ПУСТОЙ НОМЕР collNPsing onlysubj-compl with copula, nom or instrum ( subj: abstr or concr, often это)fixedWO
sth. is futile, will produce no results
X - пустой номер - X is a waste of time
X won't work (help, do the trick etc)X is useless.
...Первым делом надо было Вику прописать... Как ни облучала Вера (обаянием) начальника паспортного стола - не помогало. Письмо народной артистки Куниной тоже оказалось пустым номером (Грекова 3). First of all Vika had to be registered in her (Vera's) house....No matter how Vera sparkled at the director of the passport bureau it didn't help A letter from People's Artist Kunina also didn't do the trick (3a).