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As you probably know, the word "cop" (C-O-P) is a British and American slang word for a
police officer. The origins of this expression are a bit of a mystery, but most people seem
to think that it is an abbreviation of "copper," and this could be because in the old days
policemen's helmets or buttons or badges were made from copper. But what about the word
Kop (K-O-P), which is the name of the terrace behind the goal at Liverpool's ground, Anfield?
This story is a little bit more straightforward: Spion Kop was the name of a battle that took
place on a hill in 1900 during the Boer War in South Africa. And a journalist noticed
that the terrace behind the goal at Arsenal's ground was similar to the Spion Kop. And so
"Spion Kop" or "Kop" became a generic term for the area behind the goal, although it
is usually associated with that at Liverpool's ground.