Home » Dictionary » knock-and-talk

knock-and-talk

knock-and-talk
 n.— «A knock-and-talk search works like this: Police officers go to the door of a residence in which they suspect illegal activity is occurring. They knock, introduce themselves as a police officer, and ask to come in and talk. If the resident says yes, they enter the home and look around for signs of drugs or illegal alcohol. If they see any, they detain the resident(s) in the dwelling while calling for a warrant that allow them to legally search for the evidence they saw during the visit.» —“Watch out for knock-and-talks” in University of Iowa Daily Iowan (Iowa City) Sept. 19, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Good Vibrations (episode #1556)

Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...

Cabin Fever (episode #1547)

The adjectives canine and feline refer to dogs and cats. But how does English address other groups of animals? Plus, cabin fever has been around much longer than the current pandemic. That restless, antsy, stir-crazy feeling goes back to the days...

Recent posts