Friday’s Photo: The Fuzz

Operations on the waterfront come to a halt when various law enforcement agencies show up for a surprise shakedown. I instruct the crews laboring in the cargo holds of the ship to take a break because the Fuzz is here. My terminology confuses several of the younger longshoremen, and they ask for clarification. I tell them it means the cops, but I admit I don’t know the etymology of the word. One of the guys does a quick Google search on his phone and informs everyone the term “the fuzz” originated in England, and is a reference to the felt covering on the helmets worn by members of the Metropolitan Police Service. The explanation seems plausible enough. Some of the guys take the opportunity to catch up on their sleep. Others ante up for a game of Poker.