Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 20:54:54 -0500

From: Jim Crotty Monkmag[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: stay and live



In a message dated 11/15/97 2:54:12 PM, you wrote:



On 'cop': I always heard it came from "civilian on patrol" (Brit.,

something like a neighborhood crime watch?). Is this completely

apocryphal? To assume 'cop' comes from 'catch' seems farfetched; but I

suppose we should check our Old and Middle English dictionaries. On

"cop a plea": As I recall, Roger Abrahams traced this in the 70s to

Black English street plea-bargaining, but I haven't got my citation

handy.



Whether apocryphal or not I do like "civilian on patrol." Gives me a much

warmer feeling about coppers.