gumshoe
noun (informal)

- detective (someone whose job is to discover facts about a crime)

- a shoe made of gum elastic or India rubber; rubber overshoe

Cambridge Dictionary / Collins Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The term "gumshoe" originated in the early 20th century (around 1906) to informally refer to plainclothes detectives or private investigators.

It derives from the rubber-soled shoes they wore which allowed them to move stealthily without making noise. These rubber-soled shoes were so named because they were made with rubber or gum (a term for plant resins dating back to circa 1300).

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DETECTIVE TALK

- bug = a hidden listening device used for audio surveillance.

- burn bag = a satchel used to discretely dispose of sensitive documents or materials.

- cloak and dagger = secretive intelligence operations or espionage activities.

- dead drop = a location where information or materials are secretly exchanged.

- garbology = searching through a target's garbage for evidence, also called "dumpster diving".

- honey trap = using romantic or sexual enticement to extract information from a target.

- jacket file = a comprehensive dossier containing all gathered intelligence on a subject.

- nightcrawler = a private eye who specialises in surveillance during night hours.

- peeper = slang for someone who illicitly observes others, often through windows

- rabbit hole = a complex, multi-layered investigation that keeps leading to new avenues.

- scorcher = an extremely difficult or challenging case to crack.

- stakeout = observing a location for an extended period to gather information.

- tail = to follow someone discreetly to observe their activities.

- tradecraft = the techniques and methods employed by intelligence operatives.

- undercover = posing as someone else to gather information.

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SYNONYMS

ace, agent, bloodhound, cloak-and-dagger specialist, detective, dick, eagle eye, finder, flatfoot, GUMSHOE, hawkshaw, inquiry agent, investigator, lookout, manhunter, operative, peeper, private detective (investigator), secret agent, shadow, shamus, sherlock, sleuth, snoop, spy, tail, terrier, tracker, trailer, trailhound, undercover operative, watchman

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“Film noir movies from the 1940s glorified the image of the GUMSHOE as a tough, street-smart detective – the reality was a lot more paperwork and cold coffee.”

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