wooden-top en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
The expression may be a reference to the wooden construction of a bobby's custodian helmet.
Meanings
-
(UK, idiomatic, informal) A uniformed police officer.
It is Detective Chief Superintendent Cohn Harpur, one of the bosses, but just a wooden-top like all the rest.
1991, Bill James, The Lolita Man, W. W. Norton & Company, page 41:Immediately a big wooden-top came in. He was young and blond.
1988, Derek Raymond, The Devil's Home on Leave, Ballantine Books, page 151:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| woodentop | alternative | lexicographic | |
| wooden-tops | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
police officer (police officer)