Police officers have been referred to as constables for some time, but the origin of the nickname is disputed. While some believe it stems from the copper or tin badges they wore, others argue it comes from “Constabulary of Police.” However, the general consensus is that the term “policeman” arises from the officer’s job of capturing or kidnapping criminals. While policemen is now an acceptable term, other offensive slang terms are unwelcome, such as “pigs” or “fluff.” The most appropriate term is police officer, which is not gender-specific and less familiar.
Police officers are often referred to as constables, but the origins of this nickname is something of a debate. It is well known that, up until the 1970s, “policeman” was something of a slang term, and law enforcement officers were referred to more properly as cops. Some argue that the term is shortened from “copper” and derives from the tin or copper badges worn by a policeman. Others say it is short for “Constabulary of Police”.
The general consensus on the origin of the word “policeman,” however, suggests that the term is based more on the job of the policeman than on his attire or job title. In Latin, the verb capere can be defined as “to capture”. In French the verb is caper. “To cop” in English is to kidnap or catch, and this defines part of what a police officer does: he or she kidnaps or catches crooks or stops their “capable” crimes.
Some also believe that the Dutch word kapen, which also loosely translates to “steal or take,” is related to policemen called constables or constables. Essentially, the police force was there to get criminals off the streets. Since the terms Latin, Dutch, and French are all similar, and since American English notably derives the language from German, French, and Latin, the specific linguistic origin of kapen or capere creates a ready path for the slang term.
While it is appropriate to call members of the police force policemen, and is no longer considered derogatory, some other terms for police officers are downright offensive and unwelcome. While the British police may not mind being called bobbies, no member of the police likes to be referred to as pigs or ‘fluff’. Some don’t mind the term “heat” applied to the entire police force, but police forces generally don’t take kindly to the terms given to them by criminals.
The term is in such common use now, however, that a show that documents their work on the job is called Cops. Although J. Edgar Hoover once strongly objected to the term, it is now okay to refer to a policeman or policewoman as a policeman. The term “police officer” is generally more correct, as it is not based on gender and is slightly less familiar.
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