Feds

Feds (noun / UK & US Slang)

(Also heard as: The feds, Fed, Feds about)

Definition:

In UK slang, the feds means the police. It is borrowed from American English, where it means federal agents, but in Britain it is used for ordinary police officers.

Where Feds Comes From:

It is short for “federal agents”, the FBI and similar US bodies. British speakers picked it up from American films, TV and rap. Britain has no federal police, so the word has simply become a trendy label for any police.

How People Actually Use Feds:

Young people say “the feds are outside” or “got stopped by the feds”. It appears in UK rap and drill and is the common youth word for police. Older people may find it odd, because it is an Americanism.

Is Feds Rude?

Mildly. It is casual and slightly disrespectful, less harsh than “pigs” or “filth”.

Examples in the Wild:

• “The feds just rolled past.”

  Meaning: A police car drove by.

• “Don’t talk to the feds.”

  Meaning: Don’t talk to the police.

• “We got pulled over by the feds.”

  Meaning: Police stopped us.

Similar Slang:

Five-O, Pig, Rozzer, Cop, Roadman

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