-form verb, refers to danger or trouble that one has managed to avoid):

- X был на волосок от Y-a ≈ X was within a hairbreadth (a hairsbreadth etc, an inch, a whisker) of Y;

- X was a hairbreadth away (from Y);

- X escaped Y by a hairbreadth (by the skin of X's teeth);

- X was on the verge (of Y).

     ♦ Ужасной была поездка в Москву по вызову Ярославского. Вот когда я была на волосок от самоубийства! (Гинзбург 1). The journey back to Moscow at Yaroslavsky's summons was terrible. I was within a hair's breadth of suicide (1a).

     ♦ ...Из парадного вынесли Ольгу, покрытую, как покойница, клеймёной больничной простынёй, и... Лёва, враз забыв обо всём, судорожно потянулся к сестре: "Олюшка, как же это ты?" ...Но [врач] взял актёра за пуговицу плаша: "Вам, милый, не следует здесь находиться. Вы сами на волосок от этого. Максимум покоя, минимум - эмоций" (Максимов 3). ...They carried Olga out of the main door, covered with a stenciled hospital sheet, as though she were dead. ...Lyova became oblivious of everything else and drifted after his sister, shaking convulsively. "Olga, little sister, what is happening to you?"...[The doctor] took hold of the actor by a button on his raincoat. "You shouldn't be here, my dear man. You're on the verge yourself. Maximum of quiet, minimum of excitement..." (3a).