bad company

bad company

Unsavory people (for one to spend time with). You are keeping some bad company these days, Bill, and if you get arrested, I am not bailing you out! My mom thinks my new friends are bad company, but I'm having so much fun with them!
See also: bad, company
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • be downhill all the way
  • downhill all the way
  • as bad as all that
  • have a bad opinion of (someone or something)
  • have a good, bad, high, low, etc. opinion of somebody/something
  • it's the story of my life
  • story of my life, the
  • (it's/that's the) story of my life
  • a bad press
  • bad press
References in classic literature
And hence they are very bad company, for they can talk about nothing but the praises of wealth.
Though their commander was a kind man in his way, and had made a point of introducing them to the best people in the town in order that they should not fall into the bad company of boys belonging to other ships, I regret to say that they made faces at him behind his back, and imitated the dignified carriage of his head without any concealment whatever.
namely, of example, of bad company, obscene language, and the like.
'The fact is, brother,' said the hangman, in a tone of greater confidence, 'that you got into bad company. The man that was with you was looked after more than you, and it was him I wanted.
When Jehan saw that it was only this, that is to say, no doubt a physician or a magistrate, and that this man had a nose very far from his mouth, a sign of stupidity, he nestled down in his hole, in despair at being obliged to pass an indefinite time in such an uncomfortable attitude, and in such bad company.
Forty stripes he gave to each of the Bishop's retinue for being abroad in bad company; but come, here we are where you shall have the wine as proof of my tale."
And to think that the teacher had told me--and my mother, too!--`Beware of bad company!' That's what she said.
That swindling Pumblechook, exalted into the beneficent contriver of the whole occasion, actually took the top of the table; and, when he addressed them on the subject of my being bound, and had fiendishly congratulated them on my being liable to imprisonment if I played at cards, drank strong liquors, kept late hours or bad company, or indulged in other vagaries which the form of my indentures appeared to contemplate as next to inevitable, he placed me standing on a chair beside him, to illustrate his remarks.
(Prince Andrew could not endure that sort of man), he gave Boris a pleasant smile, frowned as with half-closed eyes he looked at Rostov, bowed slightly and wearily, and sat down languidly on the sofa: he felt it unpleasant to have dropped in on bad company. Rostov flushed up on noticing this, but he did not care, this was a mere stranger.
And you'll be running into bad company, I expect, putting your nose in every hole and corner where you've no business!
"Because he repents of living in bad company," said Gourville, "and prefers you to all his bandits."
"Well, then, I'll tell you wot it is, my friend," says the turnkey, openin' the gate wery slow and sulky, "it's my 'pinion as you've got into bad company o' late, which I'm wery sorry to see.
`And a deal sooner I would,' says Fletcher; `for what's more against one's stomach than a man coming and making himself bad company with his religion, and giving out as the Ten Commandments are not enough for him, and all the while he's worse than half the men at the tread-mill?' Fletcher said so himself."
Faust 'wanted to know'--and got into bad company, as the necessary result."
You can't do better than be interested in some lime works anywhere down about Northfleet, and doubtful whether some of your lime don't get into bad company as it comes up in barges.'