Breaking and entering

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on May 24, 2005

In Reply to: Breaking and entering posted by T C on May 24, 2005

: What is the origin of the legal phrase: "Breaking and entering"?

: It is a definition of burglary. "Breaking" means that you have technically had to use force to get in (e.g. pick the lock, break a pane of glass, whatever - you didn't just turn the handle to open the door) and "entering" means that you have actually entered the premises without the consent of the owner.