нечего терять

• НЕЧЕГО ТЕРЛТЬкаму coll

[Invar; impers predic with быть]

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⇒ s.o. might as well venture sth., take some risk because the possible negative consequences are not that serious, because his situation could not get any worse etc:

- X-у нечего терять{{}}≈ X has nothing to lose.

     ♦ "Мы любили друг друга", - прошептал, роняя голову на грудь, Самсик. "С иностранной подданной?"... Ужас пронзил Самсика. Да ведь действительно она иностранная подданная!.. Да, теперь он уличен и терять больше нечего. "Угу, с иностранной подданной", - прошептал он (Аксенов 6). "We loved each other," Samsik whispered, dropping his head on his chest. "You loved a foreignerT... Fear gripped Samsik. It was true - she was a foreign citizen!...Yes, he was found out now and had nothing more to lose. "Uh-huh, I loved a foreigner," he whispered (6a).