List of police-related slang terms

Many slang terms, often considered offensive, exist for police officers. The terms are rarely used by the police themselves and instead are used by prison inmates or even by the general public.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

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2-5's (Two-Five's or Two point Fives) 

US, derogatory term for a Campus or University police officer signifying the subject considers them "half a cop" or not a real Police Officer.2.5 or 2 1/2 being half of 5, a reference to the term 5-0. Also used concurrently with "rent-a-cop" as a slang term for security guards and campus police officers.

5-O (Five-Oh) 

US, police officers and/or a warning that police are approaching. Derived from the original television series Hawaii Five-O, which depicted an elite state police unit/task force in the 50th State. An alternate theory holds that the term derives from the Ford Crown Victoria with the 5.0 liter Interceptor police package, but this theory has little or no verification.

5's, The 

New York City Police. Police followup Form DD-5, which is standard report filed by detectives during active cases.

A

Aina 

Swedish, the police. From the Turkish Aynasız. Used in a derogatory way, usually in socially exposed neighborhoods.^{[citation needed]}

Accoutrements 

UK, a police constable's personal equipment. At signing-on parade, the procedure was to give the order "show your accoutrements", at which the constables would produce their handcuffs, truncheons, whistles and notebooks for inspection. This was common practice up to the early 1990s. As officers now carry more equipment for their protection, having every officer produce this at the beginning of a shift would be impractical. Up until the introduction of police radios officers carried a whistle, (to signal to officers that they required assistance, and to attract the attention of the public) and 3 Old Pence so that, whilst on patrol, the officer could ring the police station from a public phone kiosk. (This amount would, of course, have varied according to the minimum cost of a call from a phone-box.)^{[citation needed]}

Asfalt Kovboyu (Asphalt Cowboy) 

Turkish, police officers. Police officers are related to cowboys in Turkey due to their lawless acts^{[citation needed]}.

Aynasız (Plural Aynasızlar) 

Turkish, address to a police officer. The word literally means "mirrorless" and its attribution to a police officer suggests that a cop is perceived as someone who constantly accuses others of vice, whereas he himself has no mirror to see his own vice.^{[citation needed]} It is roughly equivalent in usage to the English word pig and is commonly used when translating English-spoken movies into Turkish.

B

Babylon 

Jamaican, establishment systems, often applied to the police. Derived from the Rastafari movement.

Bacon 

US, police officers. Derived from pigs; often used in the structure "I smell bacon" to ridicule and deride the presence of an officer when even barely out of earshot.

Bacon sandwich, or Jam sandwich 

UK, a traffic car, from the colour-scheme, which used to be white with a longitudinal red, or red and yellow, stripe on each side.

Badge Bunny 

US. A woman who has sexual relations with male police officers. Also known as a "holster humper".

Bait 

UK, either the police or doing something that will get one caught.^{[citation needed]}

Barney 

US, police officer. Named after Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show.^{[citation needed]}

Bat Belt 

US. A police officer's duty belt with equipment. A reference to Batman.

Batsi 

Greece, (sing. Batsos, in Greek: Μπάτσος), derogatory, the most common slang word for Greek police officers. The term comes from the word batsa ("slap"), derived from the widespread police brutality (and the according mentality), often used on minors, by giving them slaps, in order to intimidate and frighten them, and shown especially when they used to serve oppressive and authoritarian governments in the recent past. "Batsos" is a common term given to police officers, who presumably have inferiority complexes, and try to hide them "behind the uniform" and by using violence. The most common anti-police motto is: Batsi, gourounia, dolofoni (cops, pigs, killers), shout en masse in many demonstrations.

Battle Taxi 

UK (Liverpool), police van or minibus used to carry a number of officers to the scene of an incident and a similar vehicle used to carry prisoners.

Batty Squad Bike 

UK (London), derogatory, police motorcyclists.

The Bay 

US, slang term for Eastern Long Islanders. Derived from the Bay Constable and it is used when someone thinks it's a cop, but it's just the Constable.^{[citation needed]}

Bear 

US, police officer. Short for Smokey Bear, in reference to the hats worn by some law enforcement officers similar to the ranger hat worn by Smokey Bear. "Bear bait" is a reference to speeders, who may draw the attention of the police and allow slightly slower traffic to exceed the speed limit in their wake. "Bear in the Air" is a police aircraft. "Bear in a plain brown wrapper" is an unmarked patrol car.^{[citation needed]}. "Care Bear" is a patrol officer in the vicinity of a construction zone with lights on to encourage motorist to slow down. "Full Grown Bear" is a state patrol officer exclusively, where the term bear can refer to any police officer.

Bängen 

Swedish, the police. Originally an old Swedish word for devil, from Romani beng with the same meaning.^{[citation needed]}

Boxer briefs 

Greek, a police car. It originates from a joke that refers to the police car as such, since "it carries two testicles inside", in reference to the police officers.^{[citation needed]}

The Big Big Big Big 

Halifax, Nova Scotia, an over-inflated sense of power.^{[citation needed]}

Big Blue Machine 

Ontario, Ontario Provincial Police or any other large regional police service assuming policing duties and taking on the staff and resources of smaller police services. The OPP and other services thus extend the ribbing in various jokes derived from the fictional Borg of Star Trek.^{[citation needed]}

Bill 

see Old Bill "The Bill" is the title of two decades of TV soap opera in the UK, based in a fictional London borough.

Bizzies 

Common Liverpool slang term for the police, it was invented as the police were always too "busy" to help. Also that the police are seen as "busy-bodies" i.e. that they ask too many questions.^{[citation needed]}

Black and White 

US, usually refers to a police car, but also extends to the police themselves.^{[citation needed]}

Black Rat 

a slang term for a (UK) traffic officer. Based on the idea that traffic officers will happily prosecute other officers if caught breaking the law. Similarly to the way a black rat will eat its own young.

Blue Collar Taxi 

Australian security officers slang for "a ride to the watch house"

Blue Heelers 

Related to a breed of dog, the Australian Cattle Dog, this term was used for the Australian police drama series Blue Heelers, but it has little if any historical or current broader usage.

