murder (redirected from yelling blue murder)

cry bloody murder

Fig. to scream as if something very serious has happened, especially unnecessarily. Now that Bill is really hurt, he's crying bloody murder. There is no point in crying bloody murder about the bill if you knew the restaurant was expensive.

See also: bloody, cry

get away with murder 

1. Lit. to commit murder and not get punished for it. (See also get away with something.) Don't kill me! You can't get away with murder!

2. Fig. to do something very bad and not get punished for it. That guy always gets away with murder—just because he's cute. You will spoil your son if you let him get away with murder. You should punish him for his back-talk.

See also: away, get

murder on something

very destructive or harmful to something. Running a marathon is murder on your knees. This dry weather is murder on my crops.

Murder will out.

Prov. Murder will always be discovered.; A bad deed will be found out. Horace thought he had disposed of his victim in such a way that no one would ever discover his crime, but murder will out.

See also: out

scream bloody murder and yell bloody murder

Fig. to complain bitterly; to complain unduly. When we put him in an office without a window, he screamed bloody murder. There is something wrong next door. Everyone is yelling bloody murder.

See also: bloody, scream

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get away with murder  (informal)

to be allowed to do things that other people would be punished or criticized for Dave gets away with murder because he's so charming.

See also: away, get

I could murder something.  (British informal)

something that you say when you want a particular kind of food or drink very much I'm starving. I could murder a curry.

See also: could

scream blue murder  (British, American & Australian informal) also scream bloody murder (American & Australian informal)

to shout or to complain very loudly Readers screamed blue murder when the price of their daily paper went up. Someone took the child's ice cream away and he started screaming bloody murder.

See also: blue, scream

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get away with murder

to not be punished for bad behavior It seems to me that kids these days really get away with murder in the classroom.

See also: away, get

scream bloody murder

to shout or to complain very loudly Sometimes the baby screams bloody murder when we give her a bath. I'm so frustrated with the telephone company, I want to scream bloody murder.

Usage notes: sometimes holler bloody murder and yell bloody murder, with the same meaning

See also: bloody, scream