к шапочному разбору

• К ШАПОЧНОМУ РАЗБОРУ прийти, явиться, попасть и т.п. coll

[PrepP; Invar; adv; fixed WO]

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⇒ (to arrive, appear etc) at the very end or conclusion of sth.:

- when <(just) as, not...till> the show is over;

- when it's all over (but the shouting);

- when <as> things are coming to a close;

- when everybody is leaving <is getting ready to leave>;

- at the tail end (of a party <a meeting etc>).

     ♦ Наши посетители монастыря к обедне... не пожаловали, а приехали ровно к шапочному разбору (Достоевский 1). Our monastery visitors did not...appear at the liturgy, but arrived just as the show was over (1a)

     ♦ "Отправляю тебя первым пароходом..." - "Выходит, прочие к шапочному разбору поспеют?" (Максимов 1). "I'm sending you in the first ship..." "Does that mean the others won't get there till the show is over?" (1a).

     ♦ "Пойдём к светлой заутрене". - "Идите, я посля [ungrammat = после] приду". - "К шапошному [phonetic spelling] разбору?" (Шолохов 2). "Come with us to the morning service." "I'll come along later" "When it's all over?'' (2a).

     ♦ Мы очень опоздали на совещание - пришли к шапочному разбору, когда обсуждение важных вопросов было закончено. We were really late for the meeting. We arrived when things were coming to a close and all the important questions had already been discussed.