Highway robbery
Meaning
An excessively high price or an unfair deal that feels like a blatant act of theft.
Origin
Imagine the lonely, unlit roads of 18th-century England, where shadows might hide more than just trees. Here, the notorious highwaymen lay in wait, their pistols glinting, ready to relieve unsuspecting travelers of their purses at sword-point. This was not a subtle affair; it was direct, undeniable theft on the open road, where you had no choice but to surrender your valuables. When an unfair price today feels just as unavoidable and outrageous, we reach for "highway robbery" to describe it. It's a vivid echo of a time when being literally robbed on the king's highway was a very real, and often violent, possibility—a brazen act of theft that leaves you feeling utterly helpless and fleeced.
Examples
- The cost of a small bottle of water at the concert was highway robbery.
- They charged me an extra fee for a basic service; it felt like highway robbery.