General
smokey
What does smokey mean?
CB radio shorthand for a highway patrolman, specifically because the broad-brimmed campaign hat troopers wear is the same one Smokey Bear wears in the fire-prevention ads. Hit hard by the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit and never really left the airwaves.
"Smokey taking pictures at the 47 mile marker, back her down."
Origin
American trucker CB slang from the 1970s, borrowing from the US Forest Service's Smokey Bear mascot whose campaign hat matched state troopers' headgear. Cemented in pop culture by the 1977 film 'Smokey and the Bandit'.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Smokey" mean?
It's slang for a state trooper, named after the wide-brimmed hat that resembles the one worn by Smokey Bear.
How do you use "Smokey" in a sentence?
"Slow down — there's a Smokey parked under the overpass."
Where does "Smokey" come from?
The nickname comes from the trooper's campaign hat, which looks like the hat worn by the Smokey Bear fire-prevention mascot.
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