# Names for Police **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762 "2005-05-27T14:39:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ComputerFreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@ComputerFreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComputerFreak)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/1 "2005-05-27T14:39:43Z")
This is in reference to the article: [Why are the police called cops, pigs, or the fuzz?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcop.html) Just to add to the list of reasons. I have also heard that the term ‘pig’ is because the police squeal (for those of you unfamiliar with English slang, this is to incriminate someone) Also the English equivalent of ‘gendarmes’ would probably be Sergeant-at-Arms, an ancient rank held for men who ensured criminals arrived in court. ---
**Author:** ![ChadSmith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@ChadSmith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChadSmith)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/2 "2005-05-27T14:53:55Z")
I had heard a common term for the police, Rozzers dervives from Rashers, which in turn comes from the fact that the livery on police cars looks like a bacon sandwich, thus the one inside the bacon sandwich is a rasher of bacon. Bacon comes from a pig, thus the one inside could also be called a pig. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/3 "2005-05-27T16:35:57Z")
> [@ComputerFreak](#): > > This is in reference to the article: [Why are the police called cops, pigs, or the fuzz?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcop.html) > > Just to add to the list of reasons. I have also heard that the term ‘pig’ is because the police squeal (for those of you unfamiliar with English slang, this is to incriminate someone) > Also the English equivalent of ‘gendarmes’ would probably be Sergeant-at-Arms, an ancient rank held for men who ensured criminals arrived in court. Actually, it’s more equivalent to ‘armsmen’. From the French Gent d’Armes, a man with arms (as in weapons, not physical extremities). ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/4 "2005-05-27T21:00:31Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Actually, it’s more equivalent to ‘armsmen’. From the French Gent d’Armes, a man with arms (as in weapons, not physical extremities). Which is, of course, exactly what the Staff Report says. One of the reasons we like to provide a link to the Staff Report is so that people don’t need to duplicate ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/5 "2005-05-27T21:07:13Z")
> [@](#): > > _From Dex’s fine article_ > Evan Morris, The Word Detective, says: > > ``` > Where in the world are you hearing people refer to the police as "fuzz"? . . . I have never heard a real person use it, unless you want to count Jack Webb on the old "Dragnet." > > ``` I heard my older brother use the term in the 1970s, usually ironically. Maybe he was 12 at the time. He probably picked up the term from Dragnet or perhaps The Mod Squad. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/6 "2005-05-28T14:16:48Z")
I have to wonder what age Morris was during the Nixon administration. Not only was fuzz a common term, but there was also the 1970 story “Brillo,” by Ben Bova and Harlan Ellison. It was about a robot cop. Brillo. Metal fuzz. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/7 "2005-05-28T18:45:54Z")
Once upon a time they were **the bulls, the blues, the heat, flatfeet,** even **Paddies** (as in paddy wagons). ---
**Author:** ![Fortean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fortean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fortean)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/8 "2005-05-28T19:13:23Z")
‘Fuzz’ is perhaps more common in UK, mostly used ironically or in jokes, as in the following: - Have you ever been picked up by the fuzz? - No, but I have been swung round by the tits! dum tish etc etc ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/9 "2005-05-28T19:27:47Z")
How about The Fucking Gestapo? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/10 "2005-05-29T00:33:05Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > How about The Fucking Gestapo? As long as they are doing that, and not hauling me off to camp, let them. Otherwise, :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: Hmmm… it looks to me that the most obvious equivalent of gendarmes/gens d’armes, would have been the group of **“men at arms”** , who are always listed behind the knights and esquires; but then again you find knights and esquires being referred to as men-at-arms. Googling the info is a problem as I get a whole lot of sites for roleplaying, rather than history. ---
