словно подменили

• КАК <KAK БУДТО, БУДТО, СЛОВНО, ТОЧНО> ПОДМЕНИЛИ кого-что coll

[VP; 3rd pers pl with indef. refer, only; obj: usu. human or collect]

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⇒ (in refer, to s.o.'s personality, behavior, appearance etc) a drastic change came over s.o.:

- X-a словно подменили{{}}≈ X became a different person (man, woman);

- X changed completely;

- [in refer, to a positive change only] X became (was like) a new man (woman etc).

     ♦ Григория будто подменили на войне. Он весь как-то размяк, раздался вширь, у него даже волос поредел... (Абрамов 1). Grigory had become a different person during the war, he was sort of soft now. He had spread out, and his hair had [even] thinned... (1a).

     ♦ Исподволь наблюдая за Деменским, Бирюков подметил характерную деталь: как только разговор зашел о Степнадзе, Юрия Павловича будто подменили (Черненок 1). Observing Demensky, Birukov noted a characteristic detail: as soon as the conversation touched on Stepnadze, Yuri Pavlovich became a different man (1a).

     ♦ [Линевский:] Был парень как парень... И вдруг что-то с ним сделалось. Как подменили! (Панова 1). [L.:] He was an all-right fellow. ...And then suddenly something happened to him. He changed completely' (1a).

     ♦ [author's usage] "По субботам тебя как будто подменяют. Это от предчувствия свиданья" (Федин 1). "On Saturdays you're like a new man That's from your anticipation of a date" (1a).