подвертывать хвосты

• ПОДЖИМАТЬ/ПОДЖАТЬ <ПРИЖИМАТЬ/ПРИЖАТЬ, ПОДВЕРТЫВАТЬ/ПОДВЕРНУТЬ, ОПУСКАТЬ/ОПУСТИТЬ> ХВОСТ <ХВОСТЫ> all highly coll

[VP; subj: human]

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⇒ to retreat, surrender, give up one's course of action because one experiences a loss of self-confidence, apprehension, humiliation etc (often in circumstances when one encounters strong, unexpected opposition, when one suddenly becomes afraid of the possible consequences of one's actions etc):

- X поджал хвост{{}}≈ X tucked (stuck, went away with etc) his tail between his legs.

     ♦ "Больно спесив Кирила Петрович! а небось поджал хвост, когда Гришка мой закричал ему: "Вон, старый пёс! долой со двора!"" (Пушкин 1). "Kirila Petrovich is proud all right, but he certainly went away with his tail between his legs when Grisha shouted to him - 'Goon, you old cur! Get out of here!'" (1b).

     ♦ "...Сегодня он действительно его выгнал. Это так и было. Ну, а тот рассердился... Ораторствовал здесь, знания свои выставлял, да и ушёл, хвост поджав..." (Достоевский 3). "...Today he really did send him packing. That's exactly what happened. And then the other character lost his temper. ...Made a speech or two, showed off his knowledge and then left with his tail between his legs" (3a).