Comments on: Time is tissue!

Question: Time is tissue!

porpoise — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:24:03 -0800

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?

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:47:15 -0800

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.

By: greatgefilte

greatgefilte — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:48:06 -0800

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.

By: neda

neda — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:28:50 -0800

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.

By: Science!

Science! — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:30:24 -0800

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.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 07:22:47 -0800

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!