When we talk about crime, we might hear some phrases that sound a bit different from what we usually say. These phrases are called “idioms.” Idioms are special ways of using words that mean more than their literal meaning. For example, saying someone “did a crime” can just mean they broke the law. But when we use idioms, the words might give us a deeper or more creative way of expressing an idea.
In this article, we’ll look at idioms related to crime. You’ll learn their meanings and see examples of how people use them in everyday conversations. These idioms can make talking about crime more interesting and fun, even though the topic can be serious. Let’s explore these phrases and see how they help us understand crime in a more colorful way!
Idioms about Crime
1. Break the law
Meaning: To do something against the rules or laws.
Example: If you steal something, you break the law. / He broke the law when he ran the red light.
Put Differently: You do something wrong by not following the rules. / He didn’t follow the rules when he sped down the road.
2. Get caught redhanded
Meaning: To be caught doing something bad or wrong.
Example: She got caught redhanded when she took a cookie from the jar. /He got caught redhanded when he was sneaking into the classroom.
Put Differently: She was caught while doing something bad. / He was caught while doing something sneaky.
3. Do time
Meaning: To be in jail or prison for doing something wrong.
Example: He had to do time after breaking into a store. / The man had to do time for stealing money.
Put Differently: He had to stay in jail for what he did. / The man went to prison for breaking the law.
4. In hot water
Meaning: To be in trouble.
Example: She’s in hot water because she didn’t do her homework. / He was in hot water after lying to the teacher.
Put Differently: She’s in trouble for not doing her work. / He got into trouble for telling a lie.
5. Pay the price
Meaning: To face the consequences for doing something wrong.
Example: If you break something at home, you might have to pay the price. / If you don’t follow the rules, you’ll pay the price by getting in trouble.
Put Differently: You’ll face the bad result for doing something wrong. / There will be consequences for not listening.
6. Throw the book at someone
Meaning: To punish someone as much as possible for doing something wrong.
Example: The teacher threw the book at him because he cheated on the test. / The judge threw the book at the man for breaking the law.
Put Differently: He got a big punishment for what he did. / He was punished a lot for his actions.
7. Walk the straight and narrow
Meaning: To behave in a way that follows the rules.
Example: He promised to walk the straight and narrow after getting into trouble. / If you walk the straight and narrow, you won’t get into trouble.
Put Differently: He promised to follow the rules. / She decided to always do the right thing.
8. On the wrong side of the law
Meaning: To do something against the law.
Example: He was on the wrong side of the law when he took the money. / She was on the wrong side of the law by breaking into the house.
Put Differently: He did something bad that was against the rules. / She didn’t follow the rules and did something wrong.
9. Get off scotfree
Meaning: To not get punished after doing something wrong.
Example: He got off scotfree after breaking the window. / She got off scotfree even though she lied.
Put Differently: He didn’t get in trouble for what he did. / She didn’t face any punishment.
10. Face the music
Meaning: To accept the punishment for something wrong you did.
Example: He had to face the music after he broke the neighbor’s bike. / She had to face the music after being caught cheating.
Put Differently: He had to deal with the consequences of what he did. / She had to accept the punishment for her actions.
11. Get away with murder
Meaning: To do something very wrong and not get caught.
Example: He got away with murder when he cheated and no one found out. / She got away with murder when she skipped school and didn’t get punished.
Put Differently: He did something bad and didn’t get caught. / She did something wrong and no one noticed.
12. Do something behind someone’s back
Meaning: To do something secretly without the person knowing.
Example: She did it behind her mom’s back when she ate the last cookie. / He took the candy behind his friend’s back.
Put Differently: She did something secretly without telling anyone. / He took the candy without anyone knowing.
13. In the clear
Meaning: To not be in trouble anymore.
Example: After the teacher checked her homework, she was in the clear. / He was in the clear after the test was over.
Put Differently: She’s not in trouble anymore. / He finished everything and wasn’t in trouble.
14. Be in the doghouse
Meaning: To be in trouble with someone because of something bad you did.
Example: She was in the doghouse after forgetting her friend’s birthday. / He was in the doghouse because he didn’t do his chores.
Put Differently: She was in trouble for forgetting something important. / He got into trouble for not helping.
15. A close call
Meaning: To almost get into trouble or be caught.
