Why Are Police Officers Called ‘Cops’?
The theme from the TV show Cops repeatedly asks, “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” But curious linguists may pose an entirely different question: Where does the word “cops” come from? While it’s common to refer to the police as cops, the terms don’t seem that similar, beyond
a few shared letters. But there’s one backstory that explains the entire situation, as well as a few popular, albeit untrue theories we’d like to dispel. One oft-repeated theory is that “cop” is an acronym for “constable on patrol,” but that’s not true. Another common misconception is that it references...
