What does ‘threw the book at them’ mean and where did it originate from?
The idiom ‘threw the book at them’ means to punish someone to the fullest extent of the law. It originated from the practice of throwing a book of laws at a defendant as a symbolic gesture of severe punishment.
The idiom was first used in the early 1900s in the United States. At that time, judges had wide discretion in sentencing criminals. Some judges were known for being lenient, while others were known for being harsh. When a judge imposed a particularly harsh sentence, it was said that they had ‘thrown the book at the defendant.’
The idiom is still used today to describe cases where someone has been punished severely. It is often used in cases where the crime is particularly heinous or where the defendant has a history of criminal behavior.
Related Questions and Answers
- What does ‘threw the book at them’ mean? It means to punish someone to the fullest extent of the law.
- Where did the idiom come from? It originated from the practice of throwing a book of laws at a defendant as a symbolic gesture of severe punishment.
- When was the idiom first used? It was first used in the early 1900s in the United States.
- Why is the idiom used? It is often used in cases where the crime is particularly heinous or where the defendant has a history of criminal behavior.
- Is the idiom still used today? Yes, it is still used today to describe cases where someone has been punished severely.
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