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A Get Out of Jail Free card is an element of the board game Monopoly. It has since become a popular metaphor for something that will get one out of an undesired situation without any repercussions. [1]
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The original American version of the board game Monopoly has two Get Out of Jail Free cards, with distinctive artwork. One, a "Community Chest" card, depicts a winged version of the game's mascot, Mr. Monopoly, in his tuxedo as he flies out of an open birdcage. The other, a "Chance" card, shows him booted out of a prison cell in a striped convict uniform. More modern versions of the game have more simply illustrated cards with a set of four jail bars, with the middle two bent outwards, implying a prison escape.
Players move around the Monopoly board according to dice throws. Most of the tiles players land on are properties that can be bought. There is also a tile, the Jail, that can hold players and cause them to lose their turn until certain conditions are met. They can end up in this space by landing on the "Go to Jail" tile, throwing three doubles in a row, or drawing a "Go to Jail" card from Community Chest or Chance. The Get Out of Jail Free card frees the player from jail to continue playing and progress around the board without paying a fine, then must be returned to the respective deck upon playing it.
As the card's text says, it can also be sold by the possessing player to another player for a price that is "agreeable by both".
Early in the game, staying in jail is detrimental because it prevents you from buying property. However, in the late game, players often prefer to stay in jail to avoid landing on opponents' high-rent hotels, making the card less valuable or even undesirable during the final stages of play.
As a popular idiom, the phrase has evolved into a meaning "an excuse to avoid a bad situation or punishment". [2] [3]
In video games, e.g., The Binding of Isaac , it is frequently referenced in media to describe celebrity "immunity" or legal loopholes. [3]
get out of vt. to avoid doing or having to experience something or enable somebody to avoid something * He got out of paying for the meal.
get-out-of-jail-free card noun [ C ] informal us /ˌɡet.aʊt.əvˌdʒeɪlˈfriː ˌkɑːrd/ uk /ˌɡet.aʊt.əvˌdʒeɪlˈfriː ˌkɑːd/ something that allows you to avoid an unpleasant result of your actions, for example a punishment or duty. He warns Americans that their nationality is not a get-out-of-jail-free card if they break the law abroad.
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