К-330

ЛЕЧЬ КОСТЬМИ VP subj: human

1. - (за кого-что) elev. Also: ПОЛЕЧЬ КОСТЬМИ obs to perish, fall in battle ( usu. in a fight for a just cause)

X ляжет костьми (за Y-a) = X will lay down his life (for Y)

X will give (up) his life (for Y).

...Он (рыцарь) всегда готов был лечь костьми за то, что считал правым... (Герцен 2). ..Не (the knight) was always ready to lay down his life for what he thought right... (2a).

2. ( usu. fut foil. by Conj «a» or «но» and another pfv verb) to exert every effort in order to accomplish sth. (when used in the 1st pers, expresses the speaker's firm resolve to accomplish sth. ): X костьми ляжет - X will do his damnedest (darnedest)

X will go all out X will do it even if it kills him X will knock himself out.

...Костьми» is the old instrumental plural form of «кость» (the contemporary form is «костями»).