Blue Meanies 

This is a 1960s hippie slang term for the police, it was used in the Beatles film the Yellow Submarine, although many viewers may not have realized its significance. First used during the Free Speech Movement about the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.

Bluebottle 

UK, an archaic derogatory term for policeman that may have derived from Cockney rhyming slang and from the action of police when responding to a serious incident, as "swarming like Bluebottles", or blowflies. ("Bottle" is an abbreviation of "bottle and glass", which is rhyming slang for "arse", as in the phrase; "lost your bottle", for having lost one's nerve). (See also Bottles).^{[citation needed]}

Blue steel 

a robotic police aid (usually a bomb disarming or disposal robot), or a police-issue side arm. Often used by officers^{[citation needed]}

Blålys 

Norwegian term, meaning Blue lights, referring to the blue emergency light on police cars

Bobby 

UK, derived from the British Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel (Bobby being a nickname for Robert) the founder of the Metropolitan Police. Occurs in fixed phrases e.g. "bobby on the beat", "village bobby". Commonly used as a name of an officer in a helmet walking the streets. Special Constables are sometimes referred to as "Hobby Bobbies".

Boy Dem: UK: Street Slang

Bófia 

Portuguese slang in urban areas. Designates the Police institution (A Bófia) and not the police officer. Obscure origin.

Boys 

Used in Baltimore, MD to refer to police officers.

Boys in blue 

in reference to the blue uniform.

Booze bus 

Australian Slang for police vehicle used for catching drunk drivers.

Bull 

An American term usually used to refer to railroad police but may also indicate regular police officers. Also used in German ("Bulle") as a widespread insult for the police officer, sometimes in conjunction with the German word for pig "Bullenschwein".

Bulle 

A German slang term for a police officer. More commonly used in its plural form "die Bullen" meaning the police. See "Bull" above.

Bully, Bullymen or Bullyman 

Old aboriginal slang for the state police in Queensland Australia.

Buttons 

US, used in a black neighborhood, referring to more-traditional police uniforms with brass buttons.

Boton 

Uruguay and Argentina. As in several other countries, police uniforms had big badges and buttons.

Brass 

US, a reference to the color of most police badges

Bronze 

Australian reference

Byling 

Old Swedish slang for patrolling officers. The word is of uncertain origins and rarely used nowadays.

C

Campo 

Officers whose jurisdiction is a university or college. It is a combination of the title Campus Police. Campo can be used in admiration or as an insult depending on the context. Most commonly used in North America.

Cana 

Argentinean slang for police officers and lunfardo and Chilean slang term for jail.

Candy Car 

Australian UHF slang for a "Queensland Police High Way Patrol" car.

Care bears 

British slang (Isle of Wight) for Community Support Officers, denoting their inability to do anything more than the average citizen when a crime is committed. The name is derived from a cartoon of the same name.

Cheese 

The Baltimore police force to criminals (2011)

Cheese Van 

Out dated South African slang for Police Vehicles, based on the vehicles being bright yellow.

Cherry Toppers, Cherry Tops, or Cherries 

Often used in reference to police cars which in some nations bear red lights on the top of the car. See Cherry top (slang).

Chickens 

Name used for police agents in the Netherlands.

Chillar 

Called in Punjabi/Pakistan (Just Slang and literally means fruit-covers)

Chimps 

UK slang term for Community Support Officers, Acronym for Completely Hopeless In Most Policing Situations

Chipper 

California Highway Patrol Motorcycle Cop. From the show "Chips"^{[citation needed]}

Chota 

Mexican slang term for crooked cop.

Chui 

Portuguese slang for "police officer" in urban areas. Also used in Angola and Mozambique. Obscure origin.

Cinder Dick 

An old term for railroad police detective, derived from the detective having to walk on the railroad ballast rock, also known as "cinders".

Cinzentinhos

Mozambique, in reference to the officers' gray uniform. One literal translation of the word would be "Little Grays".

City Kitty 

local police, such as a city or township.

City Pigs 

Used by the Zodiac Killer in regard to the police in San Francisco.

Civven 

Swedish slang for police dressed as civilians. Can also be used to describe a police car with no sirens or police colors.

Cocos 

Scottish, rhyming slang for coco pops (the cops).

Collar 

American and British slang for when an officer catches or apprehends a suspect (collared/having your collar felt). Also used in bravado between officers 'good collar' meaning good arrest or stop.

Condom 

US. Plastic rain cover for campaign hats typically worn by state police forces. Also a "Hat Condom".

Coop 

US. A quiet place for an officer to park their squad car and relax, possibly sleep.

Cop or Copper 

The term Copper was the original, unshortened word, believed to represent the copper badges officers used to wear at the time of origin, but in fact probably used in Britain to mean "someone who cops" long before this. (In British English the term Cop is recorded (Shorter Oxford Dictionary) in the sense of 'To Capture' from 1704, derived from the Latin 'Capere' via the Old French 'Caper'.)

This term is often the topic of folk etymology. One incorrect theory to its origin is that it is an acronym for Constable On Patrol. Another incorrect theory goes back to the French Revolution when a group of people would call out traitors to be beheaded. This group was called the Committee of Public Safety. The Committee of Public Safety would carry out justice for the best interest of the common people or so they believed. The acronym for the Committee of Public Safety is COPS, which is why some believe the term cop to come from this term from the late 1700s.

