сидеть на горбу

• СИДЕТЬ НА ШЕЕ чьей <НА ГОРБУ чьём>, у кого; ЖИТЬ НА ШЕЕ all coll, disapprov

[VP; subj: human]

=====

⇒ to burden s.o. by being dependent on him for care, monetary support etc:

- X сидит у Y-а на шее{{}}≈ X is a (heavy) burden to <on> Y;

- X is a millstone around Y's neck;

- X hangs (a)round Y's neck;

- [in limited contexts] X lives off Y.

     ♦ ...Работать [отцу] надо, содержать семью надо, нельзя с женой и детьми сидеть на шее у дедушки Рахленко (Рыбаков 1). ...Не [father] had to work, he had his family to support and he couldn't let himself and his wife and children hang round grandfather Rakhlenko's neck (1a).

     ♦ Сами не вырабатывая ничего, кроме ненужных бумаг, они [важные лица] попрекали каждого входящего, будто именно он и живёт на шее у государства... (Войнович 4). Themselves producing nothing but useless paper, they [important people] reproached each caller as if it were he precisely who was living off the state... (4a).