Why are police referred to as finest?

In the case of “New York’s Finest,” Barry [Popik] has traced the term back to the 1870s, where it apparently first emerged in the form “the finest police force in the world,” a phrase associated with George Matsell (police chief at the time), and possibly modeled on Civil War Major General Joseph Hooker’s estimation of …

What does a city’s finest mean?

police officers
Definition of finest : police officers —usually used with the possessive form of a city or area the city’s finest.

Who called bravest?

The firefighters’ nickname most likely came from the term “the bravest of the brave.” An early mention of this phrase appeared in The New York Times on Aug. 27, 1862; it was used in a toast to Firefighter John Downey, a Union captain who had been a prisoner of war in Richmond, Va.

Why is New York City called the finest police force?

Uli Seit for The New York Times The Police Department’s slogan also came from a phrase with military origins: “the finest police force on the planet,” an adaptation of Gen. Joseph Hooker’s 1863 claim that the Union forces were “the finest army on the planet.” A similar phrase referring to police officers appeared in The Times in 1865.

Where did the phrase finest come from?

“Finest” (“best” was also used) probably dates to at least July 1874, when Matsell said, “I intend, sir, to make of this the finest police force in the world.” The comedian Gus Williams starred in the play One of the Finest in the early 1880s.

What is the origin of the police department’s slogan?

Credit… The Police Department’s slogan also came from a phrase with military origins: “the finest police force on the planet,” an adaptation of Gen. Joseph Hooker’s 1863 claim that the Union forces were “the finest army on the planet.” A similar phrase referring to police officers appeared in The Times in 1865.

Why is New York City called New York’s Finest City?

The police chief George Washington Matsell promoted the nickname in the early 1870s, Mr. Popik wrote; the 1882 play “ One of the Finest ” cemented the label, which was condensed to “New York’s Finest” by 1889.