The use of copper in badges upon entering the then private police force, and the concomitant use of the word "copper" to describe a policeman, dates back to roughly the 1840s in New York, and the founding of the NYPD. The use of copper in badges was not new, as London had been using it for years. They were originally paid a penny a day (or a copper penny if you will). However, only after working on the force for several years was a policeman able to earn enough to afford to make their own badge from the precious metal; often times being made of melted down portions of their wages. Policemen were hired by the rich from among local gangs by the wealthy establishment to protect only themselves. They began calling themselves the "night watch" because they mostly guarded the rich from burglaries at night as well as fires. They were eventually called the Municipals; which is where the generic term "municipal police" comes from. There were two rival organizations: the Metropolitan Police and the Municipals, which fought out their own gang wars for "turf" over who had rights to protect whom - just as the fire departments did at the time. The Metropolitans were formed by order of the Governor of New York at the time. Only in the 1840s would these private gangs be made a public institution, though the founding of the "Municipals" is often cited as the creation of "NYPD" since the Municipals ultimately won the police-gang turf war. The Metropolitans, some say derisively, referred to their rival Municipals as "coppers" based on their shiny, easily identifiable badges.

Copcycles 

A slang term for police officers on bicycles.

Copicide aka suicide-by-cop

Slang term for a person who threatens police officers in order to get killed. A combination of cop and suicide.

Cossa 

Sinhala. pronounced "Cos-sa", Derived from "Constable" or its localized version "Costha-pal".

County Brownie 

A slang term for a county officer because of their brown uniforms and cars.

County Mountie 

Term for the county sheriff and deputies.

Cozzers 

UK, police officers.

Crackers 

A slang term for the police in Florida especially in south Florida

Crimefighter 

Term for a policeman on a particular crime fighting spree.

Crusher 

Of unknown origin but may have come from the nickname used for the Royal Navy Regulating Branch.

Cuntstubble 

Over emphasising of the Police rank "Constable".

D

D (plural "D's") 

(Australia) – An undercover police officer.Detective or Detectives

Danthay

Nepal, a cop with a baton (known locally as a "danda").

Demon

New Zealand, police detectives.

Desk Jockey 

US. An officer stuck in an office position, behind a desk. Often used to refer to detectives.

Dibble or The Dibble 

Arises from the police officer in the Hanna-Barbera animated programme Top Cat. Most commonly used in Manchester.

Dicks 

Slang for detectives. Apparently originally coined in Canada and brought south by rumrunners during Prohibition. The fictional comic strip character Dick Tracy was given the first name of "Dick" in token of its being a slang expression for "detective". Female detectives have been called Dickless Tracy's or DT's.

Divvy van 

Australian Slang for Police vehicle used for transporting criminals. Named after the protective 'division' between the driver and the villains.

Do-do nutters or The Do-dos 

Arises from the stereotype of police officers eating donuts.

Dogs 

used in many European languages as an insulting term for police similar to pig in English.

DRC or The DRC 

Dirty Rotten Cop(per).

Droid or Roham-droid

Hungarian slang for riot police, based on Star Wars (in Hungarian, rendőrség is police, rendőr is police officer, rohamrendőr is riot police officer, roham-droid is super battle droid in Star Wars).

Ducks and Geese 

Cockney rhyming slang for police.

Doughnut Commando

Used by younger or physically fit officers to refer to older or out-of-shape colleagues.

Doughnut Patrol

Derived from the video game "Godfather 2".

Doughnut Shop

Because the stereotypical cop will be seen eating doughnuts.

Doughnut Squad

Derived from an episode of "The Sopranos". Tony Soprano is in talks with Ron Zellman and he refers to the police as "The Doughnut Squad".

E

Ecilop 

Australia British for police reversed as seen through rear vision mirror. Motorway (freeway) patrol cars have police written backwards on the front – so it can be read normally in a rear view mirror.

Ecilop is also used as the term for police officers on planet Plyuk in the movie Kin-dza-dza!.

F

Fakabát 

Wooden coat Hungarian slang. After the wooden guard posts placed on street corners.

Farbror Blå 

Uncle Blue Swedish slang, blue due to their appearance (color of their uniform). The nickname originates from the children's book "Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender", by Elsa Beskow, where "Uncle Blue" is one of the characters.

Fatal Four 

Australian - Queensland police specialized high way patrol cars targeting the "Fatal Four" driving related deaths 1)Seat belts 2)Drink driving 3)Speeding 4)Driving Tired.

Feds 

Usually used in the United States to refer to higher federal law enforcement agencies, especially the F.B.I., recently caught on in Great Britain owing to the spread of American media. Also widely used in Australia as a slang term for Australian Federal Police.

Federales 

Spanish, the Mexican Federal Police. The term gained widespread usage by English-speakers due to its popularization in films. The term is a cognate and counterpart to the slang "Feds" in the United States.

Feebs 

Often used derogatorily in the United States by municipal and state officers to refer the F.B.I. when they feel a possible jurisdictional confrontation.

Filth 

Normally "The Filth", UK, the police. Also common in Australia and New Zealand, as with many other originally British police-related terms (especially given Australia's origins as a Commonwealth Nation with strong British influences, notably in law and policing origins).

(Name of city)'s Finest 

Used in either admiration, or slightly derisive irony, in the US and UK. In New York City, the term has been adapted to other civil servants, such as "New York's Bravest" (the Fire Department), "New York's Strongest" (the Department of Sanitation), and "New York's Boldest" (the Department of Correction).

First Bunch of Idiots 

Referring to the F.B.I., the federal law enforcement arm of the United States.

Fish Cop 

Derogatory term for Fish and Wildlife Officers and Conservation Officers in Canada, particularly Alberta and British Columbia.

Fist Bandit Teamsters 

Refers to SWAT teams in Australia.

Five-0 

Originated from the 1960s show Hawaii Five-0.

Fjällko

A Swedish breed of black and white cows. Refers to the black and white squad cars used by Swedish police earlier

Flatfoot 

A term that refers to the large amount of walking that a police officer would do, thus causing flat feet.

Flat Top

A term for a police car without lights on top, also called a "slick top".

Flic 

French slang for a policeman. Commonly used in the form les flics.

Flik 

Belgian slang for a policeman. It is derived from the French word Flic. The word is mainly used in the Flemish part of Belgium. There is also a known police series called "Flikken".

Force 

UK, as in "police force".

