забить осиновый кол в могилу

• ВБИТЬ <ЗАБИТЬ> ОСИНОВЫЙ КОЛ во что (в МОГИЛУ кого-чего) lit or media

[VP; subj: human, collect, or abstr]

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⇒ to destroy, put an end to s.o. or sth., render s.o. or sth. harmless:

- X вбил осиновый кол в могилу Y-a ≈ X hammered the last nail in Y's coffin;

- X buried Y for good (once and for all);

- X did away with Y (for good).

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← From the old superstitious custom of driving a stake ("кол") into the ground in the place where it was thought that a sorcerer or witch was buried in order to prevent his or her rising from the grave.