прикрывать лавочку

• ЗАКРЫВАТЬ/ЗАКРЫТЬ <ПРИКРЫВАТЬ/ПРИКРЫТЬ> ЛАВОЧКУ highly coll

[VP; subj: human; usu. infin with надо, пора, пришлось etc or imper]

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⇒ (permanently or temporarily) to discontinue engaging in, or cause the discontinuance of, some activity, undertaking etc:

- пора закрывать лавочку{{}}≈ it's time to close (shut) up shop;

- it's time to call it quits;

- [in limited contexts] it's time to put up the shutters;

- it's time to put a stop to this (to sth.);

- [in refer, to ending sth. for the day] it's time to call it a day.

     ♦ Капитан насобачился делать печати. И дело пошло. Зарабатывали много... Потом они попали в облаву... Еле выкрутились... Так дальше не пойдёт, сказал Крикун. Эту лавочку надо прикрыть (Зиновьев 1). Captain found the knack of forging official stamps, and they were in business. They earned a great deal. ...But then they were picked up in a police raid. ...They only just got out of it. ..."We can't go on with this," said Bawler. "We'll have to shut up shop..." (1a).

     ♦ [Вася:] Ну, Таврило Петрович, закрывай лавочку! Как Александра Николавна уедет, тебе больше не торговать! Баста! Калачом в театр не заманишь. Так ты и ожидай! (Островский 11). [V.:] Well, Gavril Petrovich, you might as well put up the shutters! When Alexandra Nikolavna goes away, there won't be any more business for you. Basta! You won't get them to the theatre for love or money - that's what you 're soon going to find out! (11a).

     ♦ "Есть сигнал: к ним [в стройотряд] там один бродяга похаживает... тихую агитацию разводит, насчёт всемирного братства и равенства рассусоливает. В общем, анархия вперемешку с поповщиной, прикрывать эту лавочку пора, только надо наверняка действовать" (Максимов 1). "We've heard on the grapevine that a tramp goes to see them [the construction brigade]. ... He keeps quietly propagandizing universal brotherhood and equality. All in all it's a mixture of anarchy and religious claptrap, and it's time to put a stop to their little racket, only we'll have to act firmly" (1a).