Caught with your hand in the cookie jar
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Nabbed doing something sneaky or wrong, caught red-handed.
Origin
From 20th-century America, tied to kids' cookie theft; slang by 1940s for caught acts. A 1952 'Life' piece uses it for a nabbed thief.
Variants
- Hand in jar
Usage Examples
- He was caught with his hand in the cookie jar; sneaking cash.
- She got caught with her hand in the cookie jar-cheating!
- Caught with your hand in the cookie jar; admit it!
Browse More