two-bit crook
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˈtuː bɪt krʊk/
- Offensive
:
delincuente de poca monta
Examples
-
Like sending those two-bit crooks to Watergate.
-
The detective was determined to catch the two-bit crook who had been stealing from local shops.
-
Everyone in the town knew he was nothing more than a two-bit crook who could never pull off a real heist.
-
After the scandal broke, they discovered that the mayor was merely a two-bit crook involved in petty scams.
Synonyms
153
3.9
A dishonest person who cheats or steals
Antonyms
How Serious
22
7.4
2
7.1
- Offensive
1
7.9
47
5.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'two-bit' denotes something trivial or of low worth, and 'crook' denotes a criminal; their combination straightforwardly yields the idea of a petty or small‑time criminal. This is a regular adjective+noun composition that mirrors similar constructions cross‑linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase two-bit crook comes from old US money: a 'bit' was a small coin worth about 12 cents, so two-bit, about 25 cents, came to mean something cheap. Together with crook, which means 'a thief', the picture is of a cheap, small-time thief, so the phrase means 'a petty or unimportant criminal'.