лазаря петь

• ЛАЗАРЯ ПЕТЬ/ЗАПЕТЬ obsoles, disapprov

[VP; subj: human; usu. impfv (often infin with хватит, перестань etc)]

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⇒ to pretend to be miserable and complain about one's fate in an attempt to move s.o. to pity:

- X пел Лазаря{{}}≈ X was moaning and groaning about his fate;

- X was playing on person Y's sympathies;

- X was playing Lazarus (the beggar, the pauper);

- X was pleading poverty.

     ♦ [Иванов:] А я-то, какой смешной болван! Православный народ смущаю, по целым дням Лазаря пою (Чехов 4). [I..] And I - I'm just a ludicrous dolt! Day in and day out I go about upsetting decent people, playing Lazarus (4a)

     ♦ "Да полно тебе Лазаря петь", - перебил опять Базаров... "Лазаря петь! - повторил Василий Иванович. - Ты, Евгений, не думай, что я хочу... разжалобить гостя..." (Тургенев 2). "Now that's enough playing the beggar," Bazarov cut him short again. ..."Playing the beggar'" repeated Vasily Ivanovich. "Don't you take it into your head that I want to make our guest sorry for us.. " (2e) "Come, that's enough of your pleading poverty," Bazarov interrupted him again.. "Pleading poverty!" echoed the father. "Don't get the notion, Evgenii, that I want to win the sympathy of our guest..." (2d).

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← From the Biblical parable about the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:20-21).