Private Dick
Private dick is a dated, but colorful slang term for police or
private detectives,
most commonly used during the early 1900’s. Although there is no universally accepted explanation as to the origin of the word, there are 3 primary theories.
Theory 1The first and most likely theory of the term is simply a strange shortened version of the word detective. This is the most logical explanation, although how exactly detective became dick is unknown... Regardless, this is the answer I have heard far more than any other plausible explanation…Theory 2The second theory revolves around the application of a Romanian word “dik" meaning "to see" or "to watch". In the late 1800’s, criminals often used the term “dick” to mean being watched or watching someone closely. In this case, it was easy to see how police or private eyes who hassled these criminals could have earned this unusual name.Private Dick Final TheoryOne of the great and earliest heroes of the detective literary genre was named Dick Donovan. He was the fictional creation of Joyce Emmerson Preston Muddock and starred in countless investigation adventures in the literature of the late 1800’s. This Scottish detective became a benchmark prototype for the many investigative heroes to follow and it would be easy to see how his name could be the real reason for the terminology to be used to describe a professional investigator.Private Dick to Private Investigator |
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