добиться толку

• НЕ (НЕЛЬЗЯ, НЕВОЗМОЖНО и т. п.) ДОБИТЬСЯ ТОЛКУ (от кого)

[VP; subj: human]

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⇒ not to receive or be able to get from s.o. a reasonable answer, response, explanation:

- X не добился толку (от Y-a) ≈ X didn't (couldn't) get any sense out of Y;

- X could get no sense out of Y;

- X didn't (couldn't) get a straight answer (from Y);

- X got nowhere (couldn't get anywhere) (with Y);

- X didn't (couldn't) find out (anything) (from Y);

- [in limited contexts] X couldn't get a sensible account (of what had happened <occurred etc>).

     ♦ ...Три инвалида, которым гостиница поручена, так глупы или так пьяны, что от них никакого толку нельзя добиться (Лермонтов 1). ...The three invalids to whom the place had been entrusted were either idiots or so drunk that one could not get any sense out of them (Id).

     ♦ Неподалёку от санатория мы встретили Людмилу Павловну. Она вернулась утром, и я уже виделась с ней. Про сестру она ничего не узнала. "В прокуратуре народу - труба непротолчёная и никакого толку не добиться" (Чуковская 2). Not far from the rest-home we met Lyudmila Pavlovna. I had already seen her after she had returned that morning. She had not found out anything about her sister. "The Public Prosecutor's office was jammed with people and one could get no sense out of them" (2a).

     ♦ Не добившись толку в комиссии, добросовестный Василий Степанович решил побывать в филиале её, помещавшемся в Ваганьковском переулке (Булгаков 9). Having gotten nowhere at the Commission, the conscientious Vasily Stepanovich decided to visit its branch on Vagankovsky Lane (9a).

     ♦ [Наташа:] Вчера в полночь прохожу через столовую, а там свеча горит. Кто зажёг, так и не добилась толку (Чехов 5). [N.:] Last night at midnight I walked through the dining room, and there was a candle burning. Who lighted it? I couldn't find out (5a).

     ♦ "Они точно дети, от которых не добьёшься толку, как было дело, оттого что все хотят доказать, как они умеют драться" (Толстой 7). "They are like children from whom one can't get a sensible account of what has happened because they all want to show how well they can fight" (7a).