Old Bill
Britishnoun
-
a policeman
-
(functioning as plural) policemen collectively or in general
Etymology
Origin of Old Bill
C20: of uncertain origin: perhaps derived from the World War I cartoon of a soldier with a drooping moustache
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Surprisingly, given its reputation for ad lib invention, the script remains almost exactly the same as in the UK, apart from a few changes for clarity – "Old Bill" is replaced by "police".
From The Guardian • Mar. 6, 2013
Proper Journalist David Conn took ages to write this epic about how 'Arry's acquittal is a blow for the Old Bill.
From The Guardian • Feb. 9, 2012
Buzz with the Fuzz - Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds A hipster's frankly dubious entertainment plans are inconvenienced by the repeated interventions of the Old Bill.
From The Guardian • Mar. 24, 2011
"I made the King laugh!" cackled Old Bill, emerging from his interview in high glee.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Some say that herons are majestic,” said Old Bill Bone.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
