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question everything

(52,396 posts)
Tue May 19, 2026, 05:20 PM 4 hrs ago

What does grass mean, in term of cooperating with the police? British usage

I am reading The most recent Thursday Murder Club and there are a father and son with blemishes as far as the police is concerned and when asked about some crime they “do not grass.”

Similar to snitch?

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
What does grass mean, in term of cooperating with the police? British usage (Original Post) question everything 4 hrs ago OP
Yes snitch. Srkdqltr 4 hrs ago #1
Thanks. I wonder whether they also say snitch... question everything 4 hrs ago #2
All of the Rumpole books reference the term a time of two each Bristlecone 4 hrs ago #3
Thanks. Consider this book has been a best seller in this country a footnote would have been helpful question everything 4 hrs ago #5
Never grass dweller 4 hrs ago #4
Blimey that must be Cockney usage /nt bucolic_frolic 3 hrs ago #6
Same as don't lie to me or Figarosmom 3 hrs ago #7
no. 'grass' means to inform police/authority stopdiggin 3 hrs ago #9
The phrase that I hear on British shows is Figarosmom 35 min ago #11
I have honestly never heard the term used that way stopdiggin 1 min ago #12
informant as a "snake in the grass" Eugene 3 hrs ago #8
sad that doing the right thing is considered bad n msongs 2 hrs ago #10

Bristlecone

(11,189 posts)
3. All of the Rumpole books reference the term a time of two each
Tue May 19, 2026, 05:26 PM
4 hrs ago

It means to help the authorities by “ratting out someone”

It’s always a criminal snitching on a criminal in the cases I reference. Often considered going against their “moral code.”

question everything

(52,396 posts)
5. Thanks. Consider this book has been a best seller in this country a footnote would have been helpful
Tue May 19, 2026, 05:31 PM
4 hrs ago

stopdiggin

(15,639 posts)
9. no. 'grass' means to inform police/authority
Tue May 19, 2026, 06:20 PM
3 hrs ago

and in my reading and understanding, it remains fairly specific to that.

Figarosmom

(13,370 posts)
11. The phrase that I hear on British shows is
Tue May 19, 2026, 09:06 PM
35 min ago

Don't grass me up. And it's a cop talking to an informant or in interview rooms.

And I took it for telling them not to lie or mess around wasting their time.

stopdiggin

(15,639 posts)
12. I have honestly never heard the term used that way
Tue May 19, 2026, 09:41 PM
1 min ago

and in my hearing 'grass' almost invariably means to inform or 'snitch' - or alternatively the informer or snitch.
but if that's the way you heard it - so be it.
language is a moving target. yes?

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Eugene

(67,313 posts)
8. informant as a "snake in the grass"
Tue May 19, 2026, 06:16 PM
3 hrs ago

And then there's a "supergrass," lower than a snake in the grass,
an informant during The Troubles.

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