Crime A-Z


Crimes

Criminals

Verbs

arson

arsonist

set (a place) on fire

assassination

assassin

assassinate sb

assault

assailant

assault sb

blackmail

blackmailer

blackmail sb

bribery

       -

bribe sb

burglary

burglar

burgle 

drug dealer

drug dealing

deal drugs

fraud

fraudster

commit a fraud / defraud sb

hijacking

hijacker

hijack

homicide (US)

killer

commit homicide / kill

kidnapping

kidnapper

kidnap

manslaughter

     -

commit manslaughter

mugging

mugger

mug sb

pickpocketing

pickpocket

pickpocket

rape

rapist

rape sb

robbery

robber

rob sb/a place

shoplifting

shoplifter

shoplift

smuggling

smuggler

smuggle

terrorism

terrorist

commit a terrorist attack

theft

thief

thieve / rob / steal

vandalism

vandal

vandalise



What is the difference between a crime and an offence?

What is the difference between an assassination and a murder?

What is the difference between murder and manslaughter?

What is the difference between a robbery and a theft?

What is the difference between a mugging and a burglary?

What is the difference between a shoplifter and a pickpocket?

What is the difference between a kidnapper and a hijacker?


Consider the following sentences:
  • My friend's motorbike was stolen the other week.
  • She was robbed at knife point in broad daylight.
What is the difference between the verbs rob and steal?


Which crime do you associate a ransom note with?

Which crime(s) do you associate a hostage with?


Con (crime / verb) and conman (criminal) are informal words for which crime?

Break-in (crime) and break into (verb) are informal words for which crime?


What crimes have you read about / heard of recently?

What are the most common crimes in your city?

Have you ever witnessed a crime?

What are some of the most famous crimes?


Use the labels to find similar posts to the one you have just read. You can search under labels in the left hand column or at the end of every post you will find one or more labels eg Crime.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Congratulations Graham. It is a very remarkable work, own good Scottish. I´m sorry can´t be same level.

What is the difference between an assassination and a murder?
An Assassination is for politic reason of important person (In Spanish “un magnicidio”).
A murder is to kill to normal person.

What is the difference between murder and manslaughter?
Murder is a malicious homicide (In Spanish voluntario o doloso)
Manslaughter is involuntary homicide (In Spanish homicidio por imprudencia, tráfico)

What is the difference between a robbery and a theft?
Robbery is with violence, for example bank robbery.
Theft is without violence, for example car, bag.

What is the difference between a mugging and a burglary?
Mugging is to rob to a person.
Burglary is to rob unlawful entry (allanamiento de morada) at home.

What is the difference between a shoplifter and a pickpocket?
Shoplifter is a robber shops.
Pickpocket is a robber people (carterista, chorizo).

What is the difference between a kidnapper and a hijacker?
Kidnapper refers people.
Hijacker refers things with people like cars, aeroplanes, etc.

Consider the following sentences:
• My friend's motorbike was stolen the other week.
• She was robbed at knife point in broad daylight.
What is the difference between the verbs "rob" and "steal"?
Rob on people. Also refers places like a bank.
Steal to rob things. Steal money, jewellery, etc.

Which crime do you associate "a ransom note" with?
With kidnapper. Also can be hijacker.

Which crime(s) do you associate "a hostage" with?
With kidnapper. Also can be hijacker and terrorism.

What crimes have you read about / heard of recently?
A minor stabs another by argument of football.

What are the most common crimes in your city?
The crimes about drugs.

Have you ever witnessed a crime?
Yes, I was witness an armed robbery in travel agent´s.

What are some of the most famous crimes?
The crimes of Nazism. The crimes of ETA in Spain.

Personally I think it is more o less correct, but you will check and will tell a lot of mistake that I have made.

See you soon. José.
Graham said…
Hi José!

I hope you enjoyed the holiday. I can just imagine you in the traditional San Isidro costume and dancing the "chotis". :-)

IT REFERS TO...

YOU ROB PEOPLE. ALSO FROM places like BANKS.
YOU STEAL THINGS SUCH AS money, jewellery, etc.

