noun
Street Slang
sweeney
SWEE-nee · noun · slang
The Flying Squad (clipped from 'Sweeney Todd').
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Definitions
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The shortened form of 'Sweeney Todd', Cockney rhyming slang for the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad.
“The Sweeney turned up mob-handed and nicked the lot of them.”
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sweeney In A Sentence
The Sweeney turned up mob-handed and nicked the lot of them.
Origin & Usage
Clip of 'Sweeney Todd' ('Todd' rhymes with 'Squad'); cemented by the 1970s TV series 'The Sweeney'.
People Also Ask
What does 'the Sweeney' mean?
It's Cockney rhyming slang for the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, clipped from 'Sweeney Todd' ('Todd' rhymes with 'Squad').
Where does 'the Sweeney' come from?
From the rhyming slang 'Sweeney Todd', the fictional demon barber. It was cemented in popular use by the 1970s TV cop show 'The Sweeney'.
How is it used?
To refer to plain-clothes police or the Flying Squad, e.g. 'the Sweeney turned up mob-handed and nicked the lot of them'.
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