Barton Smart Trivia
Triviality | "Narc" and "nark" are not the same!
"Narc" and "nark" are not the same!
"Narc" and "nark" are not the same!
Published on February 4, 2026

I thought "nark" was a British spelling of the American "narc". It's not! It's a totally distinct word with its own etymology. A "narc" is a federal drug enforcer who occaisionaly engages in undercover work. A "nark" is a snitch, a criminal himself, who rats out other criminals. While "narc" is obvioulsy a clipping of "narcotics officer," "nark's" etymology seems to trace back to the AngloRoman word for "nose". Both narcs and narks may be wearing a wire!

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