cop it, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

cop it v.

[cop v. (3a) + SE it; ‘it’ being trouble]

1. to get into trouble, to receive a severe reprimand.

1887		‘’Arry on Law and Order’ in Punch 26 Nov. 249/1: Beastly shame, and no error, my pippin! Me cop it! It’s too jolly rum.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 29 Nov. 6/3: And he smiled as he thought how they’d ‘cop’ it.
1905		Marvel III:62 26: Oh crikey! [...] You won’t half cop it for breakin’ these chinas!
1910		Wodehouse Psmith in the City (1993) 111: Jackson isn’t half copping it from old Bick.
1923		‘Bartimeus’ ‘A Flower of the Sea’ in Seaways 272: ‘This’ll learn ’im’ . . . ‘’E’s copped it this time.’.
1937		E. Garnett Family from One End Street 40: ‘You’ll cop it!’ said a voice from above.
1943		J. Phelan Letters from the Big House 36: He won’t half cop it.
1950		C. Harris Three-Ha’Pence to the Angel 64: Now I’ll cop it.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 29: Old Truthful copped it from those mosquitoes, I can tell you, on account he was a white man.
1976		R. Morrieson Pallet on the Floor 111: Looks like he’s copped it awright.
1983		S. Gee Never in My Lifetime in Best Radio Plays (1984) 69: He copped it because he was careless.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 50: cop, denoting a profitable operation of some kind, a term also used in the wider Lingo with a similar meaning in the combination a sweet cop or to cop it sweet though one may also cop it, of course, which means getting into trouble.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 281: Thieving Little Simpkins also copped it [...] She got to spend a year with a crowd of murderous lesbians.
2005		P. Temple Broken Shore (2007) [ebook] Sam’s in shit because he’s bad news and now he has to cop it.
2018		C. Hammer Scrublands [ebook] ‘I’m going to be the sacrificial lamb [...] No need for you to cop it as well’.
2020		D. Whish-Wilson Shore Leave 75: ‘If he does [have something to do with a murder] he’s going to cop it’.

2. (also cop) to be hit, to suffer in a given way, to die.

1900		Punch 7 Feb. 98: ‘The Boers’ll cop it now!’ ‘Wot’s up?’.
1908		L. Doyle Ballygullion 201: Give me your hand, man [...] hould on, hould on, you’ll cowp it!
1918		‘Sapper’ Human Touch 62: No use this time, sir. I’ve blinking well copped it through the back!
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 204: Even if this particular cocktail wasn’t poisoned, he was bound to cop it later on.
1932		(con. WWI) L. Mann Flesh in Armour 103: ‘I think we’re going to cop it’ [...] A shell lobbed on the line to the right.
1945		J. Henderson Gunner Inglorious (1974) 170: I’ve got the wind up over those knives since – since Ed and Jim copped it.
1957		‘Neville Shute’ On the Beach 65: We may be going to cop it in June, for all that anybody knows.
1963		(con. 1944) L. Glassop Rats in New Guinea 150: Jock Milne [...] copped it back near Strip Point.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 176: When he copped it I cried like he was my own brother.
1983		S. Gee Never in My Lifetime in Best Radio Plays (1984) [radio script] A lad copped it from Keighley a couple of weeks ago.
1990		R. Malan My Traitor’s Heart (1991) 260: They have probably shot a rioter or [...] ten, and came to copping it themselves on at least one occasion.
1999		Guardian Guide 15–21 May 16: A terminally ill photographer Rea who decides to exact revenge on everyone [...] before he cops it.
2000		Indep. Rev. 6 Jan. 5: The triceratops that were being laughed at for insisting that there was a very real danger must have felt pretty smug in the last few seconds before they all copped it.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 49: You could be drawing your pension yourself before she cops.
2014		T. Black Artefacts of the Dead [ebook] I want to know what they had for breakfast the day Urquhart copped it.
2017		G. Gilmore Headland [ebook] ‘My lot’s boss [...] copped it with a heart attack during his trial’.
2020		D. Whish-Wilson Shore Leave 184: ‘I hear that you’re using my name again, you’re going to cop it’.

3. (Aus. prison) to be the passive partner in homosexual anal intercourse.

1989		R.G. Barratt ‘Poofs on Parade’ in What Do You Reckon (1997) [ebook] Don’t cop it up the date and you won’t get AIDS — it’s as simple as that.
1990		Tupper & Wortley Aus. Prison Sl. Gloss. 🌐 5. To be the recipient of homosexual activity. Thus, ‘copping it’ is to be somebody’s catamite.

4. (N.Z. prison) to accept and deal with a situation.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 46/1: cop it (also cop to) v. to accept, handle, deal with a situation.

In phrases

cop it hot (v.) [hot adv.]

to get into trouble, to receive a severe reprimand.

1881		Dundee Courier (Scot.) 29 Apr. 7/3: It’s all up, I reckon, Polly [...] I shall cop it hot this time.
1891		Albert Chevalier ‘The Cockney Tragedian’ 🎵 The Press, too, ain’t been kind to me, I’ve copped it from ’em ’ot; I’ve ’ad a pile of notices, not one good one in the lot.
1892		H. Lawson ‘A Derry on a Cove’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 173: Beyond the grave you’ll cop it hot, by Jove!
1907		D. Stewart Shadows of the Night in Illus. Police News 22 June 12/3: ‘He was copping it ’ot from some bookies for passing some snide finnufs (five pound notes)’.
1914		E. Pugh Cockney At Home 239: I copped it twice as hot as what the others did.
1943		M. Harrison Reported Safe Arrival 13: If it ’adner been a Chink, I’d a copped it ’ot.

cop it in the neck (v.)

see get it in the neck v.

cop it raw (v.)

(Aus.) to experience problems.

2012

(con. 1943) G.S. Manson Coorparoo Blues [ebook] He hadn’t gone all bloody fascist like a lot of returned men who copped it raw after [...] the welcome home had worn off.

cop it sweet (v.) [sweet adv.² (1)] (Aus.)

1. to accept problems without complaining; to get one’s due deserts.

1959		Law Reports, Victoria Supreme Court 271: He refused to disclose the name of the person who had shot him [...] saying that he would ‘cop it sweet’ and in effect would attend to the matter himself.
1967		‘Whisper All Aussie Dict.’ in Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxiii 4/4: cop it sweet: Never divulging information to the police. Take the blame rightly or wrongly.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 10: ‘O.K. – cop it sweet,’ was the response.
1986		R.G. Barrett Godson 40: [T]he fat casino manager wouldn’t come in at all — he simply shrugged his shoulders and copped it sweet.
1992		M. Coleman Fatty 117: ‘[A]nd next night at training everyone would be giving Johnny Jones a hard time. Jonsey just copped it sweet... everyone did’.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 46/1: cop it sweet v. to accept without complaint.
2005		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read Chopper 4 183: ‘Teacup’ would always spit on the ground when walking past a Calabrian [...] and fully-grown men would cop this sweet and walk on.

2. to have a stroke of luck.

1999

G. Seal Lingo 50: cop, denoting a profitable operation of some kind, a term also used in the wider Lingo with a similar meaning in the combination a sweet cop or to cop it sweet.

3. to relax.

1986

R. Beckett Dinkum Aussie Dict. 16: Copping it sweet: Taking things easy; having a quiet and pleasant day with a case of beer and a bag of prawns.