origin

[arty7774]

Does any one out there know how the phrase " to grass" as in informing about a person came about.
Where and why was it first used.

Thanks in advance.

Arty7774

[dannydingbat]

To grass, meaning "to inform on", comes from Cockney rhyming slang. To speak to a grass hopper/copper.

[Grunty]

Just as a matter of interest, they were also known as grasshoppers in Shropshire. The uniform was green and the Chief Constable was a man called Paddy Mayne. The police were called Paddy Mayne's grasshoppers because they popped up everywhere without warning. How times change!