We uncover the criminal history of "gangbusters" | Pop Lexicon
611 views · Published 22 March 2018 · 2:52 · Indexed 30 October 2026
Channel: The A.V. Club · 2018 · Entertainment
Welcome back to Pop Lexicon, The A.V. Club’s series with Kory Stamper, Merriam-Webster lexicographer and editor, where she reveals the origins of America’s favorite colloquialisms. Today, Kory reveals the criminal history of “gangbusters,” a word first used in the early 20th century in reference to cops whose job it was to literally bust gangs.
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