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A nickname for a British policeman is a bobby, after Sir Robert (Bobby) Peel, who founded Britain’s Metropolitan Police Force in 1829, provoking complaints about the infringement of civil liberties. The first patrolmen wore a blue uniform (to distinguish them from the military who wore red) with a top hat. They also carried a 20-in (51-cm) truncheon (club) for protection, and a rattle for attracting attention—rattles were replaced with whistles in 1886, after experiments showed that whistles could be heard from a much greater distance. The first two bobbies—William Atkinson and William Alcock, holders of Warrants Number one and two— were fired on the first and second day of the force’s existence for being drunk.
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Bobby, nickname for Robert, after Sir Robert Peel, who organized the London police force
1839, in the meaning defined above
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“Bobby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bobby. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
named for Sir Robert (Bobby) Peel 1788–1850 English politician who first organized the London police force
More from Merriam-Webster on bobby
Britannica English: Translation of bobby for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bobby
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