murder
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Related to murder: Serial killers
(an) accessory to (some crime)
Someone who knowingly incites or assists in the commission of some crime without direct participation. He was found guilty of murder, while his wife was found guilty of being accessory to murder due to her involvement in luring the victim to the abandoned warehouse. If they find out you helped steal the getaway car, you'll be tried as an accessory to the robbery! Yes, I'm Wild Bob's brother, but I'm not an accessory to his crime, I swear. I has no idea he was planning to rob a bank until I saw it on the news!
(one) is going to murder (someone)
One will be extremely, belligerently angry with someone (though not with an actual intent to kill them). Mom is going to murder you if she finds out you broke her antique vase! I swear, I'm going to murder him if he goes poking his nose in my room again. My parents are going to murder me when they see that I'm failing Algebra this semester.
(one) will murder (someone)
One will be extremely, belligerently angry with someone (though not with an actual intent to kill them). Mom will murder you if she finds out you broke her antique vase! I swear, I'll murder him if he goes poking his nose in my room again. My parents will murder me when they see that I'm failing Algebra this semester.
be murder on (someone or something)
To cause a lot of harm, distress, or ill effects to someone or something. Staring at this computer screen all day has really been murder on my eyes! I just think working in the evenings and having to get up with the kids in the morning is going to be murder on you. I've been rejected more times than I care to remember. Dating is really murder on a guy's ego.
conspiracy to commit murder
In law, an offense marked by an agreement or contract one makes with or among others to murder someone else. The emails between himself and the other suspects gave the prosecution enough evidence to charge them all with conspiracy to commit murder. Based on the prosecution's damning evidence, I'm not surprised the three roommates were sentenced for conspiracy to commit murder. Just because the husband survived doesn't mean that the wife and her lover won't be charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
conspiracy to murder
In law, an offense marked by an agreement or contract one makes with or among others to murder someone else. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. The emails between himself and the other suspects gave the prosecution enough evidence to charge them all with conspiracy to murder. Based on the prosecution's damning evidence, I'm not surprised the three roommates were sentenced for conspiracy to murder. Just because the husband survived doesn't mean that the wife and her lover won't be charged with conspiracy to murder.
cry bloody murder
To scream or complain as though one is experiencing something very dangerous, serious, or frightening (which is not usually the case). Joey cried bloody murder after his scoop of ice cream fell off the cone. You need to stop crying bloody murder over every little injury—a paper cut is not a big deal! If I don't get a refund by tomorrow, I am going to cry bloody murder.
cry blue murder
1. To scream or shout very loudly. Enid cried blue murder when she noticed the snake in the rocks next to her. Please stop crying blue murder across the house. If you want to talk, go to the same room. You need to stop crying blue murder over every little injury—a paper cut is not a big deal!
2. To complain or protest loudly or forcefully, especially so as to attract public attention. When they refused to give me a refund, I cried blue murder until the manager came out. Our customers will cry blue murder if we raise the prices again. There's always someone at the customer service desk crying blue murder about a product that didn't meet their expectations.
get away with murder
To avoid consequences for any of one's actions; to be able to do whatever one wants without consequences. Of course he's misbehaving at school—you let him get away with murder at home! No parent wants to be a disciplinarian, but you can't let your kids get away with murder either. Of course you're the favorite—I get in trouble for every little thing, but Mom and Dad let you get away with murder!
half-murder
An instance of extreme but non-fatal harm inflicted on someone. Primarily heard in India. That case in Mumbai was an instance of half-murder—the victim did live, though he was severely injured by the attacker. The half-murder left the victim bedridden and blind in one eye. I remember that case—the guy took such a severe beating that I'm still amazed it only ended up being a half-murder.
I could murder (some kind of food)
I'm so hungry that I could (or would like to) devour (some kind of food). I'm famished after that hike. I could murder a hamburger right now.
murder will out
Atrocities, especially murder, cannot be suppressed, denied, or remain undetected forever. Though the suspect has eluded us so far, murder will out, and we will see the perpetrator of these heinous crimes behind bars eventually. The government has today finally acknowledged its role in the massacre during the rebellion. Murder will out, even if it is twenty years late.
scream bloody murder
1. To scream or shout very loudly. Enid screamed bloody murder when she noticed the snake in the rocks next to her. Please stop screaming bloody murder across the house. If you want to talk, go to the same room.
2. To forcefully complain, especially loudly or in a public manner. When they refused to give me a refund, I screamed bloody murder until the manager came out. Our customers will scream bloody murder if we raise the prices again.
scream blue murder
1. To scream or shout very loudly. Enid screamed blue murder when she noticed the snake in the rocks next to her. Please stop screaming blue murder across the house. If you want to talk, go to the same room.
2. To forcefully complain, especially loudly or in a public manner. When they refused to give me a refund, I screamed blue murder until the manager came out. Our customers will scream blue murder if we raise the prices again.
yell bloody murder
1. To scream or shout very loudly. Enid yelled bloody murder when she noticed the snake in the rocks next to her. Please stop yelling bloody murder across the house. If you want to talk, go to the same room.
2. To complain forcefully or loudly, especially as to attract public attention. When they refused to give me a refund, I yelled bloody murder until the manager came out. Our customers will yell bloody murder if we raise the prices again.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
cry bloody murder
Fig. to scream as if something very serious has happened, especially unnecessarily. Now that Bill is really hurt, he's crying bloody murder. There is no point in crying bloody murder about the bill if you knew the restaurant was expensive.
get away with murder
1. Lit. to commit murder and not get punished for it. (See also get away with something.) Don't kill me! You can't get away with murder!
