On 29/07/16 11:37, thescullster wrote:
On 29/07/2016 01:03, David Lang wrote:
I'm trying to research the usage of the word "Gavver".
It's commonly used in North Kent as a slang term for the police. As in
"run, the gavvers are coming" or "I've been nicked, I'm at the gavver
station.
It's not a derogatory term like 'filth' or 'pigs' but general slang like
'rosser' or 'old bill'.
Could you reply with your location and whether or not it's common in
your area?

East Yorkshire born and bred - never heard of it!

But then rozzers was an import from Ian Dury, or was that cozzers?

Phil
Rozzers
=======
1. Robert Peel from Bury, Lancashire set the first police up and the
local town they concentrated their first efforts on was Rossendale,
hence Rozzers

2.From the French word rousse or roussin, meaning detective or police.

Take your pick. It goes back to the 19th century.


Cozzer is nearly as old. Cops + rozzer or just rhyming slang or a
shortened form of constable.


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