ACAB

See also: Acab and A.C.A.B.

English

Graffiti reading "1312 – ACAB" in Chile

Alternative forms

• A.C.A.B.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eɪ siː eɪ ˈbiː/, /ˈeɪkæb/
• Hyphenation: a‧cab

Phrase

ACAB

1. (derogatory) Acronym of all cops (or coppers) are bastards, a political slogan protesting against police behavior.

   Synonyms: 1312, all cats are beautiful, fuck 12

   • [2010, Theodore Dalrymple, “It Hurts, Therefore I Am” (1995) in Life at the Bottom:

     Another fairly common tattoo consists of a dot on four knuckles of one hand, with or without the letters ‘ACAB’. These letters stand for ALL COPPERS ARE BASTARDS.]

   • [2015, Thomas Bustamante, Christian Dahlman, Argument Types and Fallacies in Legal Argumentation, →ISBN, page 70:

     Having a tattoo or a bomberjack with the text '1312' or 'ACAB' (All Cops Are Bastards).]

   • [2015, Mark Doidge, Football Italia: Italian Football in an Age of Globalization, →ISBN, page 174:

     One group is simply called 'ACAB'; the other is called 'Visitors 1312'. The latter was formed from the amalgamation of two groups, '1312' and 'Visitors'. '1312' is significant because it refers to the numerical positions in the alphabet of the letters comprising 'ACAB'.]

Translations

anti-police slogan

• French: ACAB (fr), nique la police, mort aux vaches (fr)
• German: alle Bullen sind Schweine
• Polish: CHWDP, HWDP (eyespeak respelling).

Anagrams

• AABC, AACB, ABAC, ABCA, BCAA, Baca, Caba, abac, caba