silent policemann.
/ˌsʌɪlənt pᵿˈliːsmən/, /ˌsʌɪln̩t pᵿˈliːsmən/, /ˌsʌɪlənt ˈpliːsmən/, /ˌsʌɪln̩t ˈpliːsmən/, U.S. /ˌsaɪlən(t) pəˈlism(ə)n/, Australian English /ˌsɑelənt pəˈliːsm(ə)n/, /ˌsɑeln̩t pəˈliːsm(ə)n/, New Zealand English /ˌsɑelənt pəˈliːsm(ə)n/, /ˌsɑeln̩t pəˈliːsm(ə)n/ Australian, New Zealand, and North American. Now often historical.
A small structure placed at the centre of a road junction which allows vehicles travelling in different directions to cross the junction safely at the same time by driving around the device in the same direction. Also: such a structure placed at the corner of the road to prevent vehicles passing too close to the kerb; = silent cop n.In North America, silent policemen take various forms but are typically tall, slender posts, sometimes fitted with lights and signage indicating in which direction vehicles should drive around them. In Australia, silent policemen are small, low concrete or metal domes, which are painted yellow and kept to the right as a vehicle crosses the junction. In New Zealand, they take either of these forms.
ΚΠ
1914 Fitchburg (Mass.) Daily Sentinel 14 July 5/3 The accident at the junction..bears out..the argument of many automobile owners to the effect that the silent policeman cannot effectively take the place of a traffic officer during the busy hours of the day.
1917 Washington Post 15 Nov. 5/4 Lieut. Albert J. Headley, of the traffic squad, yesterday placed a ‘silent policeman’, bearing the words, ‘Keep to the right’, at Sixteenth street and Columbia road, where a woman was killed several weeks ago.
1950 Gisborne (N.Z.) Herald 24 July 4/3 A silent policeman is desperately needed. Twice in the past week I have seen a motorist..cut the corner so close to the edge of the kerb that a child cyclist was forced off her bicycle.
2002 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 15 June 9 Austroads classifies the silent policeman as ‘an outdated device’ citing the danger to motorcyclists whose foot pegs can hit the domes when cornering.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1914