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dead to rights

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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US, 1854, originally New York City criminal slang,[1] thence entered general use. dead (“completely, utterly”) + to rights (“properly”).

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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dead to rights (not comparable)

  1. (US, idiomatic) With sufficient evidence to establish responsibility definitively.
    Synonyms: bang to rights, red-handed; see also Thesaurus:guiltily
    have someone dead to rights on something
    Because of the video replay, the ref had him dead to rights on the penalty.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Vocabulum: Or, The Rogue's Lexicon. Comp. from the Most Authentic Sources, George Washington Matsell (1859), p. 25: “DEAD TO RIGHTS. Positively guilty, and no way of getting clear.”
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