гнуть хребет

I

• ГНУТЬ СПИНУ (на кого) coll; ЛОМАТЬ СПИНУ coll; ГНУТЬ <ЛОМАТЬ> ГОРБ coll; ГНУТЬ ХРЕБЕТ substand

[VP; subj: human]

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⇒ to work, labor to the point of exhaustion, wear o.s. out with hard, usu. menial, work (usu. in an attempt to earn enough money to live on, often with the implication that one is being exploited by s.o.):

- X гнёт спину{{}}≈ X is breaking his back;

- X is working his fingers to the bone;

- X is working his tail off.

     ♦ ...Орозкул ненавидит свою жизнь... Эта жизнь для таких, как Расторопный Момун. Ему-то что надо, Момуну? Сколько живёт, столько и горб гнёт изо дня в день, без отдыха. И в жизни ни один человек не был у него в подчинении... (Айтматов 1). ...Orozkul hated his life. ... It was a life for people like Efficacious Momun. What did he need for himself, that Momun? As long as he lived he'd break his back day after day without a breather. In his whole life, he never had anyone under him... (1b).

II

• ГНУТЬ СПИНУ <ШЕЮ> перед кем coll; ГНУТЬ ХРЕБЕТ{{}}

[VP; subj: human]

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⇒ to act in a servile manner, fawn on s.o.:

- X гнёт спину перед Y-ом{{}}≈ X kowtows to Y;

- X cringes before Y;

- X bows and scrapes to (before) Y;

- X falls all over Y.