Imagine the following situation. A criminal committed a crime (for example a robbery) with several associates. Then he found out that his associates may have been investigated and arrested and they might have informed on him. So he took action and killed his associates to silence them.
Is there any idiom or collocation used for this action – for killing fellow criminals? I think it may exist because I heard in on a TV years ago but I was not able to find it.
EDIT: I found out that the detective in the show used the idiom tie up (some/a few) loose ends, which is quite general and can be used on plenty of others occasions. Answers presented below may be more suitable to the story.
Best Answer
I can't think of a word that's used exclusively used for criminals killing other criminals to prevent them from testifying, but there are several words and phrases that are often used in such contexts.
For example, there's the phrasal verb rub out, which is slang for murdering someone – but I don't think that's reserved for rubbing out a fellow criminal.
The word silence can be used in this context as well. As a verb, silence can mean "keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure." For example, a New York Post bioarticle says:
The phrasal verb paint houses could work as well; according to the Online Slang Dictionary, it means "to kill or murder someone," with the phrase being a colorful reference to the blood that splattered on the walls as a result.
One other term I've heard used is cement shoes, which refers to using cement around someone's feet so that their body can be dropped into the ocean and remain unfound.
But these terms can be used for any act of murder and are not necessarily restricted to criminal-on-criminal violence and intimidation.