What is "cop out"

by 1942, noun and verb, "sneak off, escape," American English slang, probably from cop a plea (c.1925) "plead guilty to lesser charges," probably from northern British slang cop "to catch" (a scolding, etc.); as in cop a feel "grope someone" (1930s); see cop (v.). Sense of "evade an issue or problem" is from 1960s.

vb. 1 (context idiomatic English) To avoid or shirk, either by failing to perform, or by performing in a grossly insufficient, negligent, or superficial manner. 2 plead guilty and ask for mercy

v. choose not to do something, as out of fear of failing; "She copped out when she was supposed to get into the hang glider" [syn: opt out]

Cop out or cop-out may refer to:

• Cop-Out (play), a 1969 Broadway play starring Linda Lavin
• Cop-Out (video game), a 1986 video game by Raffaele Cecco
• Cop Out, a 1969 book by Ellery Queen
• Cop Out, a 1999 biography about the rugby 1981 Springbok Tour by Glenn Wood

Cop Out is a 2010 American buddy cop comedy film directed and edited by Kevin Smith, written by Mark and Robb Cullen, and starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Pollak and Seann William Scott. The plot revolves around two veteran NYPD partners (portrayed by Willis and Morgan) on the trail of a stolen, rare, mint-condition baseball card who find themselves up against a relentless, memorabilia-obsessed bloodthirsty gangster. This is the first film that Smith directed that he did not also write. Upon its release, the film was met with negative reviews by critics and underperformed at the box office.