Fruko 

Turkish slang term for the police. Usage of this term reached its peak in the 1960s and 1970s among the university youth, especially those with a left-wing tendency or those otherwise inclined to partake in political demonstrations. The term is believed to derive from the pop brand Fruko, as the officers of Toplum Polisi (Community Police – a special police unit formed in 1965 to deal with public demonstrations and other politically influenced incidents -) riding on their vans in groups of 6 or more wearing their oval hard hats resembled pop bottles juxtaposed in a bottle container. (Plural: Frukolar)

Folks or Tha Folks 

Southern Louisiana, rarely used.^{[citation needed]}

Fuzz 

First appeared in the 1920s, corruption of "force" (see above). The term was used in the title of Hot Fuzz, a 2007 police-comedy film.

Fuzzy Muff

Similar to the Fuzz created by the comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in the Ali G show.

G

G-Man 

US, slang, for Federal Bureau of Investigation, or "government men". "The G" is sometimes used to refer to federal law enforcement collectively.

The Gaver or Gavvers 

Alternatively Cockney rhyming slang for the police—unknown origin—London, or a Romani language word for the police. (Rom words are used in British English and Cockney.)

Also used in context with Gaver Wagons, mainly in the London, Kent and other parts of South-East of England.

Gliny 

Colloquial for police officers in Poland, stands for "copper" also: Gliniarze, singular: "Glina" or "Gliniarz". Translated as "Cop".

Gestapo 

The official secret police of Nazi Germany. Derogatory reference to police officers who supposedly ignore civil rights.

Going Downtown 

US, to go to jail. As in "You're going downtown".

Grass 

Cockney (English) for a police informant: Grasshopper = Copper. An alternative suggestion is "Narc in the Park"

Ghoptay

(Nepali language) As front hard part of the police peak cap is faced down, people would say Oi Ghoptay aayo, luka luka, meaning "hey cop is coming, hide it hide it" or simply Oi Ghoptay! Ghoptay! ("Hey cop! Cop!").

Gravel Road Cops or Grid Road Cops 

Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police "GRC" is abbreviation for "Gendarmerie Royale du Canada" French name for RCMP, who often work in rural settings with un-metalled roads.

Gris 

(Gray in Spanish, plural Grises). Slang for the members of the "Cuerpo de Policía Armada y de Tráfico", spanish police force during Francisco Franco dictatorship.

Grouper Trooper 

US, slang, an officer of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Grüne Minna

German slang for police van.

Grün-weisser Partybus 

German slang for police van. Translates into "Green-white party bus". Derives from the song sung by protestors when the police arrived at the scene, about "partying in the green-white bus".

The Guards 

Irish Police, from Garda Síochána; (Garda Síochána na hÉireann – Irish for "Guard(ians) of the Peace of Ireland").

Gumshoe

US, derogatory, slang for detectives, who are ostensibly wearing soft-heeled shoes or Hush Puppy shoes so they can follow suspects without being noticed.

Gumball Machine 

US, slang for a police car.

H

Hack 

A prison guard (Example: Richie: The other one, Mark Mack, is already dead. Besides, why should the hacks listen to me now? I say Schillinger did it, they say prove it. I have no proof. (Richie from the HBO Series Oz) )

Ham Sandwich 

A weapon planted by authorities to provide false evidence for prosecution of a suspect.

MIKE THAMES: "A ham sandwich is a clean gun that they would take and put it in, like, an old pair of jeans or britches, or whatever you want to call it. And they'd let it sit there and get some lint on it. Then after they let it sit in there, then you put it in a plastic bag."

A.C. THOMPSON: "Some former officers we've talked to have said, 'Hey, this was an underground culture.' They would carry around something they called a ham sandwich, and they would plant that ham sandwich at the scene of officer-involved shootings."

(From the PBS Series Frontline - Law & Disorder)

Harness Bull 

American; a uniformed police officer. Example: ...a large harness bull arrived in his archaic blue uniform with gun and star. (Philip K Dick, from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, 1968)

The Heat 

American; putting the heat on someone. (Example: in the line What a field day for the heat (Stephen Stills, "For What It's Worth" from Buffalo Springfield, 1967), Stills is referring to the police.)

Heavy or Heavies 

Cockney rhyming slang for the Flying Squad, from the Heavy Mob, (see also Sweeney).

Hekus 

Hungarian, perhaps come from Yiddish.

Helicopper 

Australian, Police Helicopter

Hi-Po 

American abbreviated slang referring to the Highway Patrol.

Hobby-Bobby

Used in England to refer to Special Constables, who work for the police and wear the same uniforms. The nickname implies such people are working as police officers as a hobby or pastime.

The Hook 

American: Refers to the hook used in cartoons to snatch someone from a stage.

Horse  

American: Usually refers to a crooked policeman. Rap songs refer to a horse as "A pig that don't fly straight".

Horseman 

A Canadian term referring to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Variation: Mounties.

Hot Brass Dance 

US. The "dance" a shooter does at the shooting range when a hot ejected casing goes down their shirt or behind their safety glasses.

Hot Dogs 

a Chinese term referring to stationary traffic cops and guards who are standing in the sun all day.

I

Irish Mafia 

Slang for the clique of Irish-American police officers in the New York City Police Department.

J

Bacon sandwich, or Jam sandwich [or Jam Sambo]

UK, police traffic car, from the now largely obsolete historical colour-scheme – an overall white vehicle, with a longitudinal red, or red and yellow, stripe on each side. "Sambo" is a slang for sandwich. (Though this colour-scheme is dated. Most services have moved, or are in the process of moving, to checkered Battenburg markings.)

Jack The Bag 

A notorious guard in West Limerick infamous for covering suspects face with a bag or pillowcase and beating them profusely with a phone book (yellow pages).

Jacks 

A common term used for police in the UK and Australia, derived from "John Darme" a joking Anglicization of "gendarme" (French for police officer) and then – per common usage – John becomes Jack (or, in this case, the plural "Jacks").

Jacks 

Cockney rhyming slang Old Bill, turned to Jack and Jill, turned to Jacks.

Jake 

A common term used and created in New York City, meaning "all right" or "satisfactory."

