# You're a fine example of a cop dude. Really. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 2, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669 "2010-06-02T17:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/301 "2010-06-11T21:38:31Z")
Also, because there’s no comma in the thread title, I keep reading “cop dude” as a single phrase, as opposed to the latter word being vocative. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/302 "2010-06-12T00:07:45Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > [Here you go.](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__nAd50xTIYs/ShxD4nNJ8nI/AAAAAAAAA6w/CiHCFuG2pdA/s400/OE800.jpg) I even threw in a lil’ hot mama to pass it back and forth with. Well, if she’s going to drink and drive, at least her airbags are installed. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/303 "2010-06-12T00:34:57Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Also, because there’s no comma in the thread title, I keep reading “cop dude” as a single phrase, as opposed to the latter word being vocative. Me, too. I keep thinking it’s a sequal to Police Cops. They’re Cops! They’re Dudes! They’re _Cop Dudes_. ::::gb+tu whistling:::: ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/304 "2010-06-12T01:23:07Z")
> [@lezlers](#): > > Trust me when I tell you making something as common as driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in one’s system illegal does nothing to prevent it from happening. All it does is toss away any sort of caution someone _may_ have employed in trying to determine their ability to drive because hey, they’ve already broken the law, right? It isn’t making it illegal that matters, it is setting the example that it isn’t condoned. Some will abide by the new law and the numbers will inevitably come down. The rest will do as they have always done. Either have one beer and probably be fine, or drink more than one beer and most likely be a danger. As to all the other examples of what can cause problems while driving, if you want to address them then by all means do so. Add any of those activities to someone who has been drinking and the results are exacerbated. I’ll gladly agree that cell phone usage shouldn’t be allowed while driving, too. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/305 "2010-06-12T01:23:29Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Also, because there’s no comma in the thread title, I keep reading “cop dude” as a single phrase, as opposed to the latter word being **vocative**. Oh christ. Someone just looooooved their undergrad linguistics class . . . ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/306 "2010-06-12T05:36:23Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Oh christ. Someone just looooooved their undergrad linguistics class . . . Undergrad linguistics? I knew what the vocative was as a high school freshman. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/307 "2010-06-12T05:46:56Z")
I don’t even know what the hell a vocative is and even my ignorant ass knows you need a comma because dude is the subject, and cop is part of the description of the subject. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/308 "2010-06-12T05:52:04Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Undergrad linguistics? I knew what the vocative was as a high school freshman. I’ve never heard the word “vocative” before. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/309 "2010-06-12T06:24:23Z")
Weird. I didn’t know it wasn’t that common to know. I’ll take my book larnin’ out of the thread before **Rand Rover** flips out. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/310 "2010-06-12T10:37:40Z")
I know what a vocative is. Although I didn’t learn it until my junior year in high school, so **Freudian** ’s got me beat. I took independent study Ancient Greek. Because I’m a dork. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/311 "2010-06-12T11:04:02Z")
It was grade 5 for me (Latin). ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/312 "2010-06-14T14:51:32Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Oh christ. Someone just looooooved their undergrad linguistics class . . . Latin, freshman year of high school. You can stop dipping my pigtails in the inkwell, though, **Rand** ; I’m still never going out with you. > [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > I don’t even know what the hell a vocative is and even my ignorant ass knows you need a comma because dude is the subject, and cop is part of the description of the subject. FWIW: Vocative = addressed directly to the person. Think of “Et tu, Brute”–\*Brute \*is the vocative form of _Brutus_. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/313 "2010-06-14T17:39:03Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > FWIW: Vocative = addressed directly to the person. Think of “Et tu, Brute”–\*Brute \*is the vocative form of _Brutus_. People called Romanes, they go the 'ouse? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/314 "2010-06-14T18:09:15Z")
But if you speak to an American police officer in Latin, there is a good chance you will be assumed to be an illegal alien from Mexico, and deposited in Juarez. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/315 "2010-06-14T19:03:09Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > But if you speak to an American police officer in Latin, there is a good chance you will be assumed to be an illegal alien from Mexico, and deposited in Juarez. I’m a reasonably pretty white girl and I had to ditch the punk aesthetic after college to get a real job. I’ll be _just fine_. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/316 "2010-06-14T19:14:29Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > But if you speak to an American police officer in Latin, there is a good chance you will be assumed to be an illegal alien from Mexico, and deposited in Juarez. Ya picks yor language and ya takes yor chances… ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/317 "2010-06-14T19:19:12Z")
Not to mention, I don’t think I could tell anyone much of anything in Latin these days other than, “The frog is in the jar.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/318 "2010-06-14T19:28:02Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Not to mention, I don’t think I could tell anyone much of anything in Latin these days other than, “The frog is in the jar.” The condor flies at night. _shiftyeye_ ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/319 "2010-06-14T19:32:33Z")
About all I remember is the Latin for “Always wear underwear” and a few legal phrases. I wonder if there is a connection? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669/320 "2010-06-14T20:40:36Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > The condor flies at night. _shiftyeye_ Nope, I don’t remember any of those words, if I ever knew them. :taps along side of nose: > [@Muffin](#): > > About all I remember is the Latin for “Always wear underwear” \*Semper ubi sub ubi \*isn’t actually “always wear underwear.” It’s literally “always where under where.” It’s one of those jokes that only works if you’re an English speaker who’s learning Latin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-fine-example-of-a-cop-dude-really/541669.md?page=17)