To leave in the lurch

[123xyz]

Hello everybody,

I am looking for a Russian equivalent of the English phrase "to leave in the lurch", in the sense of abandoning or neglecting someone after having directly or indirectly promised to help, especially suddenly, and in the context of grave situations. So far, I have found "оставить/покинуть в беде/тяжелом положении", but this doesn't appear to be idiomatic, as it directly translates to "to leave/abandon someone in misery/a difficult situation", which is simply the literal essence of the concept. So, I was wondering if there is a Russian phrase as idiomatic as the English one (or the Italian "piantare in asso", literally "to plant in an ace", or the Macedonian "остави на цедило", literally "to leave on a strainer"). Does someone have some suggestions? I am somehow sceptical about the existence of more idiomatic alternatives, but I thought it would be worth asking.

Context:
У нас был план купить подарок для подруги вместе, и так я пришел перед торгового центра в назначенном времени чтобы с ним встретился, но посколько ему якобы неловко проводить время со мною, он решил просто не появиться не сказав ничего, и меня покинул в беде. Потом я сам покупал подарок, не зная что делаю.

Thank you in advance

 

[Rosett]

Context:
У нас был план купить подарок для подруги вместе. Итак, я пришел к торговому центру в назначенное время, чтобы с ним встретиться, но, поскольку ему якобы неловко проводить время со мною, он решил просто не появиться/появляться, не сказав ничего, и меня покинул в беде. Потом я сам покупал/купил подарок, не зная что делать.

бросил
продинамил

 

[Drink]

I was also going to suggest бросить. The funny thing is that I've never heard this English expression "to leave [someone] in the lurch".

 

[Rosett]

The funny thing is that I've never heard this English expression "to leave [someone] in the lurch".

Приводится, напоимер, здесь http://www.thefreedictionary.com/leave+in+the+lurch
1. leave someone in the lurch to desert someone in trouble

 

[123xyz]

Thank you for the replies. I really like "(про)динамить".

Second question split into a separate thread

 

[DrDIT]

Thank you for the replies. I really like "(про)динамить".

I wonder why... The word is highly colloquial and to me, for instance, is not clear at all; I would never use it myself, and I'm positive many native speakers would not understand it. In my opinion this ugly word belongs to the speech of either teens, or the uneducated classes.

 

[123xyz]

DrDIT, why is the word unclear? Dictionaries suggest that this word explicitly means "to stand up", "to leave hanging", and the like, thus also "to leave in the lurch", to an extent. Where does the ambiguity arise? As for why I like the word, I am amused by the association with dynamites.

 

[Sobakus]

As for why I like the word, I am amused by the association with dynamites.

It's most likely derived from dynamo generator.

 

[Rosett]

I was always thinking of Dinamo (Moscow) sports club.