What it means
A police officer, usually said with a cheeky, slightly streetwise edge. It’s an old-school word that still gets used plenty, from everyday gossip to proper crime telly. You’ll hear it a lot in the plural as the coppers when you mean the police turning up. Not the most respectful label, but not full-on abusive either.
Usage examples
"We were mucking about outside the chippy when the coppers rolled up, and suddenly everyone turned into an angel with somewhere urgent to be."
"A couple of coppers turned up at the door asking about the noise last night."
"Slow down, there's a copper parked just round the bend with a speed gun."
"Keep your head down, mate, there’s a copper standing by the off-licence clocking everyone coming out."
"He legged it soon as he spotted the coppers at the end of the estate, which honestly made him look even guiltier."
Where it comes from
This one’s old and proper British. It comes from the verb cop, meaning to catch or grab, which showed up in English before copper got pinned on police officers. So a copper was basically the person who nabs you. The tale about copper buttons sounds cute, but it’s not the real source.
Other ways to say it
This expression also appears in
