CB slang
CB slang (commonly called "CB Talk") are
terms that those operating CB radio used
mainly during the CB craze of the 1970s and
1980s. Some of these slang terms are still in
use with their original meanings, others not
used at all and some have changed meaning.
This list shows the historical meanings.
Popular slang terms
Law enforcement officers and
their equipment
• "Astronaut" – police plane or helicopter
• "Bear" – a police officer. The terms
"Smokey" & "Bear" are both direct
references to Smokey Bear, a character
image commonly seen along U.S.
highways, as part of warnings not to cause
wildfires. He wears a flat-brimmed forest
ranger’s hat very similar to the hat
included in many highway patrol uniforms
in the U.S. It also Refers to their attitude
to most truckers in general.
• "Bear Cave" / "Bear’s Den" / "Bear’s Lair"
– a police station.
• "Bear / Smokey in a plain brown wrapper"
– a law officer in an unmarked police car.
The term "plain white wrapper" is
sometimes used, depending on the color of
the vehicle.
• "Bear Food" / "Bear bait" – vehicle
speeding without CB.
• "Bear In the Air" / "Fly in the sky" / "Spy in
the sky" – a police aircraft. While state
police often use fixed-wing airplanes to
monitor highway traffic, "fly" refers
specifically to a helicopter.
• "Bear In the Grass" / "Smokey in the bush"
– a speed trap.
• "Bear Taking Pictures" – police with radar.
• "Bear With Ears" – a police officer
listening to others on the CB
• "Black and White" – Highway Patrol.
• "Blue Light" / "Blue Light Special" – a law
enforcement vehicle, especially with a
stopped motorist.
• "Boy Scouts" – State Police.
• "Camera" – police radar unit.
• "Catch Car" – police car past radar set-up.
• "Checkpoint Charlie" – Old CB slang for a
police checkpoint placed to look for drunk
drivers, etc. This looks like a roadblock.
• "City Kitty" / "City Bear" – Refers to local
law enforcement monitoring a particular
stretch of interstate which runs through
their jurisdiction.
• "County Mountie" – a Sheriff’s deputy car.
• "