Jepari 

A Finnish slang term for the police.

Jeppe 

A contraction of the Finnish slang term "jepari".

Job, The 

A reference amongst officers to being a member of a police force ("Don't shoot. I'm on the Job ....") or to the police department as an entity ("The Job said that officers would not be permitted to moonlight any more ...").

John Q. Law or Johnny Law 

Used across the United States. Sometimes shortened to John or Johnny.

Johnny Hopper 

Cockney rhyming slang for copper (q.v.)

Judite 

Portuguese slang for the Judiciary Police (Polícia Judiciária). Judite is Portuguese for Judith.

Jundanares, Jundos 

Caló (gyspy) for Spanish Guardia Civil.

Jura 

Spanish slang term used by Mexicans mostly in California but is also used by other Hispanics in other parts of the world such as El Salvador.

K

K-9 

Police patrols using dogs, or the dogs themselves ("He is a K-9 patrol officer.") Homophone of "canine".

Kalevet 

Israeli, derogatory. Lit. "rabies".

Karao 

Kenyan, Slang for Police

Kesta 

Finnish, derogatory. From the German "Gestapo".

Keuf 

French, slang, of uncertain origin (one meaning is given as being "flic" in reverse – see verlan).

Khaki Kutta 

India, derogatory, of police constables. Translates as Brown, or Khaki, Dog, from the colour of their uniform, which resembles the colour of feral dogs. Often used for crooked officers.

Kiberer 

(sometimes Kiwerer) Austrian, esp. Viennese derogatory slang for police officers, or police in general ("Kiberei"). Most likely of Yiddish origin, either "kewjus" (security) or "kiben" (to rant).

Kiddie Cop 

US. School resource officer or a school district police officer.

Kissalan pojat 

The Finnish name for The Katzenjammer Kids, used as a slang term for the police.

Knock and talk 

US. When an officer talks to someone at their residence without a warrant.

Kodiak (with a Kodak) 

CB slang for a police car with a radar, see "Bear".

Kopó 

Hungarian, meaning sleuth or beagle.

Kosmonavt 

Russian, referring to OMON policeman equipped with riot gear (literally "cosmonaut").

Koukku 

A Finnish slang term for the police, literally meaning "wikt:hook".

Krawężnik 

Polish, from "curb", designating an officer patrolling the neighbourhood on foot.

Kyttä 

Finnish, derogatory, of police officers. Translates as someone snooping, staring or ogling.

L

Labdick 

Edinburgh, UK slang for policeman. Contraction of "Lothian And Borders" (regional police force) + dick.

Lampa [pronounced lamba or laba] 

Greek slang. Refers to a police car, because of their roof beacons (Greek Police cars don't have light bars).

Law or The Law 

Probably an abbreviation of the phrase "The long arm of the law" (suggesting that no matter how far they run, all criminals are eventually caught and prosecuted successfully).

Laws 

A term originated in Houston, Texas.

La Joda

Spanish slang for cops pronounced: "Hoda", which either can mean "Don't mess with me" or "don't fuck with me".

La Madama 

Italian slang for police.

Lazies 

Term used for police, but more often used for off-duty police officers.

LEO 

International, acronym for "Law Enforcement Officer". A generalized term for police officers.

Legawye (pl)

Russian Легавые sg Легавый. Literally "gundog", "pointer". This was logo of Moscow Investigation Department in 1928.

Lids 

A British term used in the police force to refer to uniformed officers, owing to their distinctive helmets.

Lilly, The Lilly or Lilly Law 

From the UK slang form Polari. Used in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Little Bears 

Term used for local police of a city or town.

M

Madero 

Spain, slang, derogatory for police officers (plural: los maderos, la madera). Translates as "wood." Reference to the brown uniforms formerly worn by the Policía Nacional.

la Madama / le Madame 

Italian, slang, meaning the State Police/the policemen. Featured also in Monicelli's movie "I soliti ignoti".

Maison poulaga 

French, slang, derogatory, of police officers and police stations. Means roughly "henhouse".

Mama (Maman in the south) 

Indian. Derogatory. Hindi (Malayalam in south) word which means uncle. Sarcastic reference to a policeman.

Manaek

Israel, often referring to Military Policemen but also to regular police and prison guards ("maniacs").

Mapita 

(Little map in Spanish) for highway patrol because of the little map displayed on the side of their units.

Mata 

Singapore. Malay word for eye.

The Man 

English language, underground slang, used frequently during the 1960s and 1970s during the anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian movements. Implies that police are a tool of the powerful "man" that is trying to keep others down.

Maréchaussée 

Old French slang, mostly used in rural areas and aimed to the gendarmes.

Meat Wagon 

UK. a police van

Meathead 

Canadian. Military police, the term dates as far back as World War II, when other corps of the Canadian army also had "head" names. The name for the military police refers to perceived intellectual capacity. The Engineers were known as Thumper Heads, from a hand-held post driving tool called a thumper, and the Armoured corps as "Zipper Heads", from a helmet featuring a number of zippers to allow concurrent use of head phones.

Member 

Canada. Internal slang, used in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to refer to fellow Mounties, in place of the usual "officer" or "constable" (or equivalent) in other police forces.

Ment 

Russian (мент, pl menty менты). Origins of the word are the older Romanian border mounted guard part of uniform – the short windcoat named "ment".

Messing 

Norwegian slang, the Norwegian word for "brass".

Milico 

Uruguay and Argentina. Coming from "militar", the Spanish word for military. Once police in those countries was a military institution, not a civil one.

Millicent 

Nadsat slang for Policemen, derived from the Russian "Militsiya" (Used in A Clockwork Orange).

Mil'ton 

(ru мильтон) rarely using in contemporary for militia men in Russia.

Mingara 

Sometimes spelled Mingara Kaingara. From traveller slang especially Newark, Nottinghamshire, England.

Mistelbacher

Viennese slang for police officer, because it was said many of them came from Mistelbach in Lower Austria.

