The Sweeney is British slang for the Flying Squad, a special unit of the London police that deals with armed robbery and other serious crime — the officers who arrive fast, in cars, to catch criminals in the act.

The Sweeney is British slang for the Flying SquadThe Sweeney 是英式俚語，指的是 Flying Squad（飛虎隊／重案快打組）, a special unit of the London police that deals with armed robbery and other serious crime也就是倫敦警方專門處理武裝搶劫和重大犯罪的特別小組— the officers who arrive fast, in cars, to catch criminals in the act就是那些會快速開車趕到現場、當場逮人的警察。

The name comes from Cockney rhyming slang: 'Sweeney Todd' rhymes with 'Flying Squad', and as rhyming slang usually does, it dropped the rhyming half and kept only the first word, leaving 'the Sweeney'. Sweeney Todd himself is a made-up character from old London stories, a barber who murdered his customers.

The name comes from Cockney rhyming slang這個名稱來自 Cockney rhyming slang（倫敦腔押韻俚語）: 'Sweeney Todd' rhymes with 'Flying Squad''Sweeney Todd' 跟 'Flying Squad' 押韻, and而 as rhyming slang usually does就像押韻俚語常做的那樣, it dropped the rhyming half and kept only the first word它把押韻的那半省略掉，只留下前面那個字, leaving 'the Sweeney'變成 'the Sweeney'。 Sweeney Todd himself is a made-up character from old London storiesSweeney Todd 本身是老倫敦故事裡虛構的角色, a barber who murdered his customers是一個殺害顧客的理髮師。

The slang became widely known because of a rough, popular television drama called The Sweeney in the 1970s, full of car chases, shouting, and fights. Because of that show, people now use the name for a whole mood as well as for the police unit: if a street argument turns wild, someone might say 'it was like something out of The Sweeney'.

The slang became widely known because of a rough, popular television drama called The Sweeney in the 1970s這個俚語會廣為人知，是因為1970年代有一部粗獷又受歡迎的電視劇叫 The Sweeney, full of car chases, shouting, and fights裡面充滿飛車追逐、叫喊和打鬥。 Because of that show因為那部劇, people now use the name for a whole mood as well as for the police unit現在這個名字不只指警察單位，也用來形容一種氛圍: if a street argument turns wild如果街頭爭執變得很火爆, someone might say 'it was like something out of The Sweeney'有人可能會說 'it was like something out of The Sweeney'（就像 The Sweeney 演的那樣）。

It always takes 'the', it is informal, and it is a British word — Americans will not know it. Sweeney is also a common Irish family name, from Ó Suibhne, and that is where the character's name came from in the first place.

It always takes 'the'它前面一定要加 'the', it is informal是口語用法, and而且 it is a British word — Americans will not know it是英式用語，美國人不會懂。 Sweeney is also a common Irish family nameSweeney 也是常見的愛爾蘭姓氏, from Ó Suibhne源自 Ó Suibhne, and而且 that is where the character's name came from in the first place這個角色的名字最早也是從這裡來的。