плевое дело

• ПЛЕВОЕ ДЕЛО highly coll

[NP; sing only; usu. subj-compl with copula, nom or instrum (subj: infin or abstr, often это)]

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1. doing sth. is very easy, does not require any effort:

- (it's) a snap <a cinch, a breeze>;

- (that's) nothing;

- (as) easy as pie;

- (as) easy as falling off a log.

     ♦ Собрать автомат за 25 секунд с завязанными глазами было для Мосина плёвым делом. Reassembling a submachine gun in 25 seconds with his eyes blindfolded was a snap for Mosin

     ♦ [author's usage] "По мне, мужики, чего ни делается, все к лучшему, сунут нашим корешам от силы по пятерику [пять лет тюрьмы] за соучастие, детский срок, плёвое дело..." (Максимов 1). [context transl] "In my opinion, lads, whatever happens is for the best. They'll give our mates five years at the most for complicity-kids' stuff, hardly worth bothering about" (1a).

2. doing sth. reprehensible (unethical etc) is easy for s.o., elicits in s.o. no feelings of regret, remorse etc: сделать Y для X-a - плёвое дело ≈ X doesn't feel the least bit bad about (guilty for) doing Y; X doesn't feel bad at all about doing Y; X doesn't think it's (doesn't consider it) any big deal to do Y; [in limited contexts] X would do Y to s.o. as soon as look at him.