shackled, ghouls, perps, perpetrate, sociopathic, hobble COMPETITION

Suddenly, Bernie Madoff is a realist. He may be going down hard, but his guilty-plea statement reveals a clear strategy to try to draw heat to himself and keep members of his family from following in his shackled footsteps.

How are these ruthless, careless ghouls who murdered the economy still walking around (not to mention that sociopathic sadist Bernie Madoff?) — and not as perps?

Bring on the shackles. Let the show trials begin.

Definition

shackle
n.

1. A metal fastening, usually one of a pair, for encircling and confining the ankle or wrist of a prisoner or captive; a fetter or manacle.
2. A hobble for an animal.
3. Any of several devices, such as a clevis, used to fasten or couple.
4. A restraint or check to action or progress. Often used in the plural: economic shackles that precluded further investment.

tr.v., -led, -ling, -les.

1. To confine with shackles; fetter.
2. To fasten or connect with a shackle.
3. To restrict, confine, or hamper. See synonyms at hamper¹.

[Middle English schackel, from Old English sceacel, fetter.]

hobble

/ˈhɒbl/

verb

1. 1.

   walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain from an injury.

   "he was hobbling around on crutches"

   Similar:

   limp

   walk with a limp

   walk with difficulty

   move unsteadily

   walk unevenly

   walk lamely

   walk haltingly

   shuffle

   shamble

   falter

   totter

   dodder

   stagger

   stumble

   reel

   lurch

   hirple

   Opposite:

   stride
2. 2.

   tie or strap together (the legs of a horse or other animal) to prevent it from straying.

noun

1. 1.

   an awkward way of walking, typically due to pain from an injury.

   "he finished the match almost reduced to a hobble"
2. 2.

   a rope or strap used for hobbling a horse or other animal.

sociopath 
noun [C]
a person who is completely unable or unwilling to behave in a way that is acceptable to society:
I'm telling you he's a complete/total sociopath.

perp
n. Slang.

One who perpetrates a crime.

perpetrate Show phonetics
verb [T] FORMAL
to commit a crime, or a violent or harmful act:
In Britain, half of all violent crime is perpetrated by people who have been drinking alcohol.
Federal soldiers have been accused of perpetrating atrocities against innocent people.

perpetration Show phonetics
noun [U] FORMAL
Human rights activists have accused the country's government of a systematic perpetration of violence against minority groups.

perpetrator Show phonetics
noun [C] (US OLD-FASHIONED SLANG perp) FORMAL
someone who has committed a crime, or a violent or harmful act:
The perpetrators of the massacre must be brought to justice as war criminals.

per・pe・trate

━━ vt. （悪事を）行う, （罪を）犯す, （ばかげた事を）しでかす.
per・pe・tra・tion　━━ n. 犯行, 愚行.
per・pe・tra・tor　━━ n. 犯人.

ghoul
n.

1. One who delights in the revolting, morbid, or loathsome.
2. A grave robber.
3. An evil spirit or demon in Muslim folklore believed to plunder graves and feed on corpses.

[Arabic ġūl, from ġāla, to seize, snatch.]

ghoulish ghoul'ish adj.

ghoul

━━ n. （墓の死人を食う）悪鬼; 残忍な人.
ghoul・ish　━━ a. うすきみの悪い, 恐ろしい.

ghoulishly ghoul'ish·ly adv.
ghoulishness ghoul'ish·ness n.