Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape
Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
proverb Those who commit small crimes will face the full consequences of the law, but those who commit crimes on a huge scale will go unpunished. So some guy who holds up a liquor store with a gun because his family can't afford food gets 30 years in prison, but a wealthy CEO who robs millions of people of their pensions gets a few months of community service? I tell you, little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
See also: but, great, little, one, thief
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
Prov. Truly expert criminals are never caught. Everyone's making such a fuss because they convicted that bank robber, but he must not have been a very dangerous criminal. Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
See also: but, escape, great, little, one, thief
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
- transgress
- transgress against
- transgress against (someone or something)
- loiter with intent
- hanged for a sheep (as well) as a lamb, (might) as well be
- hanged for a sheep as a lamb, might as well be
- I might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
- might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
- might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb