отбить хлеб

• ОТБИВАТЬ/ОТБИТЬ <ПЕРЕБИВАТЬ/ПЕРЕБИТЬ obs> ХЛЕБ у кого coll

[VP; subj: human]

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⇒ to deprive another person of earnings or an opportunity to earn money by taking up his work; by extension to (try to) take attention, praise etc away from s.o. by infringing on his area of activity:

- X отбивает хлеб у Y-a ≈ X is taking <is trying to take, is stealing etc> (the) bread out of Y's mouth;

- X is doing <is trying to do> Y out of a <Y's> job;

- [extended usage] X is stealing the spotlight from Y.

     ♦ [Фёкла:] Знаешь ли ты, мать моя, ведь меня чуть было не прибили, ей-богу! Старуха-то, что женила Афёровых, так было приступила ко мне: "Ты такая и этакая, только хлеб перебиваешь, знай свой квартал", - говорит (Гоголь 1). [F:] Do you know, my dear, I was almost beaten up-yes, by God! The old woman that married the Afyorovs, she comes up to me. "You're a so and so," she says, "taking the bread out of the mouths of honest people. Stick to your own district" (1b).

     ♦ [Коринкина:] А коли у ней деньги, так зачем она в актрисы пошла, зачем рыщет по России, у нас хлеб отбивает? (Островский 3). [К.:] And if she has so much money, why should she be an actress? Why should she go travelling about Russia, stealing the bread out of our mouths? (3a).

     ♦ "Дмитрий Алексеевич, - начал Урюпин... - Вот тут мы... вот, так сказать, наша с Валерием Осиповичем попытка отбить у вас хлеб..." (Дудинцев 1). "Comrade Lopatkin," Uriupin began. ... "We have here...well - that is Comrade Maxiutenko's and my attempt to do you out of your job!" (1a).

     ♦ "Кто чем угощает, а Кемал рассказом, - уточнил дядя Сандро, насмешливо поглядывая на Кемала, - отбивает хлеб у своего дяди" (Искандер 5). [context transl] "Some people treat you to one thing, Kemal to a story," Uncle Sandro said, making it more precise, with a mocking glance at Kemal. "He takes the story right out of his uncle's mouth" (5a).