General
cop a plea
What does cop a plea mean?
To back down or surrender in an argument.
"Don't cop a plea now, you started this."
Origin
1930s-40s Harlem jive slang, listed in Cab Calloway's 'Hepster's Dictionary' as meaning to plead or beg off. 'Cop' meant to take or get, so 'cop a plea' literally meant to take up a plea.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'cop a plea' mean in jive?
It means to beg off, make excuses, or back down and apologize.
Where did 'cop a plea' come from?
From 1930s-40s Harlem jive, recorded in Cab Calloway's 'Hepster's Dictionary'; 'cop' meant to take or get.
Is this the same as a legal plea bargain?
It shares the 'cop' root, but the jive sense was broader, simply pleading or begging off in any situation.
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