hue and cry

Cry of alarm that inhabitants of a manor (or frankpledge) were duty-bound to raise and respond to, in order to assist in the apprehension of criminals. All members of the manor were bound to join in the pursuit and apprehension of a suspected offender and hand them over to the sheriff for punishment and failure to do so was in itself punishable. The term has now come to refer to any form of general clamour or turmoil.