cheese eater
nounEtymology From the idea that rats eat cheese.
1
A rat; an informer who betrays colleagues.
- As a "stool pigeon," or what the corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) calls a "cheese eater," Terry now feels totally dejected and alone, even though the murder by the mob of his brother, Charley "the Gent" (Rod Steiger) helped motivate him to testify.1998, Sam B. Girgus, Samuel Bruce Girgus, Hollywood Renaissance: The Cinema of Democracy in the Era of Ford, Capra, and Kazan, page 155:
- I'm not sure if I wrote you about all the madness or not, but Mumrock's [Justin Merriman] paperwork is starting to come in and he was making it very clear to me to tell you about cheese eaters in a cell near you.2003, Robert Scott, Dangerous Attraction:
1 more example
- The issue involved a group member who was widely regarded in the Department as a "cheese eater" - the Charleston term for a police officer who advances his career by reporting the misconduct of others.2007, Carl B. Klockars, Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovich, M.R. Haberfeld, Enhancing Police Integrity, page 71:
2
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cheese, eater. One who eats cheese.
- Related terms
- cheese-eating surrender monkey, cheesehead