British Slang For Police (11 Examples!)

The police are an organization that tends to attract a lot of slang names and terms for themselves.

Whether that’s because of criminal activity or just a broad tendency towards a certain perception of the police, the result is the same.

There are many different ways of referring to the police using slang, so today we’re going to look at a few of the most common.

Let’s get started.

In This Article

Dibble

First we have dibble, one of the more common slang terms for the police in the north of England.

While this one is quite broadly across Britain, it really is quite regionally specific.

You won’t hear it much outside the north of England, and even then, it’s mostly confined to the northwest—even Manchester specifically. “Look out, there’s a dibble van over there,” for example.

It comes from the animated series Top Cat, funnily enough, where the police officer character in the show is called Officer Dibble.

Bobby

Next we have bobby which, while not universally used, is probably the most universal slang term for police that you’ll hear in Britain.

Everyone understands what is meant by a bobby. In terms of actual use, it tends more often to be a southern English slang term than anything else. “Can you run down the street and see if you can find a bobby?” for example.

This originated after the police force was established by Robert Peel in the early 19^th Century. “Bobby” is simply a shortening of “Robert”.

Rozzer

Rozzer is another slang term for the police which, while somewhat archaic, is definitely still used in large parts of the country.

This is just a general slang term for the police, and could be an individual police officer or a way to refer to the entire police force.

“Call the rozzers, we’ve been burgled,” for instance.

As you may have guessed, this is another one that is derived from the name of the man who originally invented the police force,

Robert Peel. “Rozzer” is another slang way of saying Robert.

This one was in widespread use by around the middle of the 19^th Century, though it likely originated shortly after the police were established.

Peeler

Next we have peeler, which is doubtless the most archaic term on this list.

It is not very common at all nowadays, but it is still used to some degree.

The thing about peeler, too, is that most people in Britain tend to understand what it means if only because of its origin.

Though it’s only used today in parts of the south of England, it’s still widely understood.

Again, this one comes from the name Robert Peel—it’s simply an altering of the name Peel.

Pig

Unsurprisingly, many of the slang terms for the police tend to be a bit insulting or derogatory.

Those who are inclined to refer to the police using slang terms also tend to be inclined to dislike the police to some degree.

This is as true today as it has been since the police were first established.

So, “pig” is a very common slang term for police in Britain as it is in the U.S.

Our earliest attested use of “pig” meaning police comes from 1874 in a London slang dictionary, and it has spread all over ever since.

The filth

Next we have another very plainly derogatory slang term for the police, the filth.

This one is not as widely used as pig, though generally it’s still pretty well understood by most people in Britain.

It’s used mostly in London, again, though it has since spread across Britain to many other regions. “I can’t drive, the filth took away my licence,” for example.

It’s really not clear where this term comes from or how it came to mean the police, though it has been in use since at least the 20^th Century.

The law

Though this one might not quite register as slang, or even as uniquely British, the convention of referring to the police as “the law” did actually originate in Britain.

The law today remains a common slang term for police, such as in the famous Clash song “I Fought the Law”.

“We’d better keep a watch out in case the law comes by,” for example.

They were called the law from the earliest point that the police existed, though when exactly this first happened is not clear.

Copper

We would be remiss not to include the slang term “cop” in this list.

Though it is universally, and correctly, recognized “cop” as primarily an American term, the British were the first to refer to the police as coppers. I

n fact, the British slang predates the American term by some time. Constables in the 18^th Century were referred to as coppers, perhaps from the word cap meaning arrest.

We aren’t entirely sure how the term came to be, though it may also have derived from the Old French caper which meant “to seize”.

It’s so ubiquitous that we have lost track of its original origin.

The bill

Another term for the police in Britain is “the bill”.

This was popularized by the old police soap opera of the same name, though the term long predates that.

It’s not that widely used today, but if only because of the popularity of the TV show, most everyone in Britain will know what you mean by the bill.

It comes from the practice of police officers carrying a copy of the bill of parliament which allowed them to make arrests—later on in the 19^th Century.

Old bill

We also have Old Bill, related by not from the same root as the bill.

This one is definitely more of an archaism that you won’t hear much today, but it is again largely understood at least by the older generations.

There’s a bit of debate about where it comes from originally.

Some say it is from the same root as “the bill”.

Others claim it is because William IV was on the throne when the police were established.

Others still claim it derives from the character Old Bill in early 20^th Century cartoons, who featured a mustache like that many police officers wore.

Bizzies

If you ever watched “Brookside” you’ll know that slang for the police in Liverpool is bizzies.

Someone might say “Come ‘ead! It’s the bizzies!”

Which is loosely translated to “Come on, let’s get out of here, the police are coming!”

It’s unclear but from research, it may have come from the word busy or busybody.

So, there are more than a few slang terms for the police in Britain.

While some of these are way more common than others, most people in Britain will understand what most of these terms mean.

Some of them are highly steeped in history that not a lot of people realize, even if they use the terms themselves.

Others are simpler and more recent, but nonetheless impactful.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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