Which crime do you associate "a ransom note" with?
KIDNAPPING AND HIJACKING.

Which crime(s) do you associate "a hostage" with?
KIDNAPPING. IT CAN ALSO be HIJACKING and terrorism.

What crimes have you read about / heard of recently?
A minor stabs another IN AN argument ABOUT football.

What are the most common crimes in your city?
CRIMES RELATED TO drugs.

Have you ever witnessed a crime?
Yes, I WITNESSED an armed robbery in A travel agent's.

Personally I think it is more or less correct, but you will CHECK IT and FIND A LOT OF MISTAKES that I have made.


Well done José!
Roberto said…
Assassination is the murder of an important person (like a politician). A robbery is when someone rob a bank (not a person or a house). Shoplifter is a person who steal in a shop. A pickpocket is a person who steal wallets. I associate "a random note" and "a hostage",with a kidnapping (only for people). I think the most common crimes in my city are pickpocketing,shoplifting,and drug dealing. The most recently famous crimes in Spain are the "Bárcenas case" and the Assumpta murder. I have been stolen three or four times in my life,and I have witnessed different tipes of crimes and illegal situations.
Montse said…
Hi, Graham.

I think the difference between “rob” and “steal” is that you stole something from someone but you rob to someone (or a bank, a company, a jewelry shop…)
“A ransom note” is an amount of money that you give to someone in a kidnapping.
I associate “a hostage” with robbery, hijacking, kidnapping, mugging and assault.
Everyday we can read in the news about murders, blackmail, frauds, drug dealing, briberies, terrorism, theft…
I think the most common crimes in Madrid are thefts, pickpocketing, crimes related to the domestic violence and crimes about traffic though, fortunately, I have never witnessed a crime.
Graham said…
Hi Roberto and Montse,

A robbery is when someone robs a bank... A shoplifter is a person who steals from a shop. A pickpocket is a person who steals wallets.

The most recent famous crimes...

I have been robbed three or four times in my life,and I have witnessed different types of crimes...



I think the difference between “rob” and “steal” is that you steal something from someone but you rob someone (or a bank, a company, a jeweller shop/ jeweller's…)

“A ransom note” is the note that you write with your demands. The ransom is the money that you pay for the return of the person who has been kidnapped.

I'd associate a hostage with robberies and hijacking. Assault and mugging is attacking someone but not keeping them hostage.

I think the most common crimes in Madrid are thefts, pickpocketing, crimes related to domestic violence and crimes about traffic though, fortunately, I have never witnessed a crime.


Hugo said…
Hi Graham.
I am going to write the story that I think you would have had heard.
In may of two years ago there was the most important robbery has never been before in Salamanca community. I am talking about the diamond which was worth more than 300.000€. The thiefs had a very good look and very good attitude, in fact, anyone suspected anything, they asked about of diamonds more than 3 carats and sale staff showed the earrings and inclusive the earrings were in the windows too. They have seated while they were comparing differences details of diamons. No one didn’t know how did the change but he took advantage the moment and he did. It is obvious when the staff realised they called the police inmediatlly and made a report happened. Thanks God it hadn’t assault, blackmail, etc. At the time the thief hadn’t arrested.
Graham said…
Evening Hugo!

I don't recall the theft that you mention. It makes a change from "alunizajes" (smash and grabs / ramraids) that occur in the Salamanca neighbourhood.

It is astonishing that the staff didn't notice the switch before they did. What kind of people do they employ in these places? :D


I am going to write about a story that you must have heard about.
Two years ago in May, there was the biggest robbery that has ever happened in the Salamanca neighbourhood.

I am talking about a diamond which was worth more than 300.000€.

The thieves had a smart appearance and behaved normally, in fact, nobody suspected anything, they asked to see diamonds that had more than 3 carats and the sale staff showed earrings, including the earrings that were in the store window.

They were seated as they compared different details of the diamonds.

No one knows how they made the exchange but they took advantage of the moment and they did.

Obviously, when the staff realised what had happened, they called the police immediately to report the theft.

Thank God they didn't assault the staff.

The thief has never been arrested.