дело рук

• ДЕЛО РУК чьих, кого usu. disapprov

[NP; sing only; usu. subj-compl with copula, nom or instrum (subj: это, abstr, or concr denoting the result of some action) or obj]

=====

⇒ sth. has been executed, carried out, or masterminded, by none other than the person specified (usu. used in refer, to reprehensible actions):

- это дело рук X-a - this is X's handiwork <doing>;

- this is the work of X;

- X <it is X who> has done it;

- this has been arranged by X;

- X is behind this <it>;

- [in limited contexts] X is to blame (for this).

     ♦ "Пропавший из машины бензин - это дело рук Реваза" (Чернёнок 2). "That missing gas-that's Revaz's handiwork" (2a).

     ♦ Обоих парней убили в ту же ночь, как привели в тюрьму... Камера была большая, дружная, так и не дознались, чьих рук дело (Рыбаков 2). The two boys had been murdered the night they arrived at the prison. ...They had been put in a big cell, where the inmates were all friends, so it had been impossible to find out who had done it (2a).

     ♦ Путешествие в Армению, квартира, пайки, договоры на последующие издания... - все это дело рук Бухарина (Мандельштам 1). The journey to Armenia, our apartment and ration cards, contracts for future volumes... - all this was arranged by Bukharin (1a).

     ♦ "Да ведь как же мы всё время лжём... как мы извращаем историю... да ведь Катынский-то лес - это же наших рук дело..." (Аксёнов 7). "We never stop lying, you know what I mean? We're constantly distorting history: the Katyn Forest incident-we're completely to blame" (7a).