зги не видеть

• НИ ЗГИ (НЕ ВИДНО <НЕ ВИДАТЬ>); ЗГИ НЕ ВИДНО <НЕ ВИДАТЬ>; (НИ) ЗГИ НЕ ВИДЕТЬ{{}}all coll

[impers sent with быть or VP, subj: human (var. with не видеть)]

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⇒ it is so dark that nothing can be seen, discerned:

- it is pitch-black <pitch-dark>;

- there is pitch-darkness (all around);

|| X не видел ни зги{{}}≈ X couldn't see a thing (in the dark);

- X couldn't see an inch before his face;

- X couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

     ♦ Глубокая, полная тишина стояла в доме. Но минут через десять я снова услышала, как внизу, в вестибюле, прогудела дверь. Я вскочила и подбежала к окну. Раздвинула занавески. Ни зги, но ясно слышно, как заводят машину (Чуковская 2). А deep, absolute silence pervaded the house. But ten minutes later I heard the hiss of the door again in the hall downstairs. I jumped up and ran to the window. I drew the curtains aside. It was pitch-black but I could clearly hear the starting of a car (2a).

     ♦ Селифан, не видя ни зги, направил лошадей так прямо на деревню... (Гоголь 3). Selifan, though he could not see a thing, directed the horses straight to the village... (3a).

     ♦ "Неужели вы едете, не дождавшись дня? - спросил шотландец. - Зги не видать..." (Герцен 2). "Surely you are not going on without waiting for daylight?" asked the Scotsman. "One can't see an inch before one's face..." (2a).