первый попавшийся

• ПЕРВЫЙ ПОПАВШИЙСЯ (ПОПАВШИЙ substand)

[AdjP (used as modif) or NP; fixed WO]

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⇒ whatever person or thing happens to be closest by, soonest available, easiest to reach, most readily obtainable etc:

- the first [NP] (that) one comes across;

- the first [NP] one sees <meets, runs into, can get one's hands on etc>;

- the first [NP] one happens to see <to meet, to come across etc>;

- the first [NP] that comes to hand;

- the first [NP] who <that> turns up;

- the first [NP] to come along;

- the first available [NP];

- [of sth. recalled, thought of] the first [NP] that comes to mind.

     ♦ "Какую газету тебе купить?" - "Да первую попавшуюся". "What newspaper should I buy you?" "Oh, the first you come across."

     ♦ ...[Пьер] взял первую попавшуюся с полки книгу (это были Записки Цезаря) и принялся, облокотившись, читать её из середины (Толстой 4). ...[Pierre] took from the shelf the first book that came to hand (it was Caesar's Commentaries), and, propping his head on his elbow, commenced reading it from the middle (4a).