fuzz

Encyclopedia Article

Article

A word that may have appeared at the turn of the twentieth century as a term of contempt for police, based on derogatory criminal slang from the period. To be "fuzzy" was to be unmanly, incompetent, and soft. Therefore, to call the police "the fuzz" was to insult their manhood.

Photo Credit: 

 
"The waiting fuzz: Police at the 'Make Poverty History' protest march, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 2, 2005" by Matt Riggott is licensed under CC BY-SA.

Published Works: 
Dance Hall of the Dead (1973)
The Ghostway (1984)
Term Type: 
Cultural Reference