cry foul

cry foul

To protest against something that has happened. A: "How could you go through my things without asking?" B: "Oh, don't cry foul—I was just looking for my sweater and I found it. It's not a big deal." Dad cried foul when I forgot to put gas in his car after borrowing it.
See also: cry, foul
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cry foul

protest strongly about a real or imagined wrong or injustice.
Foul in this context means foul play , a violation of the rules of a game to which attention is drawn by shouting ‘foul!’
1998 Times She can't cry foul when subjected to fair and standard competition.
See also: cry, foul
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

ˌcry ˈfoul

(informal) complain that somebody else has done something wrong or unfair: When the Labour party candidate didn’t win the election, he cried foul and demanded a recount.
In sport, a foul is an action that is against the rules of the game.
See also: cry, foul
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • far cry, a
  • don't cry before you are hurt
  • big boys/girls don't cry
  • cry barley
  • cry from the heart
  • a cry from the heart
  • cry over
  • cry over (someone or something)
  • cry your heart out
  • cry (one's) heart out
References in periodicals archive
LAHORE -- Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was acting on the "cry foul" policy to divert attention from its incompetence.
Govt acting on 'cry foul' policy to divert attention from its incompetence: Marriyum
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was acting on the "cry foul" policy to divert attention from its incompetence.
Govt acting on 'cry foul' policy to divert attention from its incompetence: Marriyum
LAHORE -- Flour millers in Punjab cry foul as the Sindh food department has suggested lower wheat price.
Flour mills seek uniform wheat price in country
They should not cry foul when the governor delivers development directly to the people," he said.
EACC asked to probe Wiper MCAs over anti-Mutua demos
I have not seen such transparent elections even in the USA during the time I spent there,' Swati said, adding that failure of the RTS had caused unnecessary doubts in the minds of people and provided an opportunity to the opposition to cry foul and stigmatized PTI's clear-cut victory.
PTI demands probe into RTS 'failure'
Of course employers would wrongly cry foul and claim they couldn't afford to employ people on increased wages just as they did when New Labour introduced a minimum wage.
Pay decent wage to the employed
Summary: New Delhi [India], Dec 18 (ANI): Former Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla on Monday asserted that political parties or candidate tended to cry foul and blame the electronic voting machines (EVMs) when they are losing the elections.
Former CEC says political parties blame EVM when they lose in polls
Sharif family appears before JIT in full protocol even then they cry foul,' Malik concluded.
Sharif Family's hue, cry is unjustified: Nargis Malik
We stay in the EU, though the Brexiteers will cry foul and demand a future referendum.
So what happens next...?
" Those whose candidates get selected feel rewarded, while those who are not able to get their men inside the system cry foul.
Sangh divided over appointment of V- Cs & teachers
Privacy campaigners who cry foul are failing to clock the problem is with technology not democracy.
Cracking the whip
Aston Christians cry foul over Villa's Easter Sunday Liverpool clash.
THE MAIL ONLINE Go to the city's No.1 website: www.birminghammail.co.uk
Summary: With reference to Khaleej Times report headlined 'Commuters cry foul over hike in Metro charges' published on August 8, here is an update on metro fares for different trips:
Update on Metro fares
I submit that speakers who cry foul pressure opponents to repair or abandon questionable tactics by making a norm determinate, and by making manifest the badness of the tactic and that the speaker is exercising forbearance.
Countering questionable tactics by crying foul
"People there will cry foul against inauthenticity in a second." Ma Maison uses music by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which, like McIntyre, updates a classical vocabulary for a contemporary audience.
Trey cool