а вот поди ж ты!

• (ВОТ) ПОДИ (Ж) ТЫ!; (ВОТ) ПОДИ Ж!; (А <ДА> ВОТ ПОДИ (Ж) ТЫ! all coll

[Interj; these forms only; fixed WO]

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⇒ used to express surprise, disbelief, bewilderment etc (upon encountering, realizing, or learning of the occurrence of sth. unexpected; the var. поди ты usu. expresses strong surprise, amazement):

- what do you know!;

- just think <imagine>!;

- just think of it!;

- who would have thought (it)!;

- if that don't beat all!;

- well I'll be!;

- [in limited contexts] Good Lord, fancy...!;

- (just) look at him <her etc>.

     ♦ "Да как это он ещё жив по сю пору? Поди ты, ещё не умер! Ну, слава богу!" (Гончаров 1). "How is it he's still alive? Just think of it, not dead yet! Well, thank God!..." (1b).

     ♦ ...На первом же собрании бабы завопили в один голос: "Лу-ка-ши-на!" Толку из этого вопля, казалось тогда, никакого не будет, ибо всем давно известно, что такие дела не тут, не в деревенском клубе, бывшей церкви, решаются, а немножко повыше... А вот поди ты: услыхали, видно, бабий вопль наверху (Абрамов 1). At the very first meeting, the women yelled in unison, "Lu-u-ka-shin for chairman!" It looked then as if the yelling would be of no use whatever, for it was known long ago to everyone that such affairs are decided not in the village club-a former church-but a bit higher up. ... But who would have thought it! Upstairs, they apparently did hear the women's yell (1b).