клин клином выбивается

• КЛИН КЛИНОМ ВЫШИБАЮТ (ВЫБИВАЮТ, ВЫШИБАЕТСЯ, ВЫБИВАЕТСЯ)

[saying; other finite forms and infin are also usedl the undesirable consequences of some action are neutralized, some condition is remedied etc by the same means that brought about the consequences or gave rise to the condition: - fight fire with fire; one nail drives out another; [in refer, to a hangover]

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⇒ a hair of the dog (that bit you <him etc>).

     ♦ В то время, когда Ираида беспечно торжествовала победу, неустрашимый штаб-офицер не дремал и, руководясь пословицей: "Выбивай клин клином", научил некоторую авантюристку, Клемантинку де Бурбон, предъявить права свои (Салтыков-Щедрин 1). While Iraidka was unconcernedly celebrating her victory, the intrepid staff-officer was not asleep. Guided by the proverb "One nail drives out another," he found an adventuress, a certain Clementinka de Bourbon, and put her up to presenting a claim (1a).