Idiom
get out of jail free card
Meaning
A certain privilege or advantage that provides relief from an undesirable situation or immunity from punishment or consequences.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He thinks his wealth is a get out of jail free card.”
“A sincere apology is not always a get out of jail free card.”
“The manager treated his promotion like a get out of jail free card for his recent mistakes.”
“Being the owner's son is not a get out of jail free card when you arrive late to every shift.”
“The athlete hoped his fame would be a get out of jail free card after he broke the team rules during the tournament.”
“She mistakenly believed her long tenure at the company acted as a get out of jail free card, shielding her from the consequences of her poor performance.”
Examples
simple
“He thinks his wealth is a get out of jail free card.”
“A sincere apology is not always a get out of jail free card.”
contextual
“The manager treated his promotion like a get out of jail free card for his recent mistakes.”
“Being the owner's son is not a get out of jail free card when you arrive late to every shift.”
“The athlete hoped his fame would be a get out of jail free card after he broke the team rules during the tournament.”
complex
“She mistakenly believed her long tenure at the company acted as a get out of jail free card, shielding her from the consequences of her poor performance.”
Origin
Originating as a physical component of the board game Monopoly, the phrase denotes a specific card that permits a player to exit the jail square without the customary delay or financial penalty. The term transitioned from the mechanics of the game into general English usage to describe a broader immunity from consequences.
Key words
Related idioms
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