A Court Trial

CHAPTER 12

A C O U R T T R I A L O N T E L E V I S I O N

(Scene: Dae Hyun, a young student from Korea, and Chuck, his young American friend, are watching the proceedings of an important court trial on television).

Chuck: That guy is guilty! I'd lay money on it!

Dae Hyun: Then why is he claiming to be innocent?

Chuck: That's just the way things go. No one who's guilty ever admits to it. In this country, you're innocent until
proven guilty.

Dae Hyun: What will happen if the jury finds him guilty?

Chuck: The judge will throw the book at him! He will do time for sure! He will wind up spending the rest
of his days behind bars.

Dae Hyun: What if the jury can't decide whether he is innocent or guilty?

Chuck: They'll be a hung jury. He'll get off.

Dae Hyun: Why are you so certain that they will find him guilty?

Chuck: This snake in the grass perpetrated a huge stock fraud. He ripped off thousands of people by
    selling them junk bonds and made off with over a hundred-million dollars. I'm certain the jury's going to find
    him guilty and the judge is really going to stick it to him. I'd bet that the judge dishes out a sentence of thirty
    years to set an example.

Dae Hyun: That's quite a sentence for a non-violent crime.

Chuck: The jury has a score to settle with him, and they will ask for the maximum sentence.

Dae Hyun: What if the accused should plea guilty?

Chuck: They wouldn't let him off. He'll be under lock and key for a long time. There's so much evidence to
look into. I look forward to a long and interesting trial. This will be the best entertainment on television for
some time to come.

EXERCISES:

Exercise 1:Select the meaning of the following idioms most appropriate to the above dialogue.
An answer key is at the end of the chapter.

1. Lay money on something: (a) place money, (b) bet money, (c) invest money

2. The way things go: (a) directions, (b) the mechanism of how things move, (c) how events unfold

3. Throw the book: (a) show anger, (b) to order the maximum sentence the law allows, (c) to go beyond the
law to punish

4. Do time: (a) keep a beat or rhythm, (b) to count, (c) to serve a sentence in prison

5. Wind up: (a) to eventually be in a certain condition, (b) to move one's arms, (c) to turn around

6. Behind bars: (a) to go to a tavern, (b) to be in prison, (c) to be stuck

7. Hung jury: (a) a jury that can't come to a decision, (b) a jury that doesn't finish a case, (c) a jury that focuses
on only one law

8. Get off: (a) to jump off something, (b) to be found innocent, (c) to get intoxicated

9. Snake in the grass: (a) a terrible person, (b) one who looks like a snake, (c) one who is sneaky

10. Rip off: (a) to tear someone's clothing, (b) to grab someone, (c) to steal from someone

11. Made off: (a) to get away with, (b) to create, (c) to borrow someone's property

12. Stick it to someone: (a) to inject someone with a needle, (b) to pin someone, (c) to punish
someone

13. Dish out: (a) to punish, (b) to serve, (c) to become very formal

14. To set an example: (a) to use someone as an example, (b) to immitate, (c) to arrange for an
example to be presented

15. Have a score to settle: (a) to desire revenge, (b) to score a point to end a game, (c) to settle upon a point

16. Let him off: (a) to drop someone, (b) to let someone go freely, (c) to forget someone

17. Under lock and key: (a) under a heavy punishment, (b) to be in chains, (c) to be in prison

18. To look into: (a) to investigate, (b) to see clearly, (c) to look through

19. Look forward: (a) to have one's eyes looking ahead, (b) to anticipate, (c) to stand at attention

20. For some time to come: (a) for a day or two, (b) for a considerable period of time, (c) who knows how
long?

Exerise 2:Fill in the correct idiom from the above list. An answer key is at the end of this chapter.

1. The elderly man was finally out on parole having _______________ in the state penitentary for the last
twenty years.

2. It wasn't until I was home that I realized that my wallet was missing and that it had probable been
_______________by someone in the crowded theatre.

3. Having had my car towed by the traffic police was a terrible experience and one that I will remember for
___________________.

4. I'm not a betting man, but I feel so strongly that she will get the job that I'm willing to
_____________on it.

5. As I watched the fighters punching each other for the championship, I couldn't believe how much
punishment Gomez could __________to his opponent.

6. Some people dislike their jobs so much that they only focus on their retirement, which seems to be the only
thing they have to ________________to.

7. We gave our best presentation, came in with a low bid, and still we didn't get the contract.
Sometimes, that's just the _____________________.

8. He really dislikes Manton and just can't wait for the opportunity to __________him.

9. The police assured me that they would _____________the break-in of my car, but they didn't express much
hope in catching the thief.

10. It was a great moment when the judge ____________________at the convicted child
molester.

11. It is difficult to believe that kindly old Mrs. Evans broke into the church and________with the Sunday
offering.

12. Finally, the carjackers were apprehended. I hope that they _________in prison for many years.

13. Jake pretended to be truly interested in the welfare of the elderly, but he actually deceived
hundreds stealing their life savings. I'd say that he's a real ________________________.

14. Finally, Madeline can sleep at night knowing that the mugger in ______________________.

15. Believe me, I feel safe knowing that the serial killer is finally ____________________.

16. The defense hopes to have planted reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. In that way he their
deliberations will result in a _______________and his client will be freed.

17. The police pulled me over for speeding in a twenty-five mile zone, but the officer ____
me__________with a warning.

18. I agree with you that the punishment was excessive, but the principal wanted to
_______________before the other students.

19. Since it's Tom's first offense, he's hoping that the judge will show mercy and that he'll _____with a light
sentence.

20. After the embarrassment Davidson caused me in front of all the other employees, I have
_______________________with him.

Exercise 3:Use the following idioms in a spoken sentence of your own creation.

1. Lay money: _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. The way things go: _________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

3. Throw the book at (pronoun): _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. Do time: __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

5. Wind up: _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

6. Behind bars: ______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

7. Hung jury: ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

8. Get off: __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

9. Snake in the grass: __________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

10. Rip off: __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

11. Made off: ________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

12. Stick it to (pronoun): _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

13. Dish out: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

14. To set an example: _________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

15. Have a score to settle: ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

16. Let (pronoun) off: _________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

17. Under lock and key: ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

18. Look into: _______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

19. Look forward: ____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

20. For some time to come: _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4:Examine the previous sentences and decide which of them would be more suitable for formal written expression through the use of synonyms. Rewrite those sentences using precise, appropriate synonyms.

Answers to exercise 1: 1 (b), 2 (c), 3 (b), 4 (c), 5 (a), 6 (b), 7 (a), 8 (b), 9 (a), 10 (c), 11 (a), 12 (c), 13 (a), 14 (a), 15 (a), 16 (b), 17 (c), 18 (a), 19 (b), 20 (b).

Answers to exercise 2:
    1. done time                          11. made off
    2. ripped off                           12. wind up
    3. sometime to come           13. snake in the grass
    4. lay money                          14. under lock and key (or behind bars)
    5. dish out                              15. behind bars(or under lock and key)
    6. look forward                      16. hung jury
    7. way things go                    17. let me off
    8. stick it to him                     18. set an example
    9. look into                             19. get off
10. threw the book                  20. a score to settle