2. Fig. to do something very bad and not get punished for it. That guy always gets away with murder—just because he's cute. You will spoil your son if you let him get away with murder. You should punish him for his back-talk.
get away with someone or something
to escape, taking someone or something with one. The kidnapper got away with little Brian. The burglars got away with a lot of cash and some diamonds.
get away with something
and get by with somethingto do something and not get punished for it. (See also get away with murder) You can't get away with that! Larry got by with the lie.
murder on something
very destructive or harmful to something. Running a marathon is murder on your knees. This dry weather is murder on my crops.
Murder will out.
Prov. Murder will always be discovered.; A bad deed will be found out. Horace thought he had disposed of his victim in such a way that no one would ever discover his crime, but murder will out.
scream bloody murder
and yell bloody murderFig. to complain bitterly; to complain unduly. When we put him in an office without a window, he screamed bloody murder. There is something wrong next door. Everyone is yelling bloody murder.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
get away with
1. Escape the consequences or blame for, as in Bill often cheats on exams but usually gets away with it. [Late 1800s]
2. get away with murder. Escape the consequences of killing someone; also, do anything one wishes. For example, If the jury doesn't convict him, he'll have gotten away with murder, or He talks all day on the phone-the supervisor is letting him get away with murder. [First half of 1900s]
murder will out
Certain news cannot be suppressed, as in He's being charged with embezzlement and fraud-murder will out, you know. This expression already appeared in Chaucer's The Nun's Priest's Tale: "Murder will out that we see day by day." [Late 1300s]
scream bloody murder
Angrily protest as loudly as possible, as in When Jimmy took her teddy bear, Lauren screamed bloody murder, or Residents are screaming bloody murder about the increase in property taxes. The scream here may be either literal (as in the first example) or figurative, which is also true of invoking murder as though one were in danger of being killed. Versions of this term, such as cry murder, date from the 1400s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
get away with murder
INFORMALCOMMON If someone gets away with murder, they do whatever they like and no one punishes or criticizes them. His charm and the fact that he is so likeable often allows him to get away with murder. His mother is so soft — she lets him get away with murder.
scream blue murder
BRITISH, INFORMAL orscream bloody murder
AMERICAN, INFORMAL1. If someone screams blue murder, they complain a lot about something. Unions accept free accommodation and travel, yet they would scream blue murder if the same was received by politicians. `If the FBI was doing this, people would be screaming bloody murder,' says Richard Taylor, a security and privacy expert.
2. If someone screams blue murder, they scream and shout very loudly. She screamed blue murder as he came at her. She ran from the building, screaming bloody murder. Note: The expression `blue murder' is perhaps derived from the French oath `morbleu', which is a variation of `mort Dieu'. `Bleu' or blue is used in French as a euphemism for `Dieu' or God, so `morbleu' literally means `blue death'.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
get away with murder
succeed in doing whatever you choose without being punished or suffering any disadvantage. informalmurder will out
murder cannot remain undetected.This expression was used by Chaucer in The Prioress's Tale: ‘Mordre wol out, certeyn, it wol nat faille’.
scream (or yell) blue murder
make an extravagant and noisy protest. informalA North American variant of this phrase is scream bloody murder .
1995 Iain Banks Whit I was now left with the ticklish problem of how to let my great-aunt know there was somebody there in the room with her without…causing her to scream blue murder.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
get away with ˈmurder
(informal, often humorous) do something wrong without being punished, criticized, etc: His latest book is rubbish! He seems to think that because he’s a famous author he can get away with murder! ♢ She lets the students get away with murder.I could ˈmurder a...
(spoken) used to say that you very much want to eat or drink something: I could murder a coffee.he, she, etc. will ˈmurder you
(spoken) used to warn somebody that another person will be very angry with them: Your brother will murder you when he finds out what you’ve done to his car!scream blue ˈmurder
(British English) (American English scream bloody ˈmurder) (informal) shout, scream, etc. very loudly and for a long time; make a lot of noise or fuss because you disagree very strongly with something: Jill will scream blue murder if Ann gets promoted and she doesn’t.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
murder
and slaughter tv. to overwhelm; to beat someone in a sports contest. We went out on the field prepared to slaughter them. The murdered us in the second half.
scream bloody murder
tv. to scream very loudly; to complain or protest loudly. She screams bloody murder every time I get near her.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
get away with murder
Informal To escape punishment for or detection of an egregiously blameworthy act.
murder will out
Secrets or misdeeds will eventually be disclosed.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
scream bloody/blue murder, to
To shout loudly in pain, fear, or anger. The second term appears to have originated as a play on the French expletive morbleu (mort bleu translates as “blue murder”). The Hotten Dictionary of Slang (1859) defined it as a desperate or alarming cry. The term was used by Dion Boucicault about 1874: “They were standing by and trying to screech blue murder” (quoted in M. R. Booth, English Plays of the Nineteenth Century; cited by OED). It is heard less often, at least in America, than the more graphic bloody murder, dating from the first half of the 1900s. For example, “The one-year-old who has yelled bloody murder during his physical . . .” (B. Spock, Problems of Parents, 1962).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer