Community Chat

[PickyPicky3]

I love language, and so do many people here. Today I heard an interview with a musician from TN who had made some bad choices when he was young concerning drugs and crime. When he got out of prison, he was able to find success in a new career.

He described what happened as "I caught a criminal charge.  And then another. And then I caught a few more..."

I've never heard "I got arrested" expressed in this way. To me it downplays the seriousness of what he did (he didn't give details). Is this regional or a different generation? Prison language?  

[deepwaterdotter]

I used to work with a woman who referred to getting arrested as "catching a charge".  She grew up in Georgia, so it may be a southern 'turn of phrase'?

[Trailrun23]

I lived in Tennessee for 20 years and never heard that phrase used before. I think there are lots of local or regional phrases and many even within those. My brother married a girl from Mississippi. She always says she is going to "carry me" to the store if she is driving. We all have lots of local phrases through the country. 

[kittyloo]

IMO its not a regional expression.  If you are of the seedy element, and getting hauled in on a regular basis, or questioned etc.  i think it's terminology one might use. 

  i guess you could get charged with a list of things, but they could only prove one?   so just because you were charged with robbery, breaking and entering, speeding, and discharge of a firearm, if you only are get prosecuted for one of them, thats the one you caught. 

[proudlyfromNJ]

I caught a cold.

[millieshops]

I've never heard it -  could it be an expression common among those who have "caught a charge"?

[smoochy]

I’ve only every heard it on COPS and The First 48. It’s used by the ppl who get arrested.

[RedTop]

I'm in WV, and have never heard this expression.  Here it's more "I was charged with ______".

I suspect it's how the offenders refer to their actions when incarcerated.  

[Love my grandkids]

I've heard it for years and live on the west coast.

[PhilaLady1]

As another poster said, I too have only heard this expression on Cops or some such TV show.