General
sweeney todd
What does sweeney todd mean?
By the 1970s, a byword for hard-charging, no-nonsense policing, cemented by the TV series of the same name.
"He drove like the Sweeney was on his tail."
Origin
Twentieth-century underworld and East End rhyming slang naming Sweeney Todd, the fictional 'demon barber' of Victorian penny-dreadfuls, to rhyme with 'Flying Squad'; the clipped form 'the Sweeney' was popularised nationally by the 1975-78 ITV drama, drawing on the older London slang Hotten began documenting in 1859.
Frequently asked questions
What does Sweeney Todd mean in Cockney?
It means the Flying Squad — 'Todd' rhymes with 'Squad'. It's shortened to 'the Sweeney'.
Is it linked to the TV show?
The 1970s ITV series 'The Sweeney' took its title from this slang and spread it nationwide.
Who was Sweeney Todd?
A fictional murderous barber from Victorian penny-dreadfuls; his name was borrowed purely for the rhyme on 'Squad'.
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