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Definition:
b) to open a lock without a key
German translation:
pick a lock = ein Schloss knacken
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GOOGLE INDEX
pick a lock: approximately 100,000 Google hits
Sample text:
Monkey PICKS LOCK, escapes from zoo
(local newspaper headline in Tupelo, Mississippi)
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The trial at Isleworth Crown Court heard that the man used just a piece of plastic from an old sign to PICK LOCKS and steal from several businesses in central London.
(BBC News)
Did you know?
pick a lock
phrase
- to open a lock without the use of a key
(American Heritage Dictionary)
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WORD ORIGIN
Picking a lock was once the sole domain of criminals, thieves, burglars, robbers, safecrackers, prowlers, cat burglars, secret agents and of course locksmiths, whose job it is to design and build locks and "pick" them for us when we lock our keys in the car for instance.
Lock picking has also gained interest among groups of amateurs around the world as a hobby. Lock picking clubs have been founded for people who like to test their skills against new and challenging locks. Competitions are sometimes held to determine the fastest lock picker.
Some lock pickers view their hobby much in the same way as computer hackers. One of the principles of computer hacking states that breaking into systems is acceptable if no harm is caused and if it highlights weaknesses that the industry can use to improve data security. Barry Wels, one of the best-known lock pickers in Europe, says one of the reasons he picks locks is to show manufacturers the flaws in their products.
Wels, who is from the Netherlands, thinks his rivals in Germany are the best at lock picking and that he admires their ability to concentrate: "They could walk into a house party where everyone is dancing to loud music - not that they ever would go to a house party - and just block everything out and pick a lock."
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"Anyone with a basic knowledge of lock picking could get into our storeroom."
Thanks to Ute for suggesting today's word!
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And now...
Today's Learning Tip (13):
CONTEXT IS THE CLUE
Write out the context sentence on a small card, but leave a BLANK for the new word. Check yourself in spare moments by reading the sentence and remembering the missing word (TIP: if the word is particularly difficult, write the first four or five letters in the blank space lightly in pencil
more learning tips
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