In Australia, police are officially called Police Officers, with the main federal body being the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and state forces like the NSW Police Force, but slang terms are common, including "cops," "coppers," and regionally "Blue Heelers" (after the TV show) or sometimes older terms like "Jacks".
Australian Federal Police (AFP)
Common slang for police includes cops, coppers, fuzz, 5-0, bobby, pig (offensive), plod, and the boys in blue, with many regional and historical terms like Australia's "blue heeler," UK's "dibble," and older terms like "flatfoot" or "peeler" also used, reflecting diverse cultural contexts and attitudes towards law enforcement.
In Australian slang, "avo" means avocado, while "arvo" means afternoon; they sound similar but refer to different things, with "arvo" being a shortened form of "afternoon," often pronounced with an "ah" sound, and "avo" being a short form of "avocado".
The modern police force was a uniformed organisation founded in 1829 under the direction of Sir Robert Peel then Home Secretary, hence "Bobbies" and "Peelers". William IV was King and Old Bill is a reference to the King for then as now "constables are citizens locally appointed but have authority under the crown".
One theory is that “fuzz” may come from the sound of static over police radios. It may have also come from across the pond, where British police officers are known to wear somewhat fuzzy hats. Alternatively, it could be related to the short and fuzzy haircuts new officers have upon graduation from police academy.
Sense: an officer in a law enforcement agency
"Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, Oi, Oi, Oi!" is a popular Australian sports chant, a variation of the British "Oggy, Oggy, Oggy" cheer, used to express national pride and support for Australian teams, with "Ozzy" being slang for "Australian" and "Oi, Oi, Oi" a general interjection for enthusiasm or attention, much like "USA!". The chant involves one group shouting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!" and the crowd responding "Oi, Oi, Oi!".
A Flaming Galah is Australian slang for someone who is a bit doofus, a bit of a fool, a bit of a mentalist but nonetheless is a very loveable creature. A Flaming Galah is a person who makes a fool of themselves but isn't afraid to laugh at themselves when everyone else starts laughing at them.
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
"12" is slang for police, used to warn others of their presence, originating from the TV show Adam-12, where "1-Adam-12" was a patrol car, and possibly from police radio codes like "10-12" (stand by/civilians present). The term spread through hip-hop and is used to alert people that cops are near or approaching.
Synonyms of 'police' in British English
Popo/Po-Po
It is considered street terminology. Some say it's an abbreviation of the word police (po) or an acronym for police officers (PO) expressed by saying the acronym or abbreviation twice. This particular slang is more negative than it is descriptive and so is considered disrespectful.
Common slang for police includes cops, coppers, fuzz, 5-0, bobby, pig (offensive), plod, and the boys in blue, with many regional and historical terms like Australia's "blue heeler," UK's "dibble," and older terms like "flatfoot" or "peeler" also used, reflecting diverse cultural contexts and attitudes towards law enforcement.
Here are 5 common Aussie slang words/phrases: G'day (hello), Mate (friend), Arvo (afternoon), No worries (no problem/you're welcome), and Barbie (barbecue), with many Aussies shortening words (like Brekkie for breakfast, Servo for gas station) and using colourful terms for everyday things.
The Tactical Response team provides a highly professional policing and emergency response in Australia and overseas. The team uses specialised, rapidly deployable technology and other tactical capabilities to support high-risk operations.
Woop Woop is used to refer to a place in the middle of nowhere. People use it to signify that a location is far away, unfamiliar to them, and difficult to get to.
The bird that goes "woop woop woop" in Australia is the Pheasant Coucal, a large, ground-dwelling cuckoo known for its distinctive, resonant, bubbling call that sounds like "oop-oop-oop-opp" or "whoop-whoop-whoop," often heard morning and night, and sometimes mistaken for rain.
Australians primarily call sausages "snags," a popular slang term often used in the context of a "sausage sizzle" (a casual BBQ, often for fundraising) or a "democracy sausage" (sausage in bread at polling stations). Other less common terms might include "snarler" or "snork," but "snag" is the overwhelmingly popular and recognized term, stemming from the idea of a quick grab or light meal.
Another classic case of Australians shortening everything. Meaning 'thank you', ta is usually used for the times when you are in a rush or want to send a quick text to show your appreciation for something.
White Australian
Criminology research has developed a typology of police impersonators, categorizing offenders as (1) "police enthusiasts" (or "wannabe cops"); (2) compulsive deviants; and (3) common criminals seeking material gain through thefts and robberies committed through vehicle pull-overs and home invasions.
British, informal. used to admit that one did something wrong and was caught fairly. I'm annoyed about the speeding ticket, but it's a fair cop.
See Pig. Derogatory; derived from the term "Pig/Pigs"; can refer to a single officer or the police generally.