skip bail
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Also, jump bail. Fail to appear in court for trial and thereby give up the bail bond (paid to secure one's appearance). For example, I can't afford to skip bail—I'd lose half a million, or We were sure he'd jump bail but he finally showed up. This idiom uses skip and jump in the sense of “evade”. The first dates from about 1900, the variant from the mid-1800s. Also see make bail.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Words nearby skip bail
skin test, skintight, skin up, skip, ski pants, skip bail, skip-bomb, skip bombing, skip car, skipdent, skip distance
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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