Mizzder Berllizeban Badger. ("Mr Policeman Badger")

UK, literary. The constable in the Rupert Bear stories by Mary Tourtel.

Mr. Plod, P.C. Plod or Plodder 

UK, slang, literary, (also used in Australia) from the Noddy books by Enid Blyton, in which Mr. Plod was the village policeman. "Plod" has also commonly been used by the British police themselves, as has its (generally disparaging) female equivalent "plonk".

Monos 

Spain, slang, derogatory, collective term in reference to the police officers' uniform.

Mounties 

Canada, colloquial, Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Mustached Pagoda 

Canada, slang, originally coined in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A surrealist term summoning from such noted philosophers as AJ Ayer and Josiah Royce, intended as a confusing and somewhat ambiguous insult.

Muppet 

acronym of Most Useless Police Person Ever Trained

Murija 

A Serbo-croatian term for police, with a singular "murjak". True origin somewhat unknown.

Musgarers 

gypsy or Romani term.

Musora 

in Russia plural unusing in other situations to "musor" (ru мусор) literally translated as "garbage". Origins – in obsolete abbreviation ru МУС (MUS) fully Московский уголовный сыск (Moskowskii ugolownyi sysk, Moskow criminal investigations)

N

Narc 

US, abbreviated form of "Narcotics Agent"; not to be confused with Copper's Nark a term used in Great Britain for an informant.

Nab Jones 

Southern United States term for traffic police.

Nazi Stormtrooper 

UK, relating to subjective observation that police act like German soldiers of the same name.

Ngonjo 

Zimbabwe slang for Police officer (Ngoh-n-joh)

Nickers, Nicknicks 

UK, uncommon British terms, being a pun on "knickers" (female underwear). As the term is spoken not written the silent "k" in knickers is not obvious. Derives from officers "nicking" a suspect, i.e. arresting them, and taking them to "the nick" i.e. the police station.

Night Jack 

English police slang for a detective working night shift. Jack referring to the detective.

Nine

South Florida, police officers. Called nine because they are said to come in packs, such as nine at a time.

O

O-Po-Po 

Ontario, the Ontario Provincial Police.

Old Bill 

A term in use in London among other areas, inspiring the television series The Bill. The origin of this nickname is obscure; according to the Metropolitan Police themselves, there are at least 13 different explanations.

One Time 

A term, mostly used on the U.S. West Coast, that has been given numerous explanations, including: the idea that if one is arrested, it only takes "one time" to be put away (convicted); and that looking at police officers "one time" is enough to garner their attention and invite harassment.

Other People 

Used in J.J. Connolly's Layer Cake to refer to the police.

P

Paco 

A derogatory Chilean term for Carabineros, the national police force of Chile. In Costa Rica, a familiar term for police, loosely derogatory. The term comes from the nickname 'Paco' given to Francisco Calderón, a Security Minister in the 1940s.

Paddy Wagon 

A police van. Originated in the United States, but it's also used in Australia.

Panda Car 

UK, a police car. Named because they were originally painted with large panels of black and white, or blue (usually light blue) and white.

Pandu 

Indian constabulary (and not officers) were recruited mostly from village areas. Derived from Marathi movie "Pandu Hawaldar" where the protagonist is a constable named as Pandu.

Pandur 

Serbo-Croatian derogatory term for a police officer (plural Pandurija, as a term for the police in general). In its origin, it was the Pandurs, who served as the watchmen on the Austrian Military frontier.

Paner/Panser

Danish slang for police officer. Derived from the slang word "panser".

Panier à salade 

French, old slang for a police van (meaning "salad shaker"). Comes from the grillaged windows of the vans used during the 1970s and 1980s, reminding of a salad shaker.

Panserbasse 

Belittleing Danish slang for policemen. "Basse" or "bassemand" is similar to the English words "hubby" or "big boy", which is why the slang is suggesting the policemen are fat and harmless.

Party Van 

Internet slang for Police or FBI van.^{[citation needed]}

Paskalakki 

Finnish, derogatory. Literally means "hat (full) of shit".

Pasma 

Spain, slang, derogatory term for police.

Pedal Bacon 

UK, Police on Bicycles.

Peeler, Peelers 

UK, slang, archaic, from Sir Robert Peel (see 'Bobby'); it has largely disappeared in mainland Britain, is often used in Northern Ireland, usually pejoratively. Canada, colloquial, refers to Peel Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada. Considered derogatory as "peeler" is slang for a striptease dancer.

Penelope's 

US. A slang word for the police term coined by the San Francisco Bay Area rap artist E-40.

Perp 

US. short for "perpetrator". A criminal.

Perp Walk 

US. A slang term for dramatically parading an arrested subject (the perpetrator or "perp") in shackles before the press for no other purpose than for the photo-op. On frequent occasions, notorious subjects already in custody are taken out of jail and sent out the back door of a police station, only to be driven around the corner and then removed from the vehicle in order to convey an impression that the suspect is first arriving at the police station.

Pevide 

Portuguese slang for PVDE (Polícia de Vigilância e Defesa do Estado, or Police for the Vigilance and Defence of the State), the political police that existed from 1933 to 1945. The word literally means "pip" (the seed), being derived from the police's acronym. After PVDE was renamed PIDE (1945-1969) the term died out.

Pig 

This derogatory term was frequently used during the 19th century, disappeared for a while, but reappeared during the 20th and 21st century. It became frequently used again during the 1960s and 1970s in the underground and anti-establishment culture. Now prevalent in many English-speaking countries. It is also used in anti-authoritarian punk and hip-hop circles. Oz magazine showed a picture of a pig dressed as a policeman on a front cover.

Pitufo

Derogatory term (plural: pitufos) often used in Spain for members of both the Policía Nacional and the Policía Municipal due to the blue color of their uniforms. Taken from the characters of The Smurfs (Los Pitufos in Spanish).

Placa 

A commonly Spanish slang term used by Mexicans on the West Coast.

