# The Police **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761 "2005-05-27T14:39:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [June 8, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/21 "2005-06-08T13:05:52Z")
“Cop out” and “cop a plea” and “fair cop” are all mentioned in the Staff Report. If you’d read the Staff Report before posting, we’d save duplication of effort. \< grin \> ---
**Author:** ![barracuda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@barracuda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barracuda)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/22 "2005-06-09T14:51:13Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > . . . > > Thus, using the verb “cop” in the sense of “seize, capture or snatch” indicates that the constable or citizen had met the legal requirement for a valid arrest, because they had actually made physical contact with the wrong-doer and tried to restrain him. A “copper” is thus someone who is in the business of making arrests. > > And, the verb “to cop” survives in modern Canadian slang, at least - the phrase “to cop a feel” used by adolescents - is that phrase used in the U.S.? I don’t think anyone has posted what I’ve always thought to be the derivation of “cop” for the police - the Old English word for spider/spiderweb. (I think I picked that up from _The Hobbit_ 🙂 ) From the AOL online M-W dictionary: Main Entry: cob·web Pronunciation: 'käb-"web Function: noun Etymology: Middle English coppeweb, from coppe spider (from Old English Atorcoppe) + web; akin to Middle Dutch coppe spider Date: 14th century 1 a : the network spread by a spider : SPIDERWEB b : tangles of the silken threads of a cobweb usually covered with accumulated dirt and dust 2 : something that entangles, ---
**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:** [June 9, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/23 "2005-06-09T22:18:26Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > “Cop out” and “cop a plea” and “fair cop” are all mentioned in the Staff Report. > > If you’d read the Staff Report before posting, we’d save duplication of effort. \< grin \> Mentioned. Hmmp. My cite did more with those than just mention. Hmmp. 🙂 ---
**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:** [June 10, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/24 "2005-06-10T01:12:32Z")
On cobwebs, see [Straight Dope Staff Report: Are cobwebs made by spiders?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcobweb.html) … the Archives are your friend. Sorry, **Exapno** , I thought you were adding some words rather than expanding what was written. My error. ---
**Author:** ![barracuda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@barracuda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barracuda)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/25 "2005-06-10T03:08:40Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > On cobwebs, see [Straight Dope Staff Report: Are cobwebs made by spiders?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcobweb.html) … the Archives are your friend. Thanks, Dex. I didn’t realize that cop (as opposed to cob, I guess) webs are the irregular offerings of spiders. However, that doesn’t alter my opinion that cop for police may come from the term cop-webs. I haven’t been able to find anything to either defend or defy that statement, but I’m sure you’re a better researcher than I. As for the Archives, yes I’d love to devote days to them, but damm it, reality kicks in!! As a newbie, I’m trying my best to conform to the SD rules, but I can only read so much ‘back information’, as well as keeping up with new posts. (Q: How many posts are there in a 24 hour period, on average?) I want to keep up with current discusions, as well as understand older matters. I admit I’m not capable of doing both - which would you suggest I follow – older threads which may have some interesting content, or new posts, which may repeat older threads of which I’m not cognizant. So, given limited time, which should I peruse - Archives or current posts? Wanting to be a valued SD poster, Cuda ---
**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:** [June 10, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/26 "2005-06-10T17:32:33Z")
It’s impossible to keep up with all posts. Don’t even bother trying. Just read those threads which seem interesting to you. Yes, for a newbie, they can all seem interesting, but that will pass. For the Archives, I would just recommend that you read the new columns as they come out, and occasionally look through a few old ones. There’s no hurry, they’re not going anywhere. ---
**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:** [June 11, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761/27 "2005-06-11T01:43:11Z")
Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound critical. There’s a LOT of Archives to go through. Of course, if you become a member, then you can do searches on specific items as they come up. \< grin \> [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police/305761.md?page=1)