What is hue and cry?

A hue and cry is an outcry to draw attention to a situation. Historically, it was a literal outcry; people would shout, sound horns, and make other noises when a crime was committed to alert the constabulary and make other members of the community aware so they could take action. Today, the term may be used metaphorically, as in “there was a great hue and cry in the media when the documents were released.” It is often used to refer to situations where sustained public attention results in justice or another positive outcome in a situation.

This term is derived from the Old French, and refers to an outcry and sounding of horns, dating back to an earlier Latin term. In England during the Middle Ages, people were actually obliged to raise a hue and cry when a crime was committed and to continue it as the criminal fled, until the criminal was apprehended. Essentially, every member of society had an obligation to assist with catching criminals and there could be penalties for not participating in a hue and cry.