not a penny more, all the pennies less

The etymology of the phrase X can be traced back to Scandinavia. _____ is a Scandinavian word for tax. The word spread to the UK and other parts of the world, taking similar meanings (tax, payment etc ...).

Soon, this word came to be associated with a phrase for not paying one's taxes, the phrase being X.

Early occurrences of the phrase, in print, include John Mitchell Kemble's Codex Diplomaticus, John Mapley's Green Forest and Robert Greene's Pandosto.

Now, X is used to mean the act of getting away with something wrong, without punishment.

ID X.