In flagrante delicto

Have you ever gotten caught red handed doing something you shouldn't have been?  Yeah, me too . . . it happens.  I don't know if you noticed or not, but your hands weren't actually red . . . so how did they catch you?



Red-hand is a legal term from Scotland dating back to the early 1400's.  To have been taken red hand literally means that a person was captured with blood on their hands either from the act of committing murder or poaching game.

If a person was caught red handed there could be no doubt as to their guilt . . . the evidence was as clear as the blood on their hands.


The term was popularized by Sir Walter Scott when his novel Ivanhoe was published in 1820.  It was at this time when the Scots term 'red hand' morphed into 'red handed'.  

"I did but tie one fellow, who was taken redhanded and in the fact, to the horns of a wild stag". 

Chances are you probably did not have blood dripping from your finger tips but if you've been caught red handed then you have been caught with your hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs

4 Slices White Bread, Finely Chopped

2 Lbs Lean Ground Beef

4 Egg Yolks

4 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley

2 Tablespoons Dried Onion Flakes

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Mustard Powder

1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1 (10 ½ Ounce) Cans Condensed French Onion Soup

¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour

½ Cup Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

In bowl, combine bread with 1/2 cup water; let stand until absorbed (about 2 minutes).

Stir in beef, yolks, 2 tablespoons parsley, onion, salt, mustard, ginger, garlic, and pepper.

With wet hands roll heaping tablespoonfuls of meat mixture into balls, about 60.

Place in crock pot.

In bowl, mix together soup and flour; pour over meatballs.

Cook on high until cooked through (about 4 hours); stir.

Stir in sour cream and Worcestershire sauce.