Х34

И ТО ХЛЕБ collusu. indep. sent or clauseInvarfixed WO
it is good that at least I (we, you etc) have this (used to express one's satisfaction with, or opinion that another should be satisfied with, sth. meager when getting more is impossible): (at least) itfs (that's) something
something is better than nothingI'll (we'll) settle for thatI'll take what I can get (you've got to take what you can get etc).
«Поздравляю, старик! Только сейчас твою рожу по телевизору показали. Правда, в толпе и на сотую долю секунды, но для начала и то хлеб» (Зиновьев 2). "Congratulations, old man! I have just seen your mug on television. It's true you were only one of a crowd, and you were only there for about a hundredth of a second, but it's something for a start" (2a).
«Между прочим, мой Тенго помог мне с оползнем»... - «Значит, выплатили?» - «Нет, бетонную канаву провели за счет горсовета, и то хлеб...» (Искандер 3). "By the way, my Tengo helped me with the landslide.". .. "They paid you, then?" "No, they ran a concrete conduit at the city Soviet's expense-I'll settle for that" (3a).

Смотреть больше слов в «Большом русско-английском фразеологическом словаре»

Х35 →← Х33

T: 175