Meanings
plural Frank Drebins
- An incompetent and buffonish police officer, especially one known for a deadpan affect.
The Frank Drebin of EMTs...
2018 June 19, “poor guy”, in reddit.com, archived from the original on 18 Aug 20264 more examples
Lloyd Bridges plays the Frank Drebin of international politics, a war vet who never landed a plane successfully in his life
2016 March 1, “Eight comedy presidents more insane than Donald Trump”, in Chortle, archived from the original on 18 Aug 2026Worf has the best lines. He is the Frank Drebin of Trek
2023 April 30, linkerjpatrick, “Funniest line of all.”, in reddit.comAs I said above, the film’s quirky elements that work are due to Atkinson. Not only is he a very funny-looking man (I say that affectionately), but he is also the master of the straight face. He is the Frank Drebin of the Bond spoofs, if you will. It is the way in which Atkinson portrays English as a man who is surrounded in slapstick, yet does not know it that makes bits of this film really work.
2023 August 12, Bill Clark, “Johnny English (2003)”, in From the Balcony, archived from the original on 18 Aug 2026Braxton. The Frank Drebin of time cops.
2025 June 21, alanthetanuki, “Who is the worst captain in Starfleet history?”, in reddit.com, archived from the original on 18 Aug 2026
Origin
From the character from the Naked Gun series of movies.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Frank Drebin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Frank%20Drebin
“Frank Drebin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Frank%20Drebin. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Frank Drebin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Frank%20Drebin.
Source: Frank Drebin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.