Skip to main content

Cop-speak 

The official unofficial language of the police when speaking to the public. Including: the press, in the courts, to witnesses or the general population.
Then the officer went right into Cop-speak."The subject was observed entering the a fore mentioned entry way. Documented to be breached around 1300 hours, the door was found to be, uh, dislodged with an unidentified object. The perp. was reportedly seen grasping that device by a reliable witness blah, blah, blah......"
Cop-speak by glamrocker October 6, 2009
Cop-speak mug front
Get the Cop-speak mug.
See more merch

Cop-speak 

An exaggeratedly wordy jargon, frequently spoken in a mono-tone passive voice. Descriptive yet extremely vague, this is used when describing a situation in order to increase the appearance of intelligence or credibility, while cloaking truth in a mountain of syllables.
The police officer used cop-speak to convince the jury that the use of force was justified.
Cop-speak by Kirkury December 14, 2015
Related Words

Cop speak 

A subset of bafflegab intended both to lend glory to mundane events and to obfuscate unethical or violent actions. Examples might include “the alleged perpetrator proceeded in a northerly direction via vehicle” for “he drove north”, “sworn members” for “cops”, and “arrested after a brief use-of-force encounter” for “we beat him up”.
The press conference after the shooting was full of the kind of cop speak you’d expect from Public Affairs.
Cop speak by CharleneV May 5, 2023

bang a you-ee 

of Massachusetts orig. "to make a u-turn"
hey, we missed the bar, bang a you-ee
Word of the Day on July 19, 2026
The word 'flag' as pronounced by people with thick Belfast accents. The term is a perfect encapsulation of the disproportionate and overblown reaction to the removal of the Union Jack (as in 'de fleg') from above City Hall in Belfast. Where previously it had flown for 365 days per year, it is now flown on 17 designated days of the year - in line with many other British cities.

The event caused a portion of the Protestant community ('fleggers') to make international pricks of themselves as they proceeded to wreck the fucking place, claiming it was another erosion of a 'British' identity they perceive to have been under attack since the horrifying spectre of equality reared its head in Northern Ireland.

The word 'fleg' - and indeed 'fleggers' - fittingly describes a section of humanity unconcerned with knowledge, reality or the vagaries of the English language. Like America's tea-baggers they are ruled by instinct, fear and paranoia with a side dish of rampant bigotry and startling ignorance of the world around them.
"Wat de fuck like! The taigs got de fleg took down! Let's wreck de fuckin place! No surrender!"

"De fleg has been took down! Before ye know it there'll be a united Ireland! Attack Short Strand! God Save The Queen!"
Fleg by OnionFleg August 9, 2013
Word of the Day on July 18, 2026
To take something small, that doesn't quite qualify as a theft. Probably from the Danish "skæv" or the Dutch "scheef", both of which are pronounced similarly, meaning "askew, or not quite right'. To change an item's ownership without permission, but only something small and of little worth.
"I skeefed an apple off the neighbor's tree." "I skeefed some chips outta your bag when you looked away." "Don't skeef my chair when I go to the bathroom."
Skeef by kachinaflonk July 16, 2026
Word of the Day on July 17, 2026

Hair spider

A tight, tangled knot of loose hair and lint that forms inside clothing during the clothes dryer cycle. It typically hides inside garments, causing an annoying lump or a phantom tickling sensation against the skin until it is found or falls out onto the floor during folding.
I was folding my clothes and a huge hair spider fell out onto my hand
Hair spider by Kmorsels July 15, 2026
Word of the Day on July 16, 2026