take\ the\ law\ into\ one's\ own\ hands

take\ the\ law\ into\ one's\ own\ hands
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

Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • take the law into one's own hands — {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… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take the law into one's own hands — {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… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • into one's own hands — See: TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE S OWN HANDS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • into one's own hands — See: TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE S OWN HANDS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take the bit in one's mouth — also[take the bit in one s teeth] {adv. phr.} To have your own way; take charge of things; take control of something. * /When Mary wanted something, she was likely to take the bit in her teeth and her parents could do nothing with her./ Compare:… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take the bit in one's mouth — also[take the bit in one s teeth] {adv. phr.} To have your own way; take charge of things; take control of something. * /When Mary wanted something, she was likely to take the bit in her teeth and her parents could do nothing with her./ Compare:… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take the bull by the horns — {v. phr.}, {informal} To take definite action and not care about risks; act bravely in a difficulty. * /He decided to take the bull by the horns and demand a raise in salary even though it might cost him his job./ Compare: TAKE THE BIT IN ONE S… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • take the bull by the horns — {v. phr.}, {informal} To take definite action and not care about risks; act bravely in a difficulty. * /He decided to take the bull by the horns and demand a raise in salary even though it might cost him his job./ Compare: TAKE THE BIT IN ONE S… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • law — law1 lawlike, adj. /law/, n. 1. the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognized and enforced by judicial decision. 2 …   Universalium

  • own — See: COME INTO ONE S OWN, DOSE OF ONE S OWN MEDICINE, HOLD ONE S OWN, IN A WORLD OF ONE S OWN, KEEP ONE S OWN COUNSEL, OF ONE S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE S OWN FREE WILL, ON ONE S OWN ACCOUNT or ON ONE S OWN HOOK, ON ONE S OWN TIME, SIGN ONE S OWN… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • own — See: COME INTO ONE S OWN, DOSE OF ONE S OWN MEDICINE, HOLD ONE S OWN, IN A WORLD OF ONE S OWN, KEEP ONE S OWN COUNSEL, OF ONE S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE S OWN FREE WILL, ON ONE S OWN ACCOUNT or ON ONE S OWN HOOK, ON ONE S OWN TIME, SIGN ONE S OWN… …   Dictionary of American idioms

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”