get away with murder

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

get away with murder (third-person singular simple present gets away with murder, present participle getting away with murder, simple past got away with murder, past participle (UK) got away with murder or (US) gotten away with murder)

1. (idiomatic) To do something bad or illegal and not be punished.
   • 1980, Gore Vidal, Robert J. Stanton, Views from a Window: Conversations with Gore Vidal, L. Stuart, →ISBN, page 245:

     Just yesterday it was fashionable to be black. Remember? Any black writer could get away with murder, just as any Jewish-American writer can get away with murder.

   • 1984, James Purdy, On Glory's Course, Viking Press, →ISBN, page 147:

     He'd spoil the boy just as we have all spoiled him, and though he's a big strapping fellow and a soldier at that, he'd let Ned get away with murder just as I've done.

   • 2000, Claudia Bishop, Marinade for Murder, Berkley, →ISBN:

     It's because you let people get away with murder, Quill.

   • 2005, James M. Hill, Sr., I Have Been Blessed!: Hard Work and Happiness, Aforesight Press, →ISBN, page 205:

     He said I found out about everything he did and said, 'I can't get away with nothing, and Jim can get away with murder.' I don't think that I let any of my kids get away with murder, and I don't think any one of them ever did much serious mischief.

Translations

to do something bad or illegal and not be punished — see also get away with

• Russian: вы́йти сухи́м из воды́ (ru) (výjti suxím iz vodý) (to get dry out of the water)