rap sheet
C1Informal, mainly journalistic and law enforcement.
Definition
Meaning
A police record listing a person's previous arrests and criminal charges.
Metaphorically, any documented list of past failures, mistakes, or negative incidents.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A fixed noun phrase, always singular. Implies an official, formal police document, but the term itself is informal slang. Often used to emphasize a pattern of criminal behaviour.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Term originated and is primarily used in American English. In British English, terms like 'police record' or 'criminal record' are more common in formal contexts, though 'rap sheet' is understood.
Connotations
In the US, it has strong associations with hardboiled detective fiction, noir films, and police procedural jargon. In the UK, it retains an American flavour.
Frequency
Much more frequent in American English. Relatively low frequency in British English, found mostly in contexts influenced by American media or reporting on US affairs.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have + a + (adjective) + rap sheetcheck + (someone's) + rap sheetpull up + (someone's) + rap sheetbe on + (someone's) + rap sheetVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used. Figuratively, might describe a company's history of regulatory violations (very rare).
Academic
Not used in formal academic writing, except perhaps in criminology studies quoting informal sources.
Everyday
Used in conversation about crime or someone's past, but 'criminal record' is more common in everyday British English.
Technical
Used informally in law enforcement and legal journalism, but not a formal legal term; 'criminal history' or 'record of prior convictions' would be formal equivalents.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The suspect has a long rap sheet.
- The police checked his rap sheet.
- Despite his young age, the offender already had an extensive rap sheet for burglary.
- Prosecutors emphasised the defendant's violent rap sheet to argue against bail.
- The journalist, having obtained a copy of the gang leader's rap sheet, detailed a career spanning two decades of organised crime.
- Figuratively, the company's environmental rap sheet made it difficult to secure new investors.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a police officer 'rapping' (tapping) his finger on a SHEET of paper listing all the crimes. RAP + SHEET = a tapped-on list of misdeeds.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIMINAL HISTORY IS A DOCUMENT (a formal list or inventory).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'реп-лист' (a list of rap music). 'Rap' here is unrelated to music. The false cognate is a common pitfall.
- Do not translate 'sheet' literally as 'простыня' (bed sheet). It means a sheet of paper.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a plural (*rap sheets) is less common but possible when referring to multiple people's records. The singular is standard.
- Confusing it with a 'charge sheet' (document detailing specific current charges). A 'rap sheet' is the cumulative history.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'rap sheet' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It likely comes from a late 19th-century slang term 'rap' meaning 'a rebuke, blame, or criminal charge' (as in 'to take the rap').
No, it is informal police and journalistic slang. Formal equivalents are 'criminal record', 'record of prior convictions', or 'criminal history'.
Yes, increasingly so. It can humorously or critically refer to any list of past misdeeds or failures, e.g., 'a politician's rap sheet of broken promises'.
No. It is a fixed compound noun. The plural, when needed, is 'rap sheets' (e.g., 'comparing the rap sheets of the two suspects').