12
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12¹
Where it comes from
Of uncertain origin. Widespread use of the phrase as an anti-police slogan grew following the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
* Possibly from 1312, an alternative form of ACAB (“all cops are bastards”) in which the letters are substituted with their position in the alphabet.
* Alternatively, from the American police procedural television series Adam-12 (1968–1975), in which 1-Adam-12 refers to a patrol unit and its radio call sign.
Likely popularized by "F*ck 12", a song by American hip-hop group Migos from their 2013 mixtape Y.R.N. (Young Rich Niggas), which uses 12 in reference to the police while describing a narcotics raid: “12 kickin' in my front door […] 12 in my home, they won't leave me alone”.
noun 12s
- Police or law enforcement, collectively. fuck 12
12²
Where it comes from
Shortening.
noun 12s
- Clipping of 1260 (“1260° spin”)
12³
symbol
- Used by fans of American football, positioning themselves as the 12th member of an 11-player team.
12⁴
Where it comes from
The alphanumeric code for AB, an initialism for the Aryan Brotherhood.
symbol
- The Aryan Brotherhood: an American white supremacist, neo-Nazi prison gang and crime syndicate.
Talk about this word "12." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/12. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. 12. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/12 "12." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/12.Cite this
@misc{12_2026,
title = {12},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/12},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
