Joe Friday cop jargon

[Jonathan Lighter]

Exactly the sort of thing I was just referring to !

  JL

"Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
Subject: Joe Friday cop jargon
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Jack Webb provided a glossary to his writers for Dragnet. It sometimes
formed the basis for newspaper articles:


Zanesville | Times Recorder, The | 1953-05-16
Television section, p. 7 col 1
"Glossary of Police Jargon Used on 'Dragnet' Program"

APB-All Points Bulletin. [OED has 1960]

Fagan-Deals with a fence who directs children to steal.

Hang-on Citation - Parking ticket issued without signature of driver.

Package-Criminal record of defendant.

Run a Make-To determine if suspect has ever been arrested before or is
wanted .

Run Down-Bringing up to date on crime.



Long Beach | Independent-Press-Telegram | 1956-02-05
Sunday Magazine section p. 10 col 2

"In the Jargon of Joe Friday" by Terry Vernon

Booster-A shoplifter.

Heel and Toe Job--Hitting a cash register.


Soup Job-Use of explosives (nitroglycerine) on safe.
Punch Job-Punch the combination out of safe.
Rip Job-Rip the safe or peel it open.

Other cop jargon:

Hot Sheet:

Pasadena | Independent Star-News, The | 1958-07-20 p. 1 (cite after
jump, on p 2 col 1)
"Police Patrol-A Slice of a City's Life" by Jim Galbraith

Passing automobiles are checked to see if licenses are on the "hot
sheet," a daily issue of
wanted vehicles.

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