от лукавого

• ОТ ЛУКАВОГО lit

[PrepP; Invar; subj-compl with быть (subj: abstr, often всё, всё это)]

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⇒ (of a theory, idea, action, or phenomenon that s.o. does not understand and deems unnecessary) sth. is completely uncalled-for, bad, and potentially harmful:

- X - от лукавого{{}}≈ X is the work of the devil;

- X comes straight from the devil;

- [in limited contexts] X is evil.

     ♦ Всё, что не входило, не вмещалось в этот мир, в котором он вырос, выучился и по ступенькам дошёл до нынешнего положения, - было от лукавого (Гинзбург 2). Anything that did not form part of this world of his, to which he had been born, trained, and promoted step by step to his present position, was the work of the devil (2a).

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← From the Bible (Matt. 5:37).