Plastic Policemen 

UK. A term used for Community Support Officers as they only have the same powers of arrest as civilians. Likening them to a toy policeman (fake)

Plain Brown Wrapper 

Most commonly used by truck drivers over the CB radio, in reference to unmarked vehicles and plainclothes police officers, usually of local or state jurisdictions.

Plastics 

Colloquial term used by Australian state police to refer to the Australian Federal Police.

Plit 

Swedish slang term for prison guard or police. The original meaning is a kind of small sword which used to be carried by prison guards and policemen.

Plod 

An allusion to Mr Plod the Policeman in Enid Blyton's Noddy stories for children, to plod meaning to walk doggedly and slowly with heavy steps. Also known as "PC Plod".

Plonk 

Police slang for female officer.

Pokey 

Slang term for prison. From the word meaning "small".

Polente 

German slang term for police.

Pollari 

A Finnish slang term. Literally means "bollard" (a post for fastening boats), but a more probable etymology is simply a colloquial form of the word poliisi ("police").

Pols or Poles 

Canada, usually plural phrase "the pols".

Politzai 

(ru pl полицаи sg полицай) – in Russia after renaming Russian police reform (ru Полиция Politzia) in March 2011. From German word "Polizei".

Ponies 

A term commonly used by members of the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to refer to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Po-po or Po 

A term used commonly in North America as seen in the TV show The Wire.

Porky or Porker 

From the Porky Pig cartoon and variation on "pig", usually specific to small town officers embodying the doughnut stereotype, "porker" variant may relate to "copper", also a slang word used by Australian officer's in regards to a suspect telling a lie during a interview.

Poulet 

French, translates as "chicken", derogatory. As in, Q: What do you get when the police station catches fire? A: "poulet rôti" (roast chicken).

Prahare 

Nepalese for police.

Psy 

Polish for "dogs", singular – "pies", squad cars or police vans are often called "suki", which means "bitches", singular – "suka", because there are dogs inside.

Puerco/Cerdo 

Mexican, derogatory, slang. Spanish for pig.

Purk 

Norwegian, derogatory, Norwegian for "sow".

La Pula

Italian and Italian-American slang. Shortened form of polizia.

PC 

Abbreviation of the rank "Police Constable". Also used by the Ontario Provincial Police to abbreviate "Provincial Constable". Constable is used in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and most other ex-British Empire countries.

PW 

Police Woman. Sometimes considered derogatory or merely impolite. See also WPC.

Q

Queen's Cowboys/Men 

Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

R

Rashers 

British slang derived from pigs (i.e. rashers of bacon).

Ratazanas (plural) 

Used in Portuguese language for police officers, meaning rats.

Rati

Argentinean slang term for police officers derived from "rata" (rat). Also derived from vesre pronunciation of tira, since older police uniforms would feature a leather strap across the officer's chest. http://www.welcomeargentina.com/jujuy/museo-historico-policial.html (source)

RC's 

Short for RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).

Rennleitung 

Use in German language as slang term for the Autobahn highway police, roughly translates to "racing officials".

Rent-A-Cop 

US, slang term for Security Guard or Campus Police officer.

Rez Cop 

Derogatory, officer employed on or for an Indian Reservation/First Nations or Tribal Police.

Rollers 

An American term believed to have originated in the San Francisco Bay Area. Also a connection for when police car lights are turned on because they roll in circles.

ROD 

US. Acronym for "Retired on duty". Used by officers to refer to other less proactive officers who only do the minimum required work while on duty.

Roussin 

French

Rozzers 

From 'Robert', after Sir Robert Peel (1788–1850), commonly considered the father of modern policing, and who established the Metropolitan Police Force in London (1829). An amusing British term for the police. Used by James May (Top Gear) on his cut-price Police car. More commonly used in comedy TV and Film.

S

Salatfad 

Danish slang for police van. Directly translates to "salad platter".

Sbirro

Italian slang for policeman. It's a very vulgar word, used mainly by criminals.

Screw

Technically, a slang term for a prison guard and not for a police officer.

Scuffers 

An old Liverpudlian term, which came to prominence in the 1960s Merseyside-set BBC television series Z-Cars.

Schmier(e)

(grease) German slang, mostly southern Germany and Austria, for police

Schmig(s), Schmigglers 

A variation on Pig, originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1980s.

Schmitt 

Used in France, origin unknown (possibly based on German).

Shades 

Used in west and south west Ireland. Derived from the Irish (Gaelic) term "Se d'og", pronounced Shay Dowgs, meaning "Little Johns" originally referring to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) – British Army soldiers in Ireland were called "Johns", so the British controlled police force (the RIC) were called "Little Johns". "Shay Dowgs" became shortened to "Shades".

Shoo-fly

Old NYPD term for Internal Affairs officer. Now know as "Rats" or "Rat Squad".

Sinivuokko 

A Finnish slang term, literally meaning the liverwort (Anemone hepatica). Comes from the bluish colour of the flower resembling the characteristic blue uniforms of the Finnish police forces. This is emphasised by the word sini ("blue") in the flower's Finnish name.

Skowtu 

Used in the Netherlands, origin from Suriname, which used to be part of the Netherlands.

Slaktarbussen 

Swedish slang for police van, usually referred to riot police vans. Literally "Butchers van".

Skell 

A criminal or lowlife, typically a drug addict who is extremely thin as the result of malnutrition as he/she binges on narcotics and other drugs (NYPD).

Skoude 

A Helsinki slang term for a police officer.

Slick Top 

A term for a police car without a light bar on top.

Smokey 

A term from the CB Radio fad of the 1970s. See "Bear", above. Smokey Bears are usually those that belong to a Highway Patrol or State Police agency in the United States.

Smurfs 

Used in Greece and Poland. Because the blue colour of police uniforms is like the Smurfs.

Små Blå 

Danish slang for police officers. Translates into "Little blue ones". Små Blå is also a Danish brand of liqorice vodka shots sold in tiny glass bottles.

Snippers 

An African-American term used mostly in North America.

Snut 

A slang used in Norway and Sweden, coming from "snute" which is "nose on a dog" describing that the police "sniffs".

