Ш-45

СИДЕТЬ НА ШЁЕ 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-a 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). ...He (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).