на честном слове

• НА ЧЕСТНОМ СЛОВЕ держаться coll, humor

[PrepP; Invar; subj-compl with держаться (subj: concr, usu. пуговица, крючок, брюки etc, or abstr); fixed WO]

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⇒ (of a button, a hook, s.o.'s pants etc) (to hang, be held) precariously, not securely; (of a venture, an undertaking etc) (to be) in a precarious state, liable to end badly:

- (be) hanging by a thread;

- [of a button etc only](be) about (ready) to fall off <down>;

- (be) practically <almost> falling off <down>;

- [of a venture etc only](be) likely to fall through <to fail etc>;

- [in limited contexts](things are) touch-and-go.

     ♦ Смотри, не потеряй пуговицу, она держится на честном слове. Be careful not to lose that button - its about ready to fall off.

     ♦ Подполковник Горчаков был в ночной рубашке, в рейтузах, державшихся на честном слове, и в галошах на босу ногу (Лившиц 1). Lieutenant-Colonel Gorchakov was dressed in a nightshirt, in riding breeches which were almost falling down and in galoshes on his bare feet (1a).