Born a crime 第二章 born a crime

控告;告发 If someone  reports  you  to  a person in authority, they tell that person about something wrong that you have done.

His ex-wife reported him to police a few days later...

They threatened to  report  him to the police.

The teacher  reported  him to the principal  for  misbehaving in class.

to pretend to be (someone or something) in order to deceive people

She  posed as  a student to get free admission to the museum.

undercover cops  posing as  drug dealers

The team posed as drug dealers to trap the ringleaders.

to give information about the secret or criminal activity of (someone) to the police

Despite pressure from the police he refused to  inform on  the other conspirators.

He informed on his own brother.

“黑人家园”（指过去南非种族隔离制度下的黑人有一定自治权的地区）The  homelands  were regions within South Africa in which black South Africans had a limited form of self-government.

[only before noun] great in number, amount or degree

•a good many people

•The kitchen is a good size.

•We spent a good while(= quite a long time)looking for the house.

•He devoted  a good deal of (= a lot of)attention to the problem.

•There's  a good chance (= it is likely) that I won't be here next year.

to examine evidence in court and decide whether sb is innocent or

guilty

He was tried for murder.

Why does it take 253 days to try a case of fraud?

(old-fashioned,humorous) to persuade sb to have sex with you

to do exactly what you want to do to or with (something or someone);  especially :  to have sex with (someone, and especially someone over whom you have control, influence, etc.)

He has  had his way with  many women.

缓冲带；中立地区 A  buffer zone  is an area created to separate opposing forces or groups which belongs to neither of them.

an area that keeps two things separated

There must be a 500-foot  buffer zone  between the river and the new buildings.

to put a lot of effort into doing sth, especially when this seems extreme

to try in a very determined or unreasonable way to achieve something

•She goes to extraordinary lengths to keep her private life private.

They have gone to great lengths to make us feel welcome.

The lengths that some people will go to(=the extreme things they will do) to get a ticket!

to not be dealt with by a system that is designed to help you or to stop you doing something

to fail to be caught or protected by the system that was intended to catch or protect you

Too many neglected children are slipping through the cracks.

Too many young people slip through the cracks in the healthcare system.

to happen or appear as someone or something that might be used, chosen, etc.

to take away property or honors from sb, as a punishment

•He was disgraced and stripped of his title.

They  stripped  the slaves  of  their dignity.

The pageant winner  was stripped of  her crown/title after the scandal. [=she was forced to give up her crown/title after the scandal]

[F]If you  contrive to  do something difficult, you succeed in doing it.

The orchestra contrived to produce some of its best playing for years.

She  contrived  [= managed ]  to make  it to the airport in time.

as part of a secret romantic relationship that is outside of your marriage or main romantic relationship

a married man with a girlfriend  on the  side

She had a fiancé but was seeing another man  on the side .

She bought me dinner  in exchange for  helping her move. [=she bought me dinner as a way of paying me for helping her move]

Would you like my old TV in exchange for this camera?

to come together with someone, either unexpectedly or as planned

We usually meet up for a quick coffee in the morning.

meet up with :I met up with him as I left the building.

to give control of (someone) to the police or some other authority

to give information about the location of (someone who has committed a crime) to the police or some other authority

His own parents brought him to the police station and  turned  him  in .

The escaped prisoner  turned himself in (to the police). [=he went to the police and allowed himself to be arrested]

His girlfriend threatened to  turn  him  in .

to visit someone briefly

Feel free to  stop by  [= drop by, drop in ] anytime.

I'll  stop by   for a short visit.

Perhaps I'll stop by the hospital...

I'll stop by to see Leigh before going home.

Could you stop by the store on the way home for some bread?

speaking for myself, etc.

to be in charge of a business, etc

Stop trying to  run my life (= organize it)for me.

a large quantity of people or things

She’s written any number of good stories.

There could be any number of reasons why he’s not at home.

going to different places

She is always out and about, doing one thing or another.

We've been out and about talking to people all over the country.

If you tell someone not to  mess with  a person or thing, you are warning them not to get involved with that person or thing.

I wouldn't want to  mess with  him.

You'd better not be  messing with  me.

The company doesn't want to  mess with  small distributors.

He doesn't want to  mess  with cocaine anymore.

You are messing with people's religion and they don't like that...

something that you may not like but have to accept because it is always there or always true

It's a fact of life that some people will always be racist.

The need to ration healthcare resources is a fact of  life.

to break into parts or pieces

The book just came apart in my hands.

— often used figuratively

a coalition that is  coming apart

Their marriage is  coming  apart at the seams. [=their marriage is failing]

My whole life had  come apart at the seams .

V [ disapproving] :  to tell someone in authority (such as the police or a teacher) about something wrong that someone has done

N 告密者;告发者A  snitch  is a person who snitches on other people.

Someone must have  snitched  to the police.

She  snitched  [= tattled , squealed ]  on  her brother when he skipped school.

very tired of something :  angry about something that has continued for a long time

We've had one delay after another, and I'm starting to feel/get pretty  fed up .

— usually + with

I am fed up with reading how women should dress to please men...

He had become fed up with city life...

I'm fed up with all these delays.

Consumers are  fed up with  rising gas prices.

If you  track down  someone or something, you find them, or find information about them, after a difficult or long search.

She had spent years trying to track down her parents...

I don't know where that old story came from, I've never been able to track it down.

to send (someone) away to a different place

Despite his protests, his mom  packed  him  off to  bed. [=sent him to bed]

parents  packing  their kids  off to  college