в рот не брать

• В РОТ НЕ БРАТЬ coll

[VP; subj: human]

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1. в рот не брать чего to refrain totally from eating certain foods or drinking certain beverages:

- X Y-a в рот не берёт{{}}≈ X never touches (eats, drinks, goes near) Y;

- X won't touch (eat, drink, go near) Y;

- X stays away from Y;

- X steers clear of Y;

- [in refer, to alcohol only] X won't touch a drop (of Y);

- X never lets Y pass (touch) his lips;

- X is a teetotaler.

     ♦ "...[Штольц] ухи терпеть не может, даже стерляжьей не ест; баранины тоже в рот не берёт" (Гончаров 1). "Не [Stolz] can't bear fish soup - not even sturgeon, and he never touches mutton" (1b).

     ♦ [Фёкла:] ...И такой купец трезвый, совсем не берет хмельного в рот... (Гоголь 1). [Е:] ... Such a sober man he is, too; never touches a drop... (1a).

     ♦ Женившись, он в рот не брал водки. Раньше-то пил много (Семенов 1). Once he was married he didn't touch a drop of vodka. Before he had been a heavy drinker (1a).

2. usu. ничего ≈ not to eat or drink anything:

- X ничего в рот не брал{{}}≈ X hasn't touched a thing (a bite);

- X hasn't had anything (a thing) (to eat or drink);

- X hasn't had a bite to eat.