APAD: The Usual Suspects.

Meaning:

   "The usual suspects" are the people habitually suspected or arrested

   following a crime.  The phrase is usually used in regard to scapegoats

   rather than actual perpetrators of the crime in question.

 

Background:

 

   It was spoken by Captain Louis Renault, the French prefect of police,

   played by Claude Rains in the 1942 U.S. film Casablanca.

 

   But that was not the first. The expression and the extended "round up the

   usual suspects" were in common use then in the police and underworld

   communities of gangland New York.

 

   ...

 

  'The usual suspects' is now as commonly used as other lines from the film

  that were spoken by Bogart and which were much more quickly taken into the

  public consciousness:

 

     "Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake."

     "Here's looking at you, kid."

     "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

 

- www.phrases.org.uk

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The phrase could be very useful as people look for causes when things go wrong

as things always do. If networks at the Pentagon just went to pieces, it's

hackers, AI-armed this year, from Russia, China, or North Korea. If the

Chinese economy tanks, the usual suspects include the perennial overseas

reactionary forces. As we are entering the fire season in California, global

warming once again will be among the usual suspects along with run-of-the-mill

socialpathic pyros.

所有跟帖： 

• haha, we stillHaveCasablancaDVD;) liked Bogart(&Bacall) Alot -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 08:52:40

• They say its script's the best. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 11:53:49

• Yes, it's precise and lean, and full of wit! :) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 16:21:37

• Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. -akc- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 13:01:48

• Yes, in the movie. But I like LaurenBacall, Bogart's wife! -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 14:13:08

• They were a power couple & did some very nice movies. -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 14:26:56

• Use it 2 if anythingMissing, the usual suspect == Maowi cat -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 08:56:57

• Right. The singular works, too! -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 11:53:05

• Poor Maowi, I have 2 give him aFew treats to make it up ;) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 16:23:52

• 替罪羊 -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 13:34:50

• Largely and for good reasons. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/30/2024 postreply 16:14:42

• “ I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” -akc- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 10:27:08

• The last line spoken in the movie by Bogart as Rick and Capt -akc- ♂ (69 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 13:00:20

• Casablanca's a fine movie. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 14:04:30

• “Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake." spoken by -akc- ♂ (50 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 10:31:02

• justices were served in this way; e.g.紅顏禍水 -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 14:03:01

• Can't blame 'em. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 03/31/2024 postreply 14:08:50

• Just watched "Casablanca" on my flight today... -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/01/2024 postreply 20:35:05

• Good to know :) Thanks for sharing. -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/02/2024 postreply 14:11:43