чужими руками

• ЧУЖИМИ РУКАМИ coll, usu. disapprov

[NPinstrum; Invar; adv; usu. used with impf verbs; fixed WO]

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⇒ (often in refer, to matters in which one does not want to be openly involved) (to get sth. done) by having another or others do it for one, by using his or their time, efforts etc:

- getting someone else to do it (for one);

- getting someone else to do one's dirty work;

- letting (making etc) someone else (actually) do it for one;

- making someone else do all the work;

- using someone else as a cat V paw.

     ♦ "Директор был в отпуске. А Геннадий Витальевич этот вопрос решать категорически не хотел". - "Геннадий Витальевич не хотел? Про Геннадия Витальевича можете мне не рассказывать. Он-то как раз хотел [уволить Сергея] больше всех, но только - чтоб чужими руками" (Трифонов 3). "The director was on vacation. And Gennadii Vitalevich Klimuk most definitely didn't want to make the decision." "Gennadii Vitalevich didn't want to? Don't talk to me about Gennadii Vitalevich. More than any of the others he wanted to get rid of Sergei-but only if someone else would actually do it" (3a).