З123

1. usu. словно (как будто) земля горит под ногами s.o. is compelled to run away from some place or to some place very quickly

X убегал, как будто земля горела у него под ногами — X ran off like the wind (like greased lightning).

2. s.o. is in a difficult, dangerous situation: земля горела у X-a под ногами - X was sitting