“Boys in Blue” is a term used to refer to police officers, likely due to the blue color of their uniforms. It may have originated from the London Metro Police or Union soldiers in the Civil War. The phrase is now an idiom and includes both male and female officers, regardless of uniform color.
“Boys in Blue” is a common term used to refer to police officers in general. The term is often considered an idiom as it is not meant to be taken literally. Instead, it’s really a comparative reference. In a different context, the term “boys in blue” can also be considered a reference to Union soldiers of the United States Civil War.
Probably originating in reference to police officers, “boys in blue” refers to the blue color of the uniforms they typically wear. The phrase specifically refers to “boys” most likely because the job of police officers was originally done exclusively by men. In its current usage, however, the phrase “boys in blue” is seen as an idiom and should not be taken in its literal sense. Therefore, it intends to include all police officers, men and women, regardless of the color of uniform they wear.
There is some speculation as to how the blue uniform became a symbol of the police force. One theory holds that the London Metro Police, as the forerunner of the United States’ adopted police force, wore blue uniforms to clearly distinguish themselves from the military forces, which wore bright red uniforms. It is assumed that the uniform color was simply revived when the United States developed its own police force.
Another theory holds that, after the American Civil War, the police force transformed into a kind of paramilitary unit. As such, they started wearing uniforms. Due to the fact that Union soldiers wore blue uniforms, it is speculated that the police, whose job was to enforce the law and reduce civil unrest, also adopted the color blue for their uniforms.
The latter theory is supported by the fact that the phrase “boys in blue” was also used to refer specifically to Union soldiers during the Civil War. Union soldiers wore dark blue jackets, thus giving rise to the nickname. In fact, the phrase has been used to honor Union soldiers in both poetry and song, such as RW Burt’s poem, “The Boys in Blue,” written circa 1909.
While police uniforms were traditionally blue in color, this is no longer the case. Rather, depending on the specific location, police officers can be seen in a variety of colors including black, brown, khaki, and gray. Regardless of uniform color, however, people will likely still refer to police officers as the “boys in blue.”
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