black and white

The police car sense reflects a traditional livery scheme for such cars.

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

black and white (plural black and whites)

1. (US, slang, law enforcement) A police patrol car.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:police vehicle

2. (US, slang, by extension) The police, a police officer or the clothing they wear.
   • 1992, “A Nigga Witta Gun”, in The Chronic, performed by Dr. Dre, Death Row Records:

     Them punk motherfuckers in black and white ain't the only motherfuckers I gots to fight.

3. A type of giant cookie (about 8 inches diameter) with icing on the top side: half white, half dark chocolate.

   Synonym: half-moon

• Black Maria

black and white (comparative more black and white, superlative most black and white)

1. Alternative form of black-and-white (of an image, a video, etc: in black, white, and perhaps shades of grey, rather than in colour)
   • 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎:

     The second segment is one of the most audacious and ambitious in “Treehouse Of Horror” history, and not just because it’s in black and white. It’s a parody of King Kong that works spectacularly well because Homer isn’t just ape-like and simian on the inside: he’s ape-like and simian on the outside as well, so it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine the rage-filled man-child as a giant ape with serious anger-control issues.

2. (figuratively, idiomatic) Easily divided into diametrically opposing camps or schools of thought.

(divisive dichotomization):

• black hat, white hat, gray hat, gray area
• us versus them, us-and-them