daylight robbery meaning (informal): definition

daylight robbery

noun

UK /ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/ · US /ˌdeɪˌlaɪt ˈɹɑb(ə)ɹi/

Etymology From daylight + robbery, originally used literally to refer to robbery occurring in the daytime rather than at night, which was thought to be more audacious or risky.

UK, Idiomatic, Informal The practice of cheating or of imposing an exorbitant charge for a product or service; (countable, rare) an instance of this.

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports UK, Idiomatic, Informal Conduct which unfairly deprives an opponent of an advantage or a win; (countable, rare) an instance of this.

UK, Idiomatic, Informal Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see daylight, robbery.

A daylight robbery of a store carries with it a risk that the store clerk will be present and a confrontation will ensue, so grounds to fear a daylight robbery give rise to a reasonable inference that the defendant is armed and dangerous.2006, Sarah N. Welling, “Stop and Frisk”, in Paul Finkelman, editor, Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties, volume 3, Routledge, published 2013, →ISBN, page 1570, column 1: