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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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English idioms related to Society, Law & Politics
to [bend|stretch] the rules

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

Ex: The manager bent the rules and let us submit the report a day late. 
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dead to rights

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

Ex: The security footage caught him dead to rights taking money from the drawer. 
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blood on {one's} hands

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

Ex: If the hostages die, the kidnappers will have blood on their hands. 
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smoking gun

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

Ex: The hidden email was the smoking gun in the corruption case. 
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to [beard] the lion in (his|her) den

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

Ex: She bearded the lion in his den by challenging the CEO during the board meeting. 
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to [break] ranks

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

Ex: Several senators broke ranks and voted against their own party. 
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to [take] the law into {one's} (own|) hands

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

Ex: The police warned the crowd not to take the law into their own hands. 
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to [jump] the [light]

to ignore red traffic lights and move past them

Ex: The driver jumped the light and nearly hit a cyclist. 
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the law of the jungle

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

Ex: In that company, it is the law of the jungle: everyone does whatever it takes to get ahead. 
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bandit territory

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

Ex: After dark, that part of town turns into bandit territory. 
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to [jump] the line

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

Ex: He tried to jump the line at the ticket counter. 
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off the back of a truck

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

Ex: That laptop was so cheap it must have fallen off the back of a truck. 
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AWOL
AWOL
[Adjective]

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

Ex: He went AWOL after lunch and never came back to work. 
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French leave

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

Ex: He took French leave after lunch and never returned to the office. 
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to [slip] {sb} a Mickey (Finn|)

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

Ex: Someone slipped him a Mickey at the bar, and he woke up hours later. 
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pink elephants

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

Ex: After drinking all night, he claimed he was seeing pink elephants. 
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the road less traveled

an unusual, less conventional, or more difficult choice in life

Ex: She chose the road less traveled and started her own business. 
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out of season

at a time when it is illegal to hunt an animal

Ex: He was fined for shooting deer out of season. 
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