Vocabulary

of crime
idioms
crime
doesn't pay
The phrase “crime doesn't pay” means that
crime or any illegal methods of earning is
not a profitable venture, or rather it is never
beneficial. Its implied meaning is that it
always invites punishment. A criminal
always has to bear the consequence of
his/her actions.
to catch someone
red-handed
The phrase “to catch someone red-
handed” means that to discover someone
while they are doing something bad or
illegal

He was caught red-handed taking

money from the till.
 to be a law
unto oneself
Charlie, of course, never
fills in the record forms The phrase “to be a law unto oneself”
means that to behave in a way that is
but then he's a law unto independent and does not follow the usual

himself. rules for a situation

 to let someone
off the hook
The minister was last night under fire
for letting the big banks off the hook. The phrase “to let someone off the hook”
means that having escaped from a difficult
situation or punishment
to be up to
no good
She knew that her brother
The phrase “to be up to no good ” means to
be doing or planning something wrong or was up to no good but she
dishonest
didn't tell anyone.
 Shoplifting

John had always been a hard-

working man. He had a decent job
that paid him well and a loving
family that he cared for deeply.
However, due to the recent
economic downturn, John had found
himself struggling to make ends
meet.
 One day, while walking through his local supermarket,
John's eyes fell upon a bar of chocolate. His family loved
having tea with chocolate for breakfast, but John realized
he didn't have enough money to purchase it. Frustrated
and desperate, he decided to slip the bar of chocolate into
his pocket and leave the store without paying.

As he walked towards the exit, John heard

someone calling out to him. It was a security
guard who had seen him steal the eggs. John tried
to explain his situation, but the guard was
unsympathetic and called the police.

John was arrested and charged with shoplifting. He

was filled with shame and regret for his actions,
which he knew were wrong. He had never stolen
anything before, but the stress of his financial
situation had clouded his judgment.

The legal process was long and arduous, and John

was forced to pay a hefty fine for his crime. He also
had to attend mandatory counseling sessions to
address his behavior and learn ways to cope with
his financial stress in a healthier manner.
 In the end, John learned a valuable lesson. He
realized that his actions not only affected himself but
also his family and his community. He vowed to
never shoplift again and to seek help if he ever
found himself in a difficult financial situation again.