General
paddy wagon
What does paddy wagon mean?
The police van that scoops up the cuffed and drives them to the station. Name's grim — 'Paddy' was a slur for Irish people, and the term comes from either Irish-American cops driving them or Irish immigrants filling the back. Still in everyday US use, history attached.
"By midnight there were six of them in the back of the paddy wagon."
Origin
Late 19th-century US, from 'Paddy' (slur for Irish) — either referring to Irish-American police officers or Irish arrestees in 1800s American cities.
Frequently asked questions
What does paddy wagon mean?
It's a police van used for hauling away arrestees.
How do you use paddy wagon in a sentence?
"They loaded everyone into the paddy wagon after the raid."
Is paddy wagon offensive?
The term is very common and widely used, though some consider 'paddy' loaded because of its historic association with Irish people.
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