COP in business matters

I've never come across before this abbreviation but it seems everybody in business world should know it.

 

COP means Close of play.

 

In real business this term means by 5 p.m. (By the end of)

 

So if you have something like "... please let me have your response by COP Friday 18th". That would mean, let me have your response by 5:00pm Friday 18th.

 

Dictionary meaning (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/close_of_play)

 

close of play = (idiomatic) The end of the working day