law Idiom, Proverb
above the law
break the law/rules
brush with the law
claws are showing
lay down the law
long arm of the law
Murphy's Law
the long arm of the law
flawsin'
take the law into one's own hands
Idiom(s): take the law into one's own handsTheme: LEGAL
to attempt to administer the law; to act as a judge and jury for 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
law unto oneself
Idiom(s): law unto oneselfTheme: DOMINATION
one who makes one's own laws or rules; one who sets one's own standards of behavior.
• You can't get Bill to follow the rules. He's a law unto himself.
• Jane is a law unto herself. She's totally unwilling to cooperate.
Barrack-room lawyer
(UK) A barrack-room lawyer is a person who gives opinions on things they are not qualified to speak about.Law unto yourself
If somebody's a law unto themselves, they do what they believe is right regardless of what is generally accepted as correct.Letter of the law
If people interpret laws and regulations strictly, ignoring the ideas behind them, they follow the letter of the law.Sod's law
Sod's law states that if something can go wrong then it will.Spirit of the law
The spirit of the law is the idea or ideas that the people who made the law wanted to have effect.Word of the law
The word of the law means that the law is interpreted in an absolutely literal way which goes against the ideas that the lawmakers had wished to implement.law of averages|averages|law
n. phr. The idea that you can't win all the time or lose all the time. The Celtics have won 10 games in a row but the law of averages will catch up with them soon.law unto oneself|law
n. phr., literary A person who does only what he wishes; a person who ignores or breaks the law when he doesn't like it. Everybody in Germany feared Hitler because he was a law unto himself. Mr. Brown told Johnny that he must stop trying to be a law unto himself.Compare: TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE'S OWN HANDS.
law-abiding|abiding|law
adj. Obeying or following the law. Michael had been a law-abiding citizen all his life.lay down the law|law|lay|lay down
v. phr. 1. To give strict orders. The teacher lays down the law about homework every afternoon. 2. To speak severely or seriously about a wrongdoing; scold. The principal called in the students and laid down the law to them about skipping classes.Compare: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF.
legal age|age|lawful|lawful age|legal
The age at which a person is allowed to do a certain thing or is held responsible for an action. In most states the legal age for voting is 27. He could not get a driver's license because he was not of lawful age.parliamentary law|law|parliamentary
n. The rules for legislative or other meetings. The club followed parliamentary law at the business meeting.take the law into one's own hands|hand|hands|law|t
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.
law
lawIn addition to the idioms beginning with law, also see above suspicion; lay down the law; letter of the law; long arm of the law, the; Murphy's law; possession is nine points of the law; take the law into one's hands; unwritten law.
* * *
- law and order
- law of averages
- law of the jungle
- law unto oneself
law and order
law and orderStrict enforcement of laws, especially for controlling crime. For example, Our candidate is always talking about law and order. The concept behind this term was stated by Aristotle. Today, however, it also carries the implication of infringing on civil rights in the course of too arduous law enforcement. [Late 1500s]
law of averages
law of averagesThe idea that probability will influence all occurrences in the long term, that one will neither win nor lose all of the time. For example, If it rains every day this week, by the law of averages we're bound to get a sunny day soon. This colloquial term is a popular interpretation of a statistical principle, Bernoulli's theorem, formulated in the late 1600s.
law of the jungle
law of the jungleSurvival of the strongest, as in The recent price war among airlines was governed by the law of the jungle. This term, alluding to the jungle as a place devoid of ethics where brutality and self-interest reign, was first used by Rudyard Kipling in The Jungle Book (1894).
long arm of the law, the
long arm of the law, theThe far-reaching power of the authorities. For example, You'll never get away with leaving work early; the long arm of the law is bound to catch you. This expression began as Kings have long arms (or hands) and was listed as a proverb in 1539. The current version, now often used lightly, was first recorded in 1908.
Philadelphia lawyer
Philadelphia lawyerA shrewd attorney, adept at dealing with legal technicalities, as in It would take a Philadelphia lawyer to get him off. This expression dates from the late 1700s and, as lexicographer Richard H. Thornton observed: “Why members of the Philadelphia bar should be credited with superhuman sagacity has never been satisfactorily explained.”
possession is nine points of the law
possession is nine points of the lawActually holding something is better than merely claiming it. For example, When Karen told John he must return the sofa he'd borrowed, he said possession is nine points of the law. This term originally alluded to nine elements that would aid someone's lawsuit, among them a good lawyer, good witnesses, a good jury, a good judge, and good luck. In time, however, the term was used more for squatter's rights. [Late 1500s]
take the law into one's hands
take the law into one's handsAlso, take the law into one's own hands. Replace the established authority with one's own, as in While the captain was on shore the sailors took the law into their own hands and sneaked the prisoner off the ship. Generally indicating disapproval of doing something forbidden, this idiom was first recorded in 1606.
unwritten law
unwritten lawAn accepted although informal rule of behavior, as in It's an unwritten law that you lock the gate when you leave the swimming pool. [Mid-1400s]
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Dictionary of similar words, Different wording, Synonyms, Idioms for Idiom, Proverb law
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