Never Tell All You Know
Q.
In Agatha Christie’s 1922 The Secret Adversary, Sir James Peel Edgerton has some pointed advice for Miss Prudence Cowley – ‘known to her intimate friends for some mysterious reasons as “Tuppence.”
Sir James’ nugget? “Great mistake to say too much. Remember that. Never tell all you know – not even to the person you know best. Understand? Good-bye.”
There are no shortage of spies and detectives who live by the ‘don’t say too much’ philosophy of Sir. James Peel Edgerton. What kinds of words can we dig up from the secret world of vintage detectives?
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A.
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Argute
Shrewd
Birdwatcher
A spy
Cannon-Shooter
A private investigator who specializes in tracking down pickpockets
Chicken Feed
The real but ultimately harmless intelligence given to the enemy to feign allegiance
Cobbler
Spies who cook up fake papers, passports, visas
Creephole
Subterfuge
Cryptonym
A secret or code name
Cutout
The middle-person in an undercover operation
Dry Clean
Efforts taken to see if one is being watched
Elbow
A detective
Enambush
To hide, waiting to pounce
Flaps and Seals
The work of quietly sneaking in and out of envelopes
Glims
Spectacles. Candles
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Hawkshaw
A detective
Intelligencer
A person used to carry messages between designated people
Music Box
A hidden radio
Quizzing Glass
A long-handled magnifying glass allowing the viewer a close-up view
Shamus
A private investigator
Spiery
Being a spy; the act of spying
Spyboats
As advertised. A boat used by spies to gather intelligence.
Tec
Early 19th Century robber slang for detectives
Thief Leader
A person whose job is to hunt down and catch thieves
Tiggy
A private investigator
Ugglesome
Something horridly frightening
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Header: Tom Adams’ cover for Agatha Christies At Bertram’s Hotel
Image 2: Tom Adams’ cover for Agatha Christies Cards on the Table
