Police words

[saltedpeanut]

Why are the Police known as the following...bobbies, coppers and pigs?

[TheHitMaker]

Bobbies comes from Robert Peel - the founder of the police force. Pigs, I believe, is from the way that the police dig around for evidence, like a pig searching for truffles. Don't know about coppers I'm afraid. Probably something to do with copper badges.

[Kit]

A few theories as to why they're "coppers", gleaned from various sources: 1. From Constable On Patrol in 1800s England 2. From copper badges worn by New York police officers late 1800s/early 1900s 3. From the Latin "capere", meaning "to take". Cop, meaning grab, capture, snatch etc, entered English in the Middle Ages. A criminal can "cop" (swipe, steal) an object from a store, and the police can also grab, or cop him (hence, "it's a fair cop, guv."). If you want to know why they're also called the Old Bill, here's a site: http://www.met.police.uk/history/oldbill.htm

[ChrisPBacon]

Pigs is from 1984 by Geoorge Orwell.

[david niven]

Would you please support that George Orwell answer with a quote. It's a long time since I read 1984 but I don't recall the police being called pigs but I may well be wrong.