"if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" meaning in English

See if you can't do the time, don't do the crime in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Etymology: From do time (“to serve a prison sentence”). Head templates: {{en-proverb}} if you can't do the time, don't do the crime
  1. One should not carry out an action if one is unwilling to handle the consequences. Categories (topical): Crime, Prison, Time Related terms: crime doesn't pay
    Sense id: en-if_you_can't_do_the_time,_don't_do_the_crime-en-proverb-KKnh98xf Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English imperative sentences, English proverbs, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries
     
{
  "etymology_text": "From do time (“to serve a prison sentence”).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime",
      "name": "en-proverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English imperative sentences",
          "parents": [
            "Imperative sentences",
            "Sentences"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Crime",
          "orig": "en:Crime",
          "parents": [
            "Criminal law",
            "Society",
            "Law",
            "All topics",
            "Justice",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Prison",
          "orig": "en:Prison",
          "parents": [
            "Buildings",
            "Law enforcement",
            "Buildings and structures",
            "Crime prevention",
            "Emergency services",
            "Law",
            "Architecture",
            "Crime",
            "Public safety",
            "Justice",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Criminal law",
            "Society",
            "Public administration",
            "Security",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "All topics",
            "Government",
            "Fundamental",
            "Politics"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Time",
          "orig": "en:Time",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One should not carry out an action if one is unwilling to handle the consequences."
      ],
      "id": "en-if_you_can't_do_the_time,_don't_do_the_crime-en-proverb-KKnh98xf",
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "crime doesn't pay"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From do time (“to serve a prison sentence”).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime",
      "name": "en-proverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "crime doesn't pay"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English imperative sentences",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proverbs",
        "English rhyming phrases",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "en:Crime",
        "en:Prison",
        "en:Time"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One should not carry out an action if one is unwilling to handle the consequences."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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