последнее дело

• ПОСЛЕДНЕЕ ДЕЛО coll

[NP; Invar; subj-compl with быть (subj: abstr, infin, or a clause), usu. pres]

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1. [fixed WO]

⇒ some situation (doing sth. etc) is very bad, not good at all:

- [of a situation etc] things are as bad as can be;

- things are really bad;

- things are in a bad way;

- things have hit (reached) rock bottom;

- [in limited contexts] it's (the beginning of) the end;

- [of doing sth.] (doing sth. is) as low as you can get;

- despicable;

- you can't get lower than (doing sth.).

     ♦ ...Хозяин добавил: "Твой муж никому зла сделать не мог - последнее дело, если таких берут..." (Мандельштам 1). And the old man added. "Your husband could never have done harm to anyone. If they are arresting people like him, things must be really bad" (1a).

     ♦ "Ох, уж эти мне базары! Нет, что вы на это скажете? Уж если они немцев перестанут бояться... последнее дело" (Булгаков 3). "Hell - these market women! How'd you like that? Once they stop being afraid of the Germans...it's the beginning of the end" (3a).

2. sth. is of negligible importance within the framework of the matter in question:

- completely unimportant;

- means nothing;

- [in limited contexts] the last thing (you think of etc);

- the last thing on one's list;

- the least of one's concerns (worries).

     ♦ [Беневоленский:] Теперь я вас спрошу, что такое красота в мужчине? - Последнее дело (Островский 1). [В.:] Now I ask you, what are good looks in a man, exactly? It's the last thing you think of (1a).