John Q. Law
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A generic police officer.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Now if we cross the path of any John Q. Laws, nobody does a fuckin' thing 'til I do something.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “John Q. Law” mean?
A generic police officer.
Is “John Q. Law” formal or informal?
John Q. Law is generally slang.