General
hobby bobby
What does hobby bobby mean?
A Special Constable — a volunteer warranted officer with the same powers as a regular but unpaid. Used patronisingly by full-timers and the public alike.
"Don't worry about him, he's just a hobby bobby — doing Saturday nights for the patches."
Origin
British, rhyming insult. 'Bobby' is the standard nickname for a constable (after Sir Robert Peel); pair it with 'hobby' and you've got a part-timer doing it for kicks.
Frequently asked questions
What does "hobby bobby" mean?
It's a UK term for a Special Constable — a volunteer police officer with full powers but no pay.
How do you use "hobby bobby" in a sentence?
"He's not full-time police, he's a hobby bobby who does weekends."
Is "hobby bobby" rude?
It's mildly mocking, poking fun at the unpaid, part-time nature of the role, so a Special Constable might not love being called it.
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