What is Gumshoe?
1.
An old slang term for a detective or investigator (police-affiliated or private). Variants include "dick" or "private dick," the connotations of which were not meant to be obscene.
Shoes in the late 1800s were made of gum rubber - the soft-soled precursors of the modern sneaker. The phrase "to gumshoe" meant to sneak around quietly as if wearing gumshoes.
"Gumshoe man" was originally slang for "thief," but by about 1908 the term "gumshoe" was used to refer to a police detective, and the term has stuck ever since (pun intended).
Sam Spade, the most well-known gumshoe of noir cinema, spent the majority of The Maltese Falcon trying to solve a murder mystery.
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2.
1. a rubber soled shoe or a rubber boot
2. a detective
3. a police officer
4. to walk stealthily
The gumshoe pulled up an put a gumshoe clad foot on the ground before the suspect fired a warning shot.
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3.
Slang; Detective. Someone who spends excessive time investigating "criminal activity"
"i will call you back! gumshoe baby. GUMSHOE
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4.
In the past, it was once known as a detective or a slueth. Now a slueth has become known as a slut, hence gumshoe! They have the same meaning once again!
Look at that gumshoe in those white pants. What a skank, I bet she'd give it up to anyone that walked by.
