ни туда и ни сюда

• НИ ТУДА (И) НИ СЮДА coll; НИ ТУДЫ (И) НИ СЮДЫ substand

[AdvP; these forms only; adv or predic; fixed WO]

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1. [subj: human, animal, or concr]

⇒ some person (animal, or object) cannot move, will not move, cannot be moved etc in any direction from where he (or it) is (standing, sitting, presently located etc):

- X ни туда и ни сюда{{}}≈ X won't <can't> move <go> one way or the other;

- s.o. can't <can't manage to> move X one way or the other;

- X won't budge;

- X is stuck.

     ♦ Ключ почему-то застрял в скважине и не поворачивался ни туда ни сюда (Гинзбург 2). The key somehow stuck in the lock and I couldn't manage to move it one way or the other (2a).

2. [subj: human or concr]

⇒ some person (project etc) is not progressing toward the desired goal, some matter (undertaking etc) is not developing:

- X ни туда и ни сюда{{}}≈ X is going nowhere (fast);

- person X isn't getting anywhere;

- person X is making no headway;

- X is at a standstill.