take the law into one's own hands
- take the law into one's own hands
take the law into one's own hands
Fig. to attempt to administer the law; to pass judgment on someone who has done something wrong. •
Citizens don't have the right to take the law into their own hands.
•
The shopkeeper took the law into his own hands when he tried to arrest the thief.
* * *
{v. phr.} To protect one's supposed rights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. - An overused expression. * /When the men of the settlement caught the suspected murderer, they took the law into their own hands and hanged him to a tree./ * /His farm was going to be sold for taxes, but he took the law into his own hands and drove the sheriff away with a shotgun./ Compare: LAW UNTO ONESELF, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE'S MOUTH.
Dictionary of American idioms.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
take the law into one's own hands — {v. phr.} To protect one s supposed rights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. An overused expression. * /When the men of the settlement caught the suspected murderer, they took the law into their own hands and hanged… … Dictionary of American idioms
take the law into one's own hands — idi take the law into one s own hands, to administer justice as one sees fit without recourse to legal processes … From formal English to slang
take\ the\ law\ into\ one's\ own\ hands — v. phr. To protect one s supposed rights or punish a suspected wrongdoer without reference to a court. An overused expression. When the men of the settlement caught the suspected murderer, they took the law into their own hands and hanged him to… … Словарь американских идиом
take the law into one's own hands — punish someone according to one s own ideas of justice, especially illegally or violently. → lavish something on … English new terms dictionary
into one's own hands — See: TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE S OWN HANDS … Dictionary of American idioms
into one's own hands — See: TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE S OWN HANDS … Dictionary of American idioms
into\ one's\ own\ hands — See: take the law into one s own hands … Словарь американских идиом
take the law into one's hands — exact justice without the court system, take one s own revenge … English contemporary dictionary
take the law into your own hands — take the law into (your) own hands to do something illegal in order to punish someone because you know that the law will not punish that person. One day, after years of violent abuse from her husband, she decided to take the law into her own… … New idioms dictionary
take the law into own hands — take the law into (your) own hands to do something illegal in order to punish someone because you know that the law will not punish that person. One day, after years of violent abuse from her husband, she decided to take the law into her own… … New idioms dictionary
