кривить душой

• КРИВИТЬ/ПОКРИВИТЬ ДУШОЙ (переднем, в чём; против чего) coll

[VP; subj: human; fixed WO) to say sth. one knows to be false or do sth. one knows to be wrong, ignoring ones conscience (usu. pretending to be sincere while attempting to deceive s.o. or o.s.): X кривит душой (перед Y-ом) - X is lying (to Y); X is bending the truth; X is playing false (with Y); X isn't being straight (with Y); [in limited contexts]

=====

⇒ X is going (acting etc) against his conscience (in doing sth.); || X кривит душой перед самим собой ≈ X is deceiving (trying to deceive) himself; || не кривя душой ≈ without dissembling; [in limited contexts] without holding anything back.

     ♦ "Нюся?" - "Она. - Он подмигнул мне. - Ничего девка?" - "Красивая". Возможно, я покривил душой, но что я мог еще сказать (Войнович 5). "Nyusa?" "That's her, all right." He winked at me. "Good stuff?" "Beautiful," I said. Perhaps I was bending the truth, but what else could I do? (5a).

     ♦ "Он [председатель], дьявол, на нас взъелся... А из-за чего?.." Тут Лизка немного покривила душой. На самом-то деле она знала, из-за чего взъелся на них председатель (Абрамов 1). "That monster [the Chairman] is out to get us. ...And for what?..." Lizka was playing somewhat false here. She did in fact know why the Chairman was out to get them... (1a).

     ♦ ...Александров садится в сознании выполненного долга и избегнутой опасности. В самом деле, он не покривил душой, дурного не сказал, товарища не предал... (Эткинд 1). ...Aleksandrov can sit down with the feeling of duty done and danger avoided. And indeed he has not spoken against his conscience or said anything shameful; he has not betrayed his comrade... (1a).

     ♦ Кровь кинулась Григорию в голову, когда напал глазами на свой курень... "Не щипет [ungrammat = щиплет] глаза?" - улыбнулся Пантелей Прокофьевич, оглядываясь, и Григорий, не лукавя и не кривя душой, сознался: "щипет... даишо [ungrammat = ещё] как!.." (Шолохов 3). The blood rushed to Grigory's head as his eyes rested on his own home. ..."Aren't your eyes stinging?" Pantelei smiled as he looked round at his son, and Grigory confessed frankly and without dissembling, "Yes they are-that they are!" (3a).

     ♦ "...С кем и за кого мы? Давайте же поговорим по-товарищески, не кривя душой" (Шолохов 3). "Who are we with? Who do we support?...Let's talk it over in a spirit of comradeship without holding anything back" (3a).