СТОЯТЬ СТЕНОЙ

• СТОЯТЬ СТЕНОЙ••

[VP]

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1. стоять стеной за кого-что [subj: human (usu. pl) or collect]

⇒ to stand united behind and strongly support, defend s.o. or sth.:

- Х-ы стояли стеной за Y-a ≈ Xs stood (firmly) behind Y;

- Xs stood up for Y;

- Xs gave their full support (backing) to Y.

     ♦ ...За Караваева стеной стояли интеллигенция [Брянска] и рабочие арсенала (Паустовский 1)....The Bryansk intellectuals as well as the workers at the Arsenal stood firmly behind him [Karavayev](1a).

2. [subj: human]

⇒ to be firm, unyielding in one's position on some matter:

- X стоял стеной••≈ X stood (held) his ground;

- X stood firm (fast);

- X stuck to his guns.

     ♦ [author's usage] Рахиль стояла как стена: ни в какую Швейцарию она не поедет, ей и здесь хорошо... (Рыбаков 1). Rachel stood her ground. She wasn't going to go to any Switzerland, she liked it here (1a).