po-po

po-po

See also: popo, Popo, popó, pópo, popò, popô, pöpö, and Appendix:Variations of "po"

English

Alternative forms

• popo

Etymology

From reduplication of the abbreviation PO (“police officer”), originally in reference to partnered bike officers in Southern California whose paired shirts would read POPO.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpoʊˈpoʊ/

Noun

po-po (countable and uncountable, plural po-pos)

1. (colloquial, derogatory, countable) Synonym of police officer.
   • 2006 Sept. 10, David Simon & al., "Boys of Summer", The Wire, 00:23:44:

     Yo, po-po, man. Shut it down.

2. (colloquial, derogatory, uncountable) Synonym of police.
   • 2012, Liz Talley, Under the Autumn Sky (page 151)

     “Shit,” Brian breathed. “Who called the po-po?”

Usage notes

Originally chiefly urban American slang, now spread to UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. This term has also spread to Hong Kong during the protests in 2019.

References

• Lim, Lisa. "How Hong Kong Slang Terms for 'Police' Have Evolved over Time", South China Morning Post, 28 Sept. 2019.

Anagrams

• oppo, poop