**Author:** ![stinkyuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@stinkyuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stinkyuk)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/11 "2005-05-29T13:13:22Z")
Where i come from they have always been called THE FILTH :dubious: and that is how i see em cheers stinky ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/12 "2005-05-29T17:29:14Z")
And for the sake of completeness, “paddies” comes from a time in American history when police officer was one of relatively few respectable jobs open to Irish-Americans, leading to a lot of policemen being Irish. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/13 "2005-05-31T18:01:43Z")
> [@The Staff Report In Question](#): > > J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime head of the FBI, disliked being called “top cop.” Probably because he was in fact a “bottom”. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/14 "2005-05-31T18:56:13Z")
> [@](#): > > The term is not related to Fuzzy Wuzzy who wuz a bear. (You didn’t ask, but the term “bear” for police refers to the Smokey the Bear hat commonly worn by state troopers.) The correct title is [Smokey Bear](http://www.smokeybear.com/faq.asp). State troopers wear Smokey Bear hats. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/15 "2005-05-31T19:18:33Z")
Any chance “fuzz” is from the static one hears during an exchange over police radios? Or does the term predate this technology? ---
**Author:** ![pqgenie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@pqgenie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pqgenie)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/16 "2005-05-31T20:08:42Z")
Back in the 70’s I remember the explanation for fuzz was applied to tenacious policemen who stuck like lint during a pursuit. I don’t recall the source, it might have been a question on Hollywood Squares or something. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/17 "2005-05-31T20:19:55Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Any chance “fuzz” is from the static one hears during an exchange over police radios? Or does the term predate this technology? The first citation appears to be from 1929. Large cities probably had radio cars by then, but it doesn’t explain why the word first appeared in underworld slang. [Morris](http://www.word-detective.com/052598.html#fuzz) lists a number of speculations: > [@](#): > > Then again, “fuzz” apparently was genuine slang among drug users and other underworld types in the 1930’s, since it is listed in several glossaries of criminal slang compiled at that time. Unfortunately, no one, even back then, has ever been able to pin down exactly where “fuzz” came from. One hypothesis in American Tramp and Underworld Slang, published in 1931, was that “fuzz” was derived from “fuss,” meaning that the cops were “fussy” or “hard to please.” This theory seems a bit overly genteel. > > Other theories aren’t much better. Etymologist Eric Partridge ventured that “fuzz” might have been rooted in the beards of early police officers, or perhaps in the idea of “mold” as a derogatory metaphor for the police. Yet another theory was that “fuzz” arose as a slurred pronunciation of the warning “Feds!” (Federal narcotics agents). None of these theories seems very likely. > > My own hunch is that “fuzz” arose as a term of contempt for police based on the use of “fuzz” or “fuzzy” in other items of derogatory criminal slang of the period. To be “fuzzy” was to be unmanly, incompetent and soft. How better to insult the police, after all, than to mock them as ineffectual? The tenacity derivation is almost certainly folk etymology. ---
**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BrianJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianJ)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/18 "2005-05-31T20:20:25Z")
I thought Cop was short for Constable on patrol ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/19 "2005-05-31T20:36:34Z")
Thanks, Exapno. I wouldn’t trust Eric Partridge on a lot of etymologies, however (though I love his books). He likes to take stabs in the dark that just don’t feel right (you know what I mean by that “feel” – if BrianJ4, for example, continues to pursue his interest in etymologies, he’ll soon be able to see how unlikely it is that something like “Constable On Patrol” would be a real one). Example of Partridge’s stabs: His WAG that “hobo” comes from a greeting, “ho, boy!”. The fuzz \<-- beard idea sounds pretty unlikely, too. But I guess it _could_ be correct. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762/20 "2005-05-31T20:48:29Z")
Yeah, a lot of people think that. But it’s wrong. Acronyms as word origins are a very recent phenomenon, restricted almost entirely to the past century. If you’ve heard an acronym origin for “posh”, “tip”, “golf”, or various profanities (except for “tanj”, of course ;)), they’re wrong, too. In some cases, the word itself is probably older than some of the words which make up the supposed acronym. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-police/305762.md?page=2)