на руку

• НА РУКУ кому coll

[PrepP; Invar; the resulting PrepP is subj-compl with copula (subj: abstr, often это)]

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⇒ sth. is advantageous for s.o., conducive to the realization of s.o.'s plans, intentions:

- X Y-y на руку{{}}≈ X suits (serves) Y;

- X serves Y's purposes;

- X is to Y's advantage (benefit);

- X is just what (the thing) Y wants (needs);

- [in limited contexts] X plays into the hands of Y (into Y's hands);

- Y profits by X.

     ♦ [Зилов:] Признавайтесь, вам обоим это на руку. Разве нет?.. (Вампилов 5). [Z.:] Admit it, this way suits you both, doesn't it?... (5a).

     ♦ Он подолгу доказывал себе, что затея маршала ему на руку... (Эренбург 4). He kept telling himself that the marshal's scheme was to his advantage... (4a).

     ♦ ...Козы были куплены, но потом стали поступать жалобы, что некоторые козлотуры проявляют хладнокровие по отношению к козам. По этому поводу редактор поставил вопрос об искусственном осеменении коз, но Платон Самсонович стал утверждать, что такой компромисс на руку нерадивым хозяйственникам (Искандер 6). ...No sooner had the goats been purchased than our paper began receiving complaints to the effect that some of the goatibexes were acting very coolly toward the females. This prompted our editor to suggest the possibility of artificial insemination, but Platon Samsonovich was firmly opposed to the idea, insisting that such a compromise would only play into the hands of the lazier chairmen (6a).