Time is tissue!

November 21, 2006 3:24 PM

TissueCultureFilter: Does anyone know the etymology behind calling cell scrapers 'policemen'?

While this is probably a 'proper' policeman, cells scrapers are also sometimes referred to as a 'policeman'.

Anyone know how that name came about?

posted by porpoise to writing & language (5 comments total)

You might searching for the term "rubber policeman". I always thought it was because the policeman prevented you from banging the glass stir rod against the sides of your glassware and causing damage. Here's another idea, though.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:47 PM on November 21, 2006

I'd like to know, too. I remember the 'rubber policeman' from my undergrad first-year chem lab, and the name always bothered me. Probably evoked memories from Stephen King's Library Policeman.
posted by greatgefilte at 3:48 PM on November 21, 2006

toothpaste for dinner's take on it.

It doesn't really help with etymology, but in my book using something as a "policeman" is using it to round up/remove something (i.e. scraping cells from a medium, removing precipitate, etc.), whether it's because what you're removing is of further interest, or because you want to remove & dump it.
posted by neda at 4:28 PM on November 21, 2006

In Boy Scouts we used to "police" a campsite before we left. Everyone got in a long line and we scoured the ground for any trash, etc that's kinda what you do with the tool. The name annoys the bejeesus out of me for some reason. I just call them cell scrapers.
posted by Science! at 6:30 PM on November 21, 2006

Chemicals beware
And criminals, too
The rubber policeman
Is after you.
--GST Mugwump, "The Rubber Policeman"

I always wondered what that song was about. Thanks, AskMe!
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:22 AM on November 22, 2006