ПОВОРОТИТЬ ОГЛОБЛИ
• ПОВОРАЧИВАТЬ/ПОВЕРНУТЬ <ПОВОРОТИТЬ> ОГЛОБЛИ (НАЗАД) highly coll
[VP; subj; human]
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1. rude when addressed to the interlocutor to set off back i n the direction from which one came, leave some place (usu. with the implication that one has failed, or is about to fail, to accomplish what one set out to do):
- X повернул оглобли••≈ X went back (where he came from);
- X (gave it up and) turned back;
- X turned back empty-handed;
- [in limited contexts] X turned tail.
♦ [Подхалюзин:] А то вон, что сватался за Алимпияду Самсоновну, благородный-то, - и оглобли назад поворотил (Островский 10). [Р:] As for that noble's courting Olimpiada Samsonovna-why he's turned tail already (10b).
2. often disapprov to retreat from one's former position, renounce one's former convictions, go back on one's promise(s) etc:
- X повернул оглобли••≈ X did (made) an about-face;
- X back-pedaled;
- X changed his tune.
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