THEFT
have one's hand in the till
to be stealing money from a company or an organization. (The till is a cash box or drawer.)Mr. Jones had his hand in the till for years before he was caught.I think that the new clerk has her hand in the till. There is cash missing every morning.
have sticky fingers
to have a tendency to steal. (Slang.)The clerk—who had sticky fingers—got fired.The little boy had sticky fingers and was always taking his father's small change.
hold someone up
to rob someone (figuratively or literally).I don't eat at that restaurant anymore. The food is too expensive. They really held me up the last time I ate there.That's the one who held me up at gunpoint.The thug held up the old lady.
make away with someone or something and make off with someone or something
to take someone or something away; to make someone or something disappear.The robber made away with the jewelry.The maid quickly made off with the children. We only saw them for a moment.
rake something off
to steal or embezzle a portion of a payment. (Slang.)They claimed that no one was raking anything off and that the money was only mislaid.The county treasurer was caught raking off some of the tax money.
reach for the sky
a command to put one's hands up, as in a robbery. (Slang.)Reach for the sky! This is a stickup!The sheriff told the bank robbers to reach for the sky.
rip someone off
to cheat or deceive someone; to steal from someone. (Slang.)That store operator ripped me off.They shouldn't rip off people like that.
rip something off
to steal something.I bought it! I didn't rip it off!The crooks ripped off a car in broad daylight.
run off with someone or something
to take something or someone away; to steal something or kidnap someone.The thief ran off with the lady's purse.The kidnapper ran off with the baby.
walk away with something and walk off with something
to take or steal something.I think somebody just walked off with my purse!Somebody walked off with my daughter's bicycle.
boost
tr. & in. to steal or shoplift something. (Underworld.)He specializes in boosting meat for resale.He boosts for a living.
burn
tr. to cheat or rob someone.Tom tried to burn me by selling me a bum watch, but I'm too clever.He will burn you if you're not careful.
cop
1.
tr. to take or steal something. (Originally underworld.)
Somebody copped the statue from the town square.Who copped the salt from this table?
2.
n. a theft. (Underworld.)
They pulled the cop in broad daylight.It was a lousy cop. No skill. No finesse.
crack
tr. to break into something. (Underworld.)We almost cracked the safe before the alarm went off.His specialty is cracking car trunks and stealing tires.
five-finger discount
n. the acquisition of something by shoplifting.Bruno used his five-finger discount to get the kind of ring Tracy wanted.I got this thingy with my five-finger discount.
fleece
tr. to cheat someone; to steal everything from someone. (Underworld.)Bruno fleeced the kids for a lot of money.Rocko never tried to fleece anybody.
glom
tr. to steal something. (Underworld.)Lefty glommed a little car for the evening.He gloms just about everything he needs.
Hands up! and Stick 'em up!
exclam. “Raise your hands in the air; this is a robbery!” (Underworld and Western.)Hands up! Don't anybody move a muscle. This is a heist.Stick 'em up! Give me all your valuables.
heist
1.
n. a theft; a robbery; a lift. (Underworld.)
Lefty just had to pull one last heist.The heist went off without a hitch.
2.
tr. to steal something; to rob a person or place; to lift something. (Underworld.)
The thugs heisted her and took her purse and watch.Lefty heisted a car and then drove around in it all evening.
hook
tr. to steal something.Lefty hooked a couple of candy bars just for the hell of it.What did they hook last night?
hot
mod. stolen.This watch is hot. Keep it.Rocko won't touch a hot watch or anything else hot.
job
n. a theft; a criminal act. (Police and underworld.)Max and Lefty planned a bank job over in Adamsville.Who did that job at the old mansion last week?
kipe
tr. to steal something.Where did you kipe this thing?The punk kiped a newspaper just for the heck of it.
liberate
tr. to steal something. (Originally military.)We liberated a few reams of paper and a box of pens.The privates liberated a jeep and went into town.
lift
tr. to steal something.She had lifted this ring. We found it on her when we arrested her.Some of these really young kids will lift something just because they like it.
moonlight requisition
n. a nighttime theft. (Military.)It took a moonlight requisition to get the medicine we needed.They got the spare part on a moonlight requisition.
mug
tr. to attack and rob someone.Somebody jumped out of an alley and tried to mug me.Some punk mugged Mrs. Lopez last night.
nick
tr. to steal something.The thugs nicked a couple of apples from the fruit stand.Don't ever nick anything! Do you hear me?
nip
tr. to steal something.The thief nipped my purse.The punk kid nipped two candy bars from the drugstore.
pinch
tr. to steal something.The kid pinched a candy bar right off the counter.I pinched these paper clips from my office.
pull a job
tr. to carry out a crime, especially a robbery. (Police and underworld.)Max decided that it was not a good time to pull a bank job.Bruno and Max left town after they pulled the job.
rip
n. a theft; a rip-off.The crooks pulled a rip on Fourth Street last night.That was the third rip there this week.
rip-off
1.
n. a theft; a deception; an exploitation.
This sandwich is a rip-off!What a rip-off! I want my money back.
2.
mod. having to do with theft and deception.
I consider myself to be rip-off champion of North America.All I hear is rip-off stories. Isn't anybody honest?
rip something off
tr. to steal something.They ripped them all off.The crooks ripped off the hubcaps of my car.
rob someone blind
1.
tr. to overcharge someone.
You are trying to rob me blind. I won't pay it!Those auto repair shops can rob you blind if you don't watch out.
2.
tr. to steal freely from someone.
Her maid was robbing her blind.I don't want them to rob me blind. Keep an eye on them.
roll
tr. to rob a drunkard.The muggers found a drunk and rolled him.Those punks can't get much money by rolling drunks.
scarf
tr. to steal or swipe something.The kid scarfed a candy bar, and the store owner called the cops.The plumber's assistant had been scarfing copper for months before they figured out what was going on.
snag
tr. to grab or steal something.Somebody snagged the jacket I just bought.See if you can snag a couple of good seats while I get the popcorn.
snatch
1.
tr. to grab something; to steal something.
Snatch me the paper there on the table as you walk by, would you please?Somebody snatched my car.
2.
n. a theft. (Underworld.)
The snatch went off without a hitch except that the safe was empty.Are you the guys who pulled off that First National snatch?
snitch
1.
tr. to steal something.
Who snitched my cake?Why don't you snitch the salt from one of the other tables?
2.
n. a theft. (Underworld.)
The snitch went off without a hitch.How much loot did we get in the snitch?
sticky fingers
n. a tendency to steal.Bruno has sticky fingers and likes wallets especially.Watch these young kids with sticky fingers who come in here “just looking.”
swipe
tr. to steal something.Max swiped a pack of cigarettes from the counter.Somebody swiped my wallet!
take-off
n. a robbery. (Underworld.)That was some take-off Lefty pulled, huh?Yeah, Lefty sure knows take-offs.
take someone or something off
tr. to rob someone or something. (Underworld.)Weren't you in that bunch that took the bank off in Philly?No, we never took off no bank, did we, Lefty?
waltz off (with something)
in. to steal something easily.The thieves waltzed off with a giant screen television in broad daylight.They just picked the thing up and waltzed off. Nobody asked them any questions.
whack something (out)
tr. to rob a place; to swindle a business establishment. (Underworld.)Did your guys whack the church collection box?Bruno's gang whacked out the bank on Maple street.