the old bill etc.

[peppy_man]

the old bill, Bobbies, cops, boys in blue, the fuzz.
Do all these words refer to police officers?
Which one is most informal? And which is most formal? Thank you.

[Tdol]

They're all informal terms for the police. I suppose 'fuzz' is the most informal as it's used in a pejorative way, though I don't hear it much nowadays in BrE. 'Bobbies' is also fairly rare. 'The old bill' is used quite a bit. The 'boys in blue' is something I think you might see more in informal writing- journalism where they didn't want to use a formal term, but didn't want to be rude. It also refers more to the force as a whole than the officers.

[peppy_man]

tdol, thank you. I will use the "boys in blue" because it is not very rude.

[Tdol]

I would say 'the old Bill' isn't rude- there are rude forms, like the filth/pigs, or plod. We seem to have many, many ways of describing the thin blue line.