A pig. The Fuzz. A rozzer. A bobby. A copper. A police constable.

A mildly derogatory slang term used in London and possibly elsewhere, of uncertain origin. In old-fashioned English a raddock or ruddock can be a robin or a gold coin - "probably because the gold of coins was often reddened by copper alloy" says Webster 1913 - so there may be some connection with the term copper.

Rad"dock (?), n. Zool.

The ruddock.

[Prov. Eng.]

 

© Webster 1913.

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