под стать

• ПОД СТАТЬ coll

[PrepP; Invar]

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1. под стать кому [subj-compl with copula (subj: human) or nonagreeing modif]

⇒ one is well-suited for s.o. with regard to certain qualities (skills, experience, personality etc):

- X Y-y под стать ≈ X is a good (perfect) match for Y;

- X is (just) right for Y;

- X and Y are well (perfectly) matched.

     ♦ Она и еще что-то думала вокруг этого, а вокруг этого оказался Мансуров-Курильский, человек, безусловно, бесталанный, но, в общем-то, не плохой и, следовательно, по всем статьям под стать ей самой... (Залыгин 1). Her thoughts turned around this question and lighted upon Mansurov-Kurilsky, a talentless man if ever there was one, but not a bad man, all in all, and therefore in every respect a good match for her (1a).

2. под стать чему [subj-compl with copula (subj: usu. abstr) or nonagreeing modif]

⇒ sth. corresponds with something else:

- X - Y-y ≈ Xmatches Y;

- X jibes <isin keeping> with Y;

- X and Yagree;

- X is as [AdjP] as Y.

     ♦ Собачья погода была прямо под стать дяди-Митиному собачьему настроению (Аксёнов 10). The foul weather exactly matched Old Mitya's foul mood (10a).

     ♦ Дни тянулись медленно, в химерах и воспоминаниях, в невесёлых, под стать погоде, думах о предстоящей жизни в лагере (Максимов 2). The days dragged slowly by, days spent in daydreams and memories, and in thoughts, cheerless as the weather, about the prospects of life in a prison camp (2a).

3. под стать кому-чему [subj-compl with copula (subj: human or abstr) or nonagreeing modif]

⇒ a person (or thing) resembles another person (or thing):

- X под стать Y-y ≈ X is like (similar to) Y;

- X is similar (in nature) to Y.

     ♦ ...Отец [Сергея] когда-то был крупный работник, но так никуда и не вылез, мать - домашняя юристка с принципами и запросами, и он сам им под стать (Трифонов 3). ...His [Sergei's] father had once been an outstandingly able man; yet he had never made it to the top; his mother was a nonpracticing lawyer with principles and high standards - and Sergei was similar in nature to both of them (3a).

4. под стать кому [subj-compl with быть (subj: infin); often neg]

⇒ it is fitting, decent (for s.o. to do sth.):

- делать X Y-у не под стать{{}}≈ doing X does not befit <suit, become> Y;

- it isn't right <appropriate, proper, suitable, seemly> for Y to do X.