открывать рты

• РАЗЕВАТЬ/РАЗИНУТЬ РОТ < РТЫ> highly coll; РАСКРЫВАТЬ/РАСКРЫТЬ (ОТКРЫВАТЬ/ОТКРЫТЬ) РОТ (РТЫ) coll

[VP; subj: human]

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1. to begin to speak, say sth., express one's opinion etc: X рот разинул ≈ X opened his mouth; || Neg [in cases where one or more speakers monopolize the conversation]

⇒ X не мог рта раскрыть ≈ X couldn't get a word in edgewise.

     ♦ "Кто там смел рот разинуть", - сказал грозно исправник... (Пушкин 1). "Who was it dared open his mouth over there?" asked the superintendent menacingly (1a).

2. to get distracted from what one should be doing or paying attention to at the given moment:

- X разинул рот{{}}≈ X was napping (spacing out);

|| чего рот разинул? - why are you standing (sitting etc) there with your mouth open?;

- why are you standing (sitting etc) there gaping?;

|| Neg Imper не разевай рот! ≈ wake up!;

- get with it!

3. to be utterly amazed and show one's amazement:

- X рот разинул{{}}≈ X's mouth fell open;

- X's jaw dropped (in amazement);

- X gasped;

- X gaped with open mouth;

- [in limited contexts] X was knocked (thrown) for a loop;

|| X стоял разинув рот{{}}≈ X stood there with his mouth open.

     ♦ [Расплюев:] А сколько ты мне, например, говорит, Иуда, дашь денег под это детище?.. Того так и шелохнуло, и рот разинул... (Сухово-Кобылин 2). [R.:] And how much would you give me, Judas, he says, on this little trinket? That stirred him so, his mouth fell open (2b).

     ♦ ...Недоимок накопилось такое множество, что местный казначей, заглянув в казённый ящик, разинул рот... (Салтыков-Щедрин 1)...Such an amount of taxes went uncollected that when the local treasurer looked into the treasury cash-box, his jaw dropped in amazement. (1b).

     ♦ И бабка, и тетка Бекей, и Гульджамал с дочкой - все стояли бы разинув рты. Где это видано, чтобы голова была человечья, а тело рыбье! (Айтматов 1). And grandma, and Aunt Bekey, and Guldzhamal with her daughter would all stand gaping with open mouths. Who has ever seen a creature with a human head and the body of a fish! (1a). And old grandma, Aunt Bekai and Guljamal with her daughter - they'd all stand there with their mouths open Who's ever heard of such a thing?-a person's head on a fish's body (1b)

4. [often pfv Verbal Adv with слушать]

⇒ to become totally absorbed in listening to s.o.:

- X слушал раскрыв рот{{}}≈ X listened open-mouthed (with open mouth, with his mouth wide open).

     ♦ Коротеев... любит пощеголять своими знаниями, ему лестно, что Лена слушает его раскрыв рот... (Эренбург 3). Dmitry [Koroteyev] was., fond of showing off his knowledge, it flattered him to have Lena listening to him open-mouthed (3a).

     ♦ "Смотри, как девчоночке голову задуряет! А она рот раскрыла, дура, и слухает [regional = слушает]" (Свирский 1). "See how he's turning that girl's head' And there she stands with her mouth wide open drinking it all in, the fool!" (1a).