дело плохо

• ДЕЛО (чье) ПЛОХО coll; ДЕЛО ДРЯНЬ < ШВАХ> highly coll

[NP; these forms only; VPsubj with быть, pres only]

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1. s.o. is in very bad physical condition, is very ill, seriously injured etc:

- (Х-ово) дело дрянь{{}}≈ X is in bad shape (in a bad way);

- things look bad.

     ♦ ...Ему [Рослякову] было очень страшно опустить глаза, чтобы рану посмотреть... "Что? - спросил [Росляков] сестру, стоявшую все время возле него с нашатырём и шприцем. - Дрянь дело?" - "Да что вы, - ответила сестра. - Пустяки..." (Семенов 1)...Не [Roslyakov] was terrified of lowering his head to look at the wound... "How is it?" said Roslyakov to the nurse who stood beside him the whole time, holding the sal ammoniac and a hypodermic. "Do things look bad?" "What do you mean?" replied the nurse, "nonsense..." (1a).

2. the situation is extremely unfavorable (for s.o.), nothing good will come of it:

- (Х-ово) дело дрянь{{}}≈ it (this) is (a) bad business;

- this means trouble;

- things are in a bad way;

- things look bad (for X);

- X is in trouble (in hot water, in a real mess);

- the situation is bad.

     ♦ Прокурор давеча сказал - дело плохо, кто-то должен сесть в тюрьму (Тендряков 1). The Prosecutor had said yesterday that it was a bad business, and that someone could go to prison for it (1a).

     ♦ ...[Дядя Сандро] уныло поднялся в дом, где не только не нашли Тали, а, наоборот, обнаружили, что исчез патефон... Тут всем стало ясно, что дело плохо, и стали искать её обратные следы... (Искандер ). Не [Uncle Sandro] climbed dolefully up to the house, where they not only had not found Tali, but, on the contrary, had discovered that the phonograph was gone. ...By now it was clear to everyone that this was bad business. They began hunting for her return tracks.. (3a).

     ♦ ...Жена прокурора... стала уверять [Хабуга], что прокурора нету дома, что он завтра будет у себя в кабинете и что он вообще теперь про дела разговаривает только у себя в кабинете. Тут старый Хабуг понял, что дело плохо, но решил подождать до следующего дня (Искандер 3). The magistrates wife...assured him [Khabug] that the magistrate was not home, that he would be in his office tomorrow, and that nowadays he generally discussed business only in his office. Old Khabug realized that this meant trouble, but he decided to wait until the next day (3a).

     ♦ Он [адвокат] меня слушает, изредка задаёт вопросы, прикрывая рот ладонью, - признак, что алкаш... Я вижу перед собой алкаша, понимаю, что дело плохо... с таким алкашом мы дело проиграем... (Рыбаков 1). Не [the lawyer] listened to me, putting a question occasionally, and covering his mouth with his hand, the sure sign of a drunk. ...I was looking at an alcoholic and I knew the situation was bad... with an alcoholic like this one we would lose the case... (1a).