trucy@lemmy.blahaj.zone to 196@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 11 months agoThen what is the correct answer rulelemmy.blahaj.zoneimagemessage-square35fedilinkarrow-up1237arrow-down10
arrow-up1237arrow-down1imageThen what is the correct answer rulelemmy.blahaj.zonetrucy@lemmy.blahaj.zone to 196@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 11 months agomessage-square35fedilink
minus-squarePeppycitolinkfedilinkarrow-up6·11 months agoI have heard it’s because their badges were copper and got shortened to cop. I have no proof.
minus-squareactiv8rlinkfedilinkarrow-up10·11 months agoIt is short for copper, but not the metal. “To cop” means “to arrest or detain” someone. So a “copper” is someone who cops people. You may be familiar with the phrase “that’s a fair cop”. Which would be an admission that the arrest is fair.
minus-squareproblematicPanther@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up3·11 months agoi read that it’s from the archaic verb “cop” which means “to seize”, so the old brits used to call them coppers, then that got shortened to cop, and it’s still in use today.
minus-squareA Phlaming Phoenix@lemm.eelinkfedilinkarrow-up2·11 months agoArchaic? I think we use this word in modern English, as in, “to cop a feel.”
minus-squareproblematicPanther@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up2·11 months agocop as in a feel i think has a different meaning as to cop a criminal.
I have heard it’s because their badges were copper and got shortened to cop. I have no proof.
It is short for copper, but not the metal.
“To cop” means “to arrest or detain” someone. So a “copper” is someone who cops people.
You may be familiar with the phrase “that’s a fair cop”. Which would be an admission that the arrest is fair.
Neat! Thanks!
i read that it’s from the archaic verb “cop” which means “to seize”, so the old brits used to call them coppers, then that got shortened to cop, and it’s still in use today.
Archaic? I think we use this word in modern English, as in, “to cop a feel.”
cop as in a feel i think has a different meaning as to cop a criminal.