Example: He had a close call when he almost got caught sneaking out. / She had a close call when she almost got in trouble for not doing her work.
Put Differently: He almost got into trouble but didn’t. / She almost faced consequences but escaped.
16. Keep a clean slate
Meaning: To not have done anything wrong or bad in the past.
Example: He tried to keep a clean slate by always telling the truth. / She kept a clean slate by never getting in trouble.
Put Differently: He made sure to stay out of trouble. / She stayed honest and avoided bad actions.
17. Steal someone’s thunder
Meaning: To take credit for something someone else did.
Example: He stole her thunder by saying he came up with the idea first. / She stole her friend’s thunder by claiming the prize.
Put Differently: He took the credit for her idea. / She pretended to be the one who did the work.
18. Put the blame on someone
Meaning: To say someone is responsible for something bad happening.
Example: He put the blame on his brother when the vase broke. / She put the blame on her friend for the missing pencil.
Put Differently: He said it was his brother’s fault. / She said it was her friend’s fault.
19. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret.
Example: He spilled the beans about the surprise party. / She spilled the beans and told everyone the secret.
Put Differently: He told the secret by mistake. / She let the surprise out.
20. A fishy story
Meaning: A story that sounds strange or not true.
Example: His excuse for being late sounded like a fishy story. / She told a fishy story about why she was missing.
Put Differently: His story didn’t sound believable. / She gave a strange explanation.
21. Behind bars
Meaning: To be in jail or prison.
Example: He was behind bars for stealing the money. / She was behind bars after the robbery.
Put Differently: He went to jail for what he did. / She stayed in prison after breaking the law.
22. Take the fall
Meaning: To accept punishment for something you didn’t do.
Example: He took the fall for breaking the window. / She took the fall and said she did the mistake.
Put Differently: He accepted punishment even though it wasn’t his fault. / She said it was her mistake to protect someone else.
23. In the thick of it
Meaning: To be in the middle of something bad or difficult.
Example: He was in the thick of it when the police arrived. / She was in the thick of it during the school argument.
Put Differently: He was in the middle of the trouble. / She was caught in the middle of a difficult situation.
24. Lock someone up
Meaning: To put someone in jail.
Example: They locked him up for stealing. / The police locked her up after the crime. Put Differently: They put him in jail. / She was sent to prison for what she did.
25. Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Meaning: To go from one bad situation to a worse one.
Example: She went from a bad test score to a worse punishment out of the frying pan and into the fire. / He thought the trouble was over, but it got worse.
Put Differently: She went from a small problem to a bigger one. / He thought he was safe but faced bigger problems.
26. A criminal mastermind
Meaning: A person who plans crimes very smartly or cleverly.
Example: He’s a criminal mastermind who plans everything carefully. / She was the criminal mastermind behind the whole scheme.
Put Differently: He is very good at planning bad things. / She was the person who made the plans.
27. In cahoots with
Meaning: To work together secretly to do something wrong.
Example: He was in cahoots with his friend to cheat on the test. / She was in cahoots with the thief to steal the money.
Put Differently: He worked with someone secretly to do something bad. / She secretly worked with someone to break the rules.
28. Blow the whistle
Meaning: To tell the police or someone in charge about something bad.
Example: He blew the whistle on his friend for cheating. / She blew the whistle on the thieves to the police.
Put Differently: He told his friend for doing something wrong. / She told someone important about the bad thing happening.
29. Let someone off the hook
Meaning: To let someone avoid punishment for something wrong.
Example: The teacher let him off the hook when he apologized for cheating. / The judge let her off the hook because it was her first mistake.
Put Differently: He wasn’t punished for what he did. / She didn’t face any consequences.
30. Get in hot water
Meaning: To get into trouble.
Example: He got in hot water for not doing his homework. / She got in hot water when she was caught skipping class.
Put Differently: He got into trouble for not finishing his work. / She faced trouble for not following the rules.
31. Commit a crime
Meaning: To break the law.
Example: He committed a crime when he stole the candy. / She committed a crime when she lied to the teacher.
Put Differently: He did something wrong by not following the law. / She broke the rules by lying.
32. Be on probation
Meaning: To be allowed to stay out of jail but under watch.
Example: He was on probation after he stole the money. / She was on probation for getting into trouble at school.
