I have been watching both The Wire and The Shield, two ostensibly cop-based shows, though the producers of The Wire would rather you perceive it as a show about the American city. This is neither here nor there and we can debate the merits of each show later. The only similarity I care to discuss now is "Five-O". This is what criminals, typically drug dealers, in both shows call out when the police are coming. Curious about the etymology of the phrase, I sought out the googles for answers.
It seems the answers are unclear. Some seem to think it is a reference to the 5.0 badge on police model Crown Victorias that first appeared int he early 1980s while others favor a link to the old television show Hawaii Five-O which aired from 1968 to 1980. For the non-existent segment of my reading population who are elderly crack dealers, what say ye? TV show or Crown Vic?
1 comment:
As a committed car guy, you'd think I would favor the Crown Vic answer. But no; I was an Hawaii Five-O fan from way back, so I'll throw my non-existent vote that way. Non-existent because I'm not an elderly crack dealer. Half true, but which half?
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