Do you know any real cool or obscure origins of words or phrases? For example, why are policemen called cops? Where did that come from?
by 
NeedsMet
ANSWERS: 4
-
The term cops comes from the term coppers. Back in the day, police wore copper badges, hence the nick name coppers.
-
COP means Constable On Patrol. The cop walked a beat in a specific neighbourhood. It's an abbreviation. I like Chronos' answer too, never thought of that before, but it makes sense.
-
The phrase I bet he/she is on a good screw (reference to money) comes from the days when Roman soldiers got part of their wages paid in salt,and it was given to them in a screwed up piece of parchment.The bigger the screw the more wealthier he was.
-
The police sense of "copper" and "cop" probably comes originally from the Latin word "capere," meaning "to seize," which also gave us "capture." "Cop" as a slang term meaning "to catch, snatch or grab" appeared in English in the 18th century, ironically originally used among thieves -- a "copper" was a street thief. But by the middle of the 19th century, criminals apprehended by the police were said to have themselves been "copped" - caught - by the "coppers" or "cops." http://www.word-detective.com/back-d2.html
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC