В-244

ВЕРТЕТЬСЯ ВОЛЧКОМ VP

1. ( subj: concr) to rotate without stopping

X вертелся волчком = X was spinning like a top.

Он два раза испытал это страшное мучительное чувство страха смерти... Первый раз он испытал это чувство тогда, когда граната волчком вертелась перед ним и он смотрел на жнивьё, на кусты, на небо и знал, что перед ним была смерть (Толстой 7). Ttoice he had experienced that agonizing feeling, the dread of death....The first time he had felt it was when the shell had spun like a top in front of him, and he had looked at the stubble field, at the bushes, and the sky, and knew that he was face to face with death (7a).

2. (subj: human to be in constant motion (while standing or sitting in one place)

X вертится волчком = X can't hold (stand, sit) still

(in limited contexts) X is fidgety X has ants in his pants.

3. (subj: human to bustle, busy o.s. without taking any time to sit down and rest

X вертится волчком = X is (always) buzzing about (around)

X is (always) on the go (the run) X is (always) running around (like crazy) X is (always) busy as a bee.

(Лебедев:) В наше время, бывало, день-деньской с лекциями бьёшься, а как только настал вечер, идёшь прямо куда-нибудь на огонь и до самой зари волчком вертишься... (Чехов 4). (L.:) Now, in our time you'd sweat away at your lectures all day long, then you'd make for the bright lights in the evening and buzz around till the crack of dawn (4b).