hue and cry

English

WOTD – 16 May 2012    

Wikipedia

Etymology

From the Anglo-Norman legal phrase hu e cri.

Noun

hue and cry (uncountable)

1. (historical) The public pursuit of a felon; accompanied by shouts to warn others to give chase.
   • 1797, Richard Burn, John Burn (corrections and updates), The Justice of the Peace, and Parish Officer, Volume II, 18th Edition, page 753,

     Because he that firſt raiſeth a hue and cry, where no felony is committed, that is, he who giveth the falſe information, is ſeverely puniſhable by fine and impriſonment, if the information be falſe.

   • 1818, William Nicholson, Hue and Cry, entry in American Edition of the British Encyclopedia: Or Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Volume 6, unnumbered page,

     For the levying of hue and cry, although it is a good course to have a justice's warrant, where time will permit, in order to prevent causeless hue and cry, yet it is not necessary, nor always convenient; for the felon may escape before the warrant be obtained.

   • 1846, Matthew Bacon, Sir Henry Gwilliam, Charles Edward Dodd, John Bouvier, A New Abridgment of the Law with Large Additions and Corrections, Volume 4, page 693,

     That in case of a hue and cry once raised and levied upon supposal of a felony committed, though in truth there was no felony committed; yet those, who pursue hue and cry, may arrest and proceed as if a felony had been really committed.

2. (by extension) A loud and persistent public clamour; especially one of protest or making some demand.
   • 1955, Caryl Chessman, Trial by Ordeal, quoted in 1956 September, Walter P. Armstrong, Jr, book review, American Bar Association Journal, page 854,

     And because I haven't written off easily, a great hue and cry has gone up that there is something wrong with our whole system of administering justice.

Translations

public pursuit of a felon

• Finnish: ajojahti (fi)
• Latin: hutesium et clamor (la)

• Russian: караул (ru) (karaul), держи вора (ru) (derži vora)

loud and persistent public clamour

• German: Geschrei (de) n, Gezeter (de) n, Zetermordio (de) n, Zeter und Mordio (de) n