coppish

coppish

English

WOTD – 2 May 2023

Etymology 1

From cop +‎ -ish (suffix meaning ‘being like, similar to, typical of’, forming adjectives from nouns).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒpɪʃ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑpɪʃ/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒpɪʃ
• Hyphenation: cop‧pish

Adjective

coppish (comparative more coppish, superlative most coppish)

1. (chiefly US, slang) Characteristic of or resembling a cop (“police officer”).

   Synonyms: coplike, policelike

   • 2002, Robert B[rown] Parker, chapter 30, in Widow’s Walk, New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, →ISBN, page 136:

     “Are you a policeman?” Conroy said. I gave him my most coppish deadpan stare.

   • 2011, Holly Jacobs [pseudonym; Holly Fuhrmann], chapter 5, in A Father’s Name (Harlequin SuperRomance), Toronto, Ont.: Harlequin, →ISBN, page 106:

     "I know I'm going to sound suspicious and very policelike—" / "You're allowed to sound coppish … it's in your DNA," Laura assured him.

Translations

characteristic of or resembling a cop — see coplike

Etymology 2

See capisce.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəˈpiːʃ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kəˈpiʃ/
• Rhymes: -iːʃ
• Hyphenation: cop‧pish

Interjection

coppish

1. Alternative spelling of capisce
   • 2001, Lil Cromer; Allen R. Pedrick, chapter 3, in Terminal Greed, Lincoln, Neb.: Writers Club Press, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 33:

     Simple, I live here so I was nominated. Coppish?

   • 2006, Michael Beres, chapter 21, in The President’s Nemesis, Palm Beach, Fla.: Medallion Press, →ISBN, page 174:

     "After that we'll see." Jake reached out and clasped Walter's shoulder. "Coppish?" Walter smiled broadly. "Coppish, Mr. Serranto."

Translations

alternative spelling of capisce — see capisce

Etymology 3

A variant of codpiece.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒpɪʃ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑpɪʃ/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒpɪʃ
• Hyphenation: cop‧pish

Noun

coppish (plural coppishes)

1. (Wales) The fly of a pair of trousers.
   • a. 1954 (date written), Dylan Thomas, “The Holy Six”, in Adventures in the Skin Trade (A New Directions Paperbook; no. 183), New York, N.Y.: New Directions Publishing Corporation, published 1969, →ISBN, page 129:

     And it was early morning, and the world was moist, when the crystal-gazer's husband, a freak in knickerbockers with an open coppish and a sabbath gamp, came over the stones outside his house to meet the holy travellers.

Translations

fly of a pair of trousers — see fly

References

1. Joseph Wright, editor (1898), “COPPISH, sb.”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume I (A–C), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, OCLC 81937840, page 728, column 1.

Further reading

• police officer on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “capiche”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.