copper's nark
Definition
- Noun:
- An informer or spy working for the police: A person who secretly provides information to the police, often about criminal activities or the actions of others. The term is informal and carries a negative connotation, implying betrayal or underhandedness.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The gang discovered that one of their members was a copper's nark.
- He was suspected of being a copper's nark after the police raid was so precise.
Advanced Usage
- "to turn nark": to become an informer for the police.
- Facing a long sentence, he decided to turn nark to reduce his punishment.
- Used in historical/criminal contexts: The term is strongly associated with 19th and 20th-century British criminal slang and police culture.
Variants and Related Words
- Nark (noun): A shortened, more common form of "copper's nark," meaning an informer or police spy.
- He's just a nark; don't tell him anything.
- Grass (noun, UK slang): A synonym for an informer.
- Snitch (noun, informal): A common synonym for an informer.
Synonyms
- Informer: A person who informs on another to the authorities.
- Stool pigeon: An informer, especially one who is a decoy or works with the police.
- Police informant: A more formal term for a person who gives information to the police.
Related Phrases
- To nark on someone (phrasal verb): To inform the police about someone's activities.
- He narked on his former partners to get a deal.
Related Idioms
- To blow the whistle: To report illegal or unacceptable activities to the authorities. (Note: This is less pejorative than "copper's nark" and can be seen as a positive act.)
- To sell someone out: To betray someone, often for personal gain, which can include informing on them.
Noun
-
an informer or spy working for the police
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