Idioms about crime
a steal
Meaning: A steal refers to a good deal; it’s almost like you stole it.
beat the rap
Meaning: To beat the rap means to evade conviction and punishment for a crime.
behind bars
Meaning: To be in prison.
cat burglar
Meaning: A cat burglar refers to a thief who enters a building by skillfully climbing to a building without attracting notice.
crime doesn’t pay
Meaning: This idiom is used to suggest that crime will ultimately not benefit a person.
get away with something
Meaning: The phrase get away with something means to do something bad and not get punished for it.
hand in the till
Meaning: To have one’s hand in the till, means to steal from one’s employer.
highway robbery
Meaning: This expression is used to refer to a price or a fee that is exorbitantly high.
I could murder something
Meaning: If you say I could murder something, it means that you really want to eat or drink something.
in cold blood
Meaning: The phrase to do something in cold blood is an idiomatic expression that means to do something without feeling or with cruel intent.
in the dock
Meaning: To be on trial in court
on the run
Meaning: Fleeing or running from the police.
on the take
Meaning: This idiom is used to describe a person who is in a position of authority and takes or seeks to take bribes or illegal income.
poverty is not a crime
Meaning: This expression is used to mean that it is not a crime to be poor and that we shouldn’t condemn people for their poverty.
prick of conscience
Meaning: The phrase a prick of conscience is an idiomatic expression that indicates a feeling of guilt. The phrase makes reference to a feeling that causes a sharp mental pain or remorse.
scream bloody murder
Meaning: If you scream bloody murder, you protest loudly and angrily as if something very serious has happened.
serve time
Meaning: Saying that someone is serving time means that he is in prison.
set a thief to catch a thief
Meaning: The best person to catch a thief is another thief, because he or she knows how thieves think.
stool pigeon
Meaning: A decoy or an informer, especially one who is a spy for the police.
the weed of crime bears bitter fruit
Meaning: The phrase the weed of crime bears bitter fruit means that nothing good comes from criminal schemes.
there is honor among thieves
Meaning: When you say there is honor among thieves, this means that even among criminals there is honor and that they do not commit crimes against each other.
thick as thieves
Meaning: intimate, close-knit.
under arrest
Meaning: The phrase under arrest is used to mean that someone is in police custody.