Society, Law & Politics - Defying Norms

Explore English idioms that relate to defying the norms with examples like "bandit territory" and "break ranks".

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to [bend|stretch] the rules [phrase]

to do something that is not strictly according to rules, often by making exceptions

Ex: He bent the rules to help his friend avoid a penalty .

dead to rights [phrase]

in a situation where there is clear proof of one's crime or wrongdoing

Ex: The auditors are investigating the company 's financial records and have found evidence that puts some employees dead to rights .

blood on {one's} hands [phrase]

a situation in which one is responsible for the death of a person

Ex: The warlord continues to sow violence and has blood on his hands with each innocent life lost .

smoking gun [noun]

a piece of evidence that is used to prove someone's crimes or wrong deeds

Ex: The prosecutor presents the murder weapon as the smoking gun , providing irrefutable evidence of the defendant 's guilt .

to [beard] the lion in (his|her) den [phrase]

to confront someone very powerful or dangerous in their area of control and strength, where they hold the advantage

Ex: The investigative journalist plans to beard the lion in his den by exposing the corrupt politician 's misdeeds .

to [break] ranks [phrase]

to publicly oppose a group or party that one has been a member of

Ex: The employee bravely breaks ranks and exposes the company 's unethical practices .

to [take] the law into {one's} (own|) hands [phrase]

to illegally punish someone in a way that one personally thinks is right or just, often by the use of violence

Ex: The vigilante group believes they are justified in taking the law into their own hands to protect the neighborhood .

to [jump] the [light] [phrase]

to ignore red traffic lights and move past them

Ex: They always remind their teenage son not to jump the light while driving .

the law of the jungle [phrase]

used to refer to a situation in which people are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed

Ex: The political landscape is governed by the law of the jungle , with politicians vying for power and influence .

bandit territory [noun]

a place in which rules and laws are not followed or obeyed

Ex: If the situation worsens , that region might become a full-fledged bandit territory , where rules and laws will be completely ignored or disobeyed .

to [jump] the line [phrase]

to try to unfairly move past a group of people lining up somewhere before one's turn arrives

Ex: People who jump the line at the grocery store often face disapproving looks from fellow shoppers .

off the back of a truck [phrase]

used for saying that a free or unreasonably cheap product is not obtained legally

Ex: People sometimes purchase electronics off the back of a truck , unaware of their questionable origin .

AWOL [adjective]

(of a person) not attending a place one was supposed to or leaving an obligation without any notice or permission

Ex:

French leave [noun]

an unannounced and unauthorized absence from a job, workplace, or other commitment

Ex:

to [slip] {sb} a Mickey (Finn|) [phrase]

to secretly put a drug in a person's drink in order to make them unconscious

Ex:

pink elephants [noun]

a vivid and often bizarre hallucination that a person may experience, typically as a result of heavy drinking or drug use

Ex: Last night , he saw pink elephants after consuming a few too many cocktails at the party .

out of season [phrase]

at a time when it is illegal to hunt an animal

Ex: Last year , they were fined for hunting ducks out of season .

Society, Law & Politics
According to Rules	Defying Norms	Justice	Injustice
Politics	Political Issues	Punishment	Society
Social Class	Social Norms & Conformity	Leaving or Escaping	Fraud & Swindle