Call the Law

In Southern and Appalachian speech, call the law means to call the police or local authorities. The phrase reflects older rural speech where "the law" referred not to the legal system, but to the sheriff or constable who enforced it.

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synonyms: call the police, notify the sheriff, get the cops

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Out in the country, it's almost exclusively 'call the law.'

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Out in the country, it's almost exclusively 'call the law.'

Pronunciation

[KAWL thuh LAW]
/kɔːl ðə lɔː/

Meaning & Usage

- To contact law enforcement (regional verb phrase)

Mae:

He’s still hollerin’ out there.

Earl:

We’re fixin’ to call the law.

Ruby:

Who told on ’em?

Elmer:

Somebody called the law when they run up on the copper pot.

★ When somebody in the South says they’ll "call the law," it ain’t a bluff - it means the sheriff’s comin’, and quick. The phrase’s plainness matches its purpose: direct action, no red tape. ★

Origin and Etymology

The phrase dates to early 20th-century Southern and Appalachian speech, when small communities had only a local sheriff or constable to "be the law." Calling "the law" literally meant summoning that person. It continues as a living idiom in rural talk across the region.

Usage Notes

"Call the law" remains part of daily speech in much of the South and Appalachia. It’s a plain, pragmatic phrase - more neighborly warning than legal declaration. Outside the region, it can sound quaint or cinematic but is still widely understood.

"They called the law on him." - police were notified.
"Don’t make me call the law." - threat or warning during a dispute.
"Somebody done called the law." - acknowledgment after trouble starts.

Say It Like a Southerner

Say it smooth and quick: "call thuh law." You’ll hear it in stories, warnings, and small-town gossip - "The neighbors done called the law" or "He threatened to call the law on us."

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Does "call the law" mean "call a lawyer"?

No - it nearly always means to call the police or sheriff.

Is it uniquely Southern?

It’s strongest in the South and Appalachia, though understood elsewhere.

Do people still say it today?

Yes - especially in small towns, hollers, and rural communities.

Why not just say "police"?

"The law" feels more personal - it points to the local enforcer, not an abstract institution.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 8). Call the Law. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/call-the-law
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Call the Law." HillbillySlang.com, 8 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/call-the-law.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Call the Law." HillbillySlang.com. November 8, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/call-the-law.