Cop/copper/cop it

Cop is an abbreviation of copper, slang for a police officer, which dates from the mid-19th century. Copper, as in police officer, derives from the dialectical word cop (c. early 1700s) meaning to snatch or seize, which is precisely what police officers do to criminals. Cop meaning to get into trouble i.e. to cop it, dates from the mid-19th century. Cop meaning an easy matter or not worth much, as in ‘not much cop’ dates from the late 19th century and cop, as in ‘it’s a fair cop’ dates from around the same time. Cop a plea is to do a deal with the cops and is American from c.1940.