Toecutters

"The bad guys"
"Quiet!"

"Watch out for the Toecutters!!!"

Toecutters by Evan Weston January 29, 2003

Toecutter 

In Australian police slang, toecutter refers to members of the internal Ethical Standards Division (including such groups as the former Office of Police Integrity in Victoria).

In underworld slang, it refers to a criminal who preys on other criminals, using threats and extreme violence to obtain money:

'...the old toecutter activity, where you'd find out who'd done armed robbery, and you'd go around and give them the old Avon lady ring on the doorbell while they're sitting there counting out the money and take more than your fair share. And if they didn't they'd suffer the consequences.' Greg Davies, Secretary of the Victorian Police Association, interviewed on 'Tough Nuts: Australia's Hardest Criminals'.

The most famous Australian toecutter is the late Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read

The term has spread more generally throughout the community, and in workplaces is used to refer to individuals involved in assessing other employees, such as performance managers.

It is believed that the term originates in Northern Ireland, used at one time to refer to the Royal Ulster Constabulary and their torture techniques. There is no evidence Australian criminal toecutters actually cut off the toes of their victims with bolt cutters, as is commonly believed: this would seem to be a myth, probably manufactured by the toecutters themselves.

'Some cops bashed a suspect and he went public about it. Now they've got the toecutters investigating them.'

'I heard you've got a meeting with the toecutters this 'arvo. Good luck.'

Toecutter by jieshou January 24, 2016

Toecutter 

A member of a notorious group of freeloaders in the craigavon area.

I came down for a drink during the night and there was a toecutter sleeping on my kitchen floor.

Toecutter by Limbodancer October 31, 2018