от нечего делать

• ОТ НЕЧЕГО ДЕЛАТЬ coll

[Invar; sent adv; fixed WO]

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⇒ (to do sth.) out of a lack of anything to occupy one's time, without any particular aim in mind:

- for want <lack> of anything <something> better to do;

- having nothing better to do;

- just to pass (while away) the time;

- with (having) time on one's hands.

     ♦ По ночам дед [Гордей] сторожил в мастерских, а днём от нечего делать бродил по деревне (Распутин 1). At night he [old Gordei] served as watchman in the kolkhoz workshops and in the daytime, for want of anything better to do, went wandering about the village (1a).

     ♦ "Ты кокетничаешь, - подумал он, - ты скучаешь и дразнишь меня от нечего делать..." (Тургенев 2). "You're playing the coquette," he thought to himself. "You are bored, and teasing me for want of something better to do..." (2c).

     ♦ Его друзья от нечего делать... отправились гулять... (Набоков 1). His friends, having nothing better to do... went out for a stroll... (1a).

     ♦ "И что это за нелепая фигура! - скажете вы возмущённо. -где тут пример для подрастающего поколения? И где автор увидел такого в кавычках героя?" И я, автор, прижатый к стенке и пойманный, что называется, с поличным, должен буду признаться, что нигде я его не видел, выдумал из своей головы и вовсе не для примера, а просто от нечего делать (Войнович 2). "What a sorry sight he makes!" you will say indignantly. "What kind of example is this for the younger generation? And just where has the author seen a quote unquote hero like this?" And I, the author, my back to the wall and caught, as they say, red-handed, will have to admit that I never saw him anywhere, that I thought him up with my own head, and not to use him as an example but simply to while away the time (2a).

     ♦ Была середина дня, палило солнце, время стояло на месте, начальство не появлялось. От нечего делать люди, слово по слову, разговорились (Войнович 2). It was midday, the sun was scorching, time stood still, the authorities had not yet appeared. With time on their hands, people began to exchange a few words and ended up talking (2a).