Soggies 

Australian term for officers of the Special Operations Group.

Squealers 

A reference to the noise a pig makes. In the UK, squealer, or grass, is used to denote someone who informs on their criminal confederates.

SS RUC 

A term used in Northern Ireland by the Republicanist/Catholic Community particularly during a riot. SS from the German secret police and RUC from the former name of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (Now Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI)).

State boy 

A US state trooper. Usually used in the Midwest.

Staties 

Refers to State Troopers, used throughout New England.

Stench 

UK and Australia – similar to filth.

Strisser 

Danish slang for police officer.

Strømer 

Danish slang for police officer. Pronounced "Stroehmah".

Suicide by Cop 

American. Occurs when a suspect behaves in a manner that provokes or compels the police kill him, such as by holding hostages or threatening officers or civilians with a weapon or what appears as a weapon.

Suits 

Members of the Metropolitan Police CID as referred to by their uniformed colleagues.

Summon Auntie 

Singapore. Used to refer to middle-aged female traffic wardens who place a summons on vehicles violating parking laws.

Super Troopers 

Became a common name in Vermont for police in that state after the release of the movie Super Troopers.

Sün 

Hedgehog Hungarian slang, during the 2006 protest against the Hungarian Government, policemen used a formation called hedgehog (sün in Hungarian). This comical situation became a widespread meme in the country and eventually policemen were given the name "sün". ("s" in Hungarian sholuld be pronounced as "sh")

Sweeney 

Cockney rhyming slang for the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad, from Sweeney Todd, inspiring the television series The Sweeney, (see also Heavy).

Swine 

Comes from pig (see above).

T

Taquero 

Argentinean lunfardo term for police officers. Derived from their habit of cutting the gangster's heels (tacos) in the early 20th century.

The Thin Blue Line

The role of the police in being the barrier between civilized society and chaos, inspiring a UK TV sitcom and two documentaries of the same name. This led to policemen involved in entrapping gays being ironically referred to as "The Thin Blue Jeans."

Thulla 

Northern-Indian/Pakistani Hindi/Urdu term for a cop with a baton (known locally as a "laathi").

Tinned Pig 

derogatory term in some areas of southern England to refer to police in police cars.

Tira 

Mexican slang for police car or policeman.

Tira 

Brazilian slang for policeman.

Tit-Heads or Tits 

Rarely used derogative British term for uniformed police officers originating in the shape of traditional UK police custodian helmet worn by patrolling (male) officers which are or were a similar shape to a large female breast – as in the phrase (to a policeman) "take the tit off your head" meaning "relax" or "imagine you are not on duty".

Tombo

Largely used in Perú, and in some parts of Colombia to call police officers. Etymological origin its based in an inversion of the Spanish word for button. In the early twentieth century the uniforms of the Peruvian police officers had very big buttons. The word is "botón" in Spanish. The thiefs inverted the word "Ton-bo". You could see that the inversion is "Tonbo", with an "n", and not "tombo" with "m", but in Spanish an "n" cannot precede a "b".

Town Clown 

Town or city police officers, contrasted with county or state police. Usually considered derogatory.

TP (plural TP's) 

Abbreviation of Traffic Police, used in Singapore.

Troll 

A term coined in South Florida (Palm Beach County). Made famous by the song "Troll Down".

Txacurra 

Dog in Basque referring to police officers, similar to the use of "dog" in English.

Twig Pig 

Forest Ranger/Woods Cop

Twinrova 

Rarely used in reference to police cars bearing red and blue lights on top of the car (only in Victoria, Australia and Los Angeles).^{[citation needed]}

Tyre Biters 

A term typically used for country police officers because of their habit of being involved with frequent car chases.

U

Uniform 

A term originally used by non-uniformed officers (detectives) for officers in uniform. An example of synecdoche.

Untouchables 

A term often used in Scotland for a mobile squad of uniformed Police, term originates from the 1960s US TV series.

Utzer 

German, slang, used e.g. in Upper Franconia, literally means "teaser".

Unipo 

Short for University Police, used as a derogatory term towards campus police in some areas of the US.

V

Van Dangos 

Southern Arizona term for officers who patrol University Campuses.

W

Wallopers 

Australian, from "wallop", meaning to hit or beat.

Wanne

German slang term for a police van (Mercedes Benz T2), especally in Berlin. "Wanne" means bathtub.

Whoop-Whoop 

US, slang, from the Southern States & New York City, in reference to a patrol car's siren.

Woodentops 

UK, derogatory, used by plain-clothes officers in reference to the uniformed branch. Possibly a reference to the 1950s children's TV series The Woodentops, declining use.

Woolly-backs 

UK, derogatory, used by plain-clothes officers in reference to the uniformed branch.

Wasps 

UK, derogatory, from the recent adoption of Safety Yellow jackets by various Constabularies for uniformed officers in various roles, as with Bluebottles, from the "swarming" of officers at an incident. Also used in Washington state, United States in reference to the Washington State Patrol.

Y

Yuta 

Argentine lunfardo for police officers.

Yagallo or Yagello 

Lovari (gypsy) word for police.

Yellow Fever 

Nigeria. Reference in pidgin to the Nigerian Police Force (Traffic Division). Traffic wardens wear bright orange khaki shirts.

Z

Zsaru, zsernyák, zsandár 

Hungarian slang. From the French gendarmerie.

Zebra 

US. Reference to the black and white color of some police vehicles.

Zetas 

Spain. Reference to the Citroën ZX, in common use by Police patrol units in Spain in the 1980s and 1990s.

Æ

Æggeskal 

Danish slang for motorcycle police. Translates into "egg shell". Is used because of Danish motorcycle cops' white helmets. May have originated in the 60's or 70's as the helmets back then looked more similar to half an egg shell.

External links

• Metropolitan Police – Origins of the name "Old Bill".
• Law Enforcement Terms & Abbreviations (US).
• Law Enforcement Submitted Cop Slang - POLICE Magazine (US).