2006-08-21 04:55:32 · 13 answers · asked by Jasunni 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
and COP what does cop stand for?
2006-08-21 06:19:41 · update #1
Well, not exactly in the '60's, like people think. From StraightDope:
"If you thought the term pig arose in the 1960s, you're in for a surprise. The OED cites an 1811 reference to a "pig" as a Bow Street Runner--the early police force, named after the location of their headquarters, before Sir Robert Peel and the Metropolitan Police Force. The usage was probably confined to the criminal classes until the 1960s, when it was taken up by protestors. False explanations for the term involve the gas masks worn by the riot police in that era, or the pigs in charge of George Orwell's Animal Farm."
From Groink, we have another explanation, nearly as old, and also referring to Sir Robert Peel and his men, with a bit clearer of an explanation as to why they were pigs:
"Police - pigs
Back in 1809, Sir Robert Peel entered the House of Commons in London - he developed a passion for Sandy Back pigs found in Ireland and began to breed them in Tamworth. Soon, these pigs were known as Tamworth pigs. Pig slang was commonplace in Tamworth because of this, it was in 1829 that the relation to police came into it.
Politicians were concerned about the way London was policed and Sir Robert Peel changed things - his changes resulted in the formation of the Metropolitan Police. This is why police are referred to as 'Bobbies' or 'Peelers'; they were Bobby's boys...
Due to the pig nature that Tamworth had become, the police suffered the same fate as other Tamworth products did: They became related to pigs. "
So, it's thanks to the Brits, for this bit of slang, it seems.
2006-08-21 06:30:42 · answer #1 · answered by Yahzmin ♥♥ 4ever 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Why Are Cops Called Pigs
2016-10-03 07:05:22 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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RE:
When and why did cops start being called pigs?
2015-08-20 16:58:53 · answer #3 · answered by Karyn 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First of all... There are no references in any literature,movies, or newspapers of British Police officers being called "Pigs" during the first 7 decades of the 20th Century... so its highly doubtful that the 60's Protesters came across the term in some obscure 1811 British Periodical about the head of the British Police also breeding pigs....Its well established that the term "Pig" entered the popular American Lexicon during the Civil rights / Vietnam Protest era... and it was either directly attributed to their appearance in the WWII era Gas Masks they wore.. or a reference to the Pigs being the Enforcers in George Orwell's Animal Farm or perhaps a combination of the two.... The story above about the guy who started the English Police also breeding Pigs is simply absurd... For one, there is no record in newspapers, TV, Movies, or literature in pre 1960's Britain of anyone in the UK referring to Police as "Pigs"
2015-05-18 01:01:10 · answer #4 · answered by Coopersdisciple 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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The term "PIG" as it referes to police officers or law enforcement in general comes from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. In that novel the pigs were the ones on the farm that maintained order among the other animals. P = Police I = In G = General
2016-03-26 23:04:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you know what COP means?
Constable on patrol.
I once asked a police officer if I could call him a cop. He told me only if I knew what it meant....and I did - shoulda seen his jaw drop.
And on another note - since I'm at my limit on answers - this is about the "why are NC troopers so bad" question - I got stopped by a CHP and did NOT get a ticket. It's all in YOUR attitude.
2006-08-21 05:39:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋
The guy who created the Metropolitan Police Force in London was a pig farmer.
2016-03-15 03:33:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The original term is traced to a comment in the 60's, it refers to police wearing gas masks, the type in use basically has large plastic or glass eye pieces and it formed a snout over the mouth and nose because of the filters used.
As a result, it looked amazingly like a pigs snout- from wearing the gas mask.
Needless to say, it quickly caught on. (Also it has been tied at least in part due to the book, "Animal Farm" and the pig enforcers of the unfair rules.
Police are not favorable to the term, with has now become part of the lexicon.
2006-08-21 05:35:40 · answer #8 · answered by William B 2 · 2⤊ 3⤋
cops are worse than pigs they're turkeys
2014-02-11 19:04:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hippy movement in the late 60's coined that term, guessing it was due to, ahem, physical attributes of the cops of the era? :)
2006-08-21 05:02:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