Shamus
Hibernian masculine appellation
Shamus is slang for a private detective, evoking the hard-boiled investigators of pulp fiction and film noir: The shamus tailed the suspect across town.
The word may derive from the Yiddish *shammes* (synagogue caretaker) or from the Irish name Seamus, common among Irish-American police.
It sounds dated but still appears in crime fiction with a nostalgic flavor.
Hired investigator, unlicensed
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- sleuthPrivate investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
- noirHard-boiled film genre
fedora · trench coat · Sam Spade · hard-boiled · mystery · case · stakeout · clues
private eye
Hired investigator, unlicensed
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- sleuthPrivate investigator
- investigatorOne who examines evidence
noir · fedora · trench coat · Sam Spade · hard-boiled · mystery · case · stakeout · clues · shadowing
cop
Law enforcement slang
badge · law enforcement · patrolman · constable · precinct · uniform · Irish American · detective · squad · enforcement