Put Differently: He stayed out of jail but had to behave well. /She had to follow the rules to stay out of trouble.
33. A guilty conscience
Meaning: To feel bad or worried because you did something wrong.
Example: After lying to her friend, she had a guilty conscience. / He couldn’t sleep because his guilty conscience bothered him.
Put Differently: She felt bad about what she did. /He couldn’t stop thinking about his mistake.
34. Get the short end of the stick
Meaning: To be treated unfairly or to get the worst part of something.
Example: He got the short end of the stick when he was blamed for something he didn’t do. She got the short end of the stick after being punished unfairly.
Put Differently: He was blamed when it wasn’t his fault. / She got in trouble even though it wasn’t fair.
35. A slap on the wrist
Meaning: A mild punishment for something wrong.
Example: He only got a slap on the wrist for being late. / She received a slap on the wrist for skipping class once.
Put Differently: He didn’t get in trouble too much. / She didn’t face a serious punishment for her actions.
36. Cross the line
Meaning: To do something that is not allowed or is wrong.
Example: He crossed the line when he lied about the test. / She crossed the line when she took someone else’s pencil.
Put Differently: He did something that wasn’t okay. / She did something bad by taking what wasn’t hers.
37. Take the law into your own hands
Meaning: To try to punish someone yourself instead of letting the police do it.
Example: He took the law into his own hands and confronted the thief. / She wanted to take the law into her own hands and fix the problem herself.
Put Differently: He decided to act like a police officer by himself. / She wanted to punish someone for something bad they did.
38. A law unto oneself
Meaning: To act in a way that doesn’t follow the rules.
Example: He’s a law unto himself because he doesn’t listen to the teacher’s rules. / She acted like a law unto herself when she ignored the class rules.
Put Differently: He doesn’t follow the rules. / She does whatever she wants without listening to anyone.
39. Do a dirty deed
Meaning: To do something dishonest or wrong.
Example: He did a dirty deed when he tricked his friend into taking the blame. / She did a dirty deed when she cheated on the test.
Put Differently: He did something bad to hurt someone else. / She did something wrong to get ahead.
40. Not on the up and up
Meaning: To not be honest or to be doing something wrong.
Example: His story didn’t sound right, so I thought it wasn’t on the up and up. / She was acting like she wasn’t on the up and up when she hid the truth.
Put Differently: His actions didn’t seem honest. / She wasn’t being truthful about what happened.
“Rewrite the Sentence”Activity: Idioms about Crime
Below are 10 simple sentences that describe actions or situations. Your task is to rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms from the “Idioms About Crime” section. Try to make your new sentences sound natural and make sure the idioms fit properly.
Sentences to Rewrite
- Timmy did something wrong, but he didn’t get in trouble.
- Jessica almost got caught stealing but managed to escape.
- When the teacher found out who broke the vase, she gave him a very mild punishment.
- Kevin was blamed for something he didn’t do.
- Lucy got into trouble when she didn’t follow the rules.
- Ethan felt bad after he lied to his friend.
- Oliver was punished for his mistake after he apologized.
- Sophie was secretly working with her friend to do something bad.
- Ella felt proud when she followed the rules and stayed out of trouble.
- Daniel did something bad but didn’t get caught.
Answer Key
- Timmy got off scotfree after doing something wrong.
- Jessica had a close call when she almost got caught stealing but managed to escape.
- When the teacher found out who broke the vase, she gave him a slap on the wrist.
- Kevin got the short end of the stick when he was blamed for something he didn’t do.
- Lucy got in hot water when she didn’t follow the rules.
- Ethan had a guilty conscience after he lied to his friend.
- Oliver had to face the music after he apologized for his mistake.
- Sophie was in cahoots with her friend to do something bad.
- Ella walked the straight and narrow and stayed out of trouble.
- Daniel got away with murder because he did something bad but didn’t get caught.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explored various idioms related to crime. These idioms help make our conversations more colorful and allow us to express complex ideas in simple and creative ways. While crime can be a serious topic, using idioms helps us talk about it in a way that’s both fun and easy to understand.
By learning and using these idioms, you can not only understand how others talk about crime but also express yourself more clearly and creatively. Keep practicing using these phrases, and soon they will become a natural part of your language!
