if you can't do the time, don't do the crime
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One should not carry out an action if one is unwilling to handle the consequences.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Không nên thực hiện hành động nếu không sẵn sàng chấp nhận hậu quả
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “if you can't do the time, don't do the crime” mean?
One should not carry out an action if one is unwilling to handle the consequences.
Is “if you can't do the time, don't do the crime” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.