I looked this up the other day just for the fun of it … and because I had never paused to think why PIs used to be called gumshoes. But according to etymology.com:
“plainclothes detective,” 1906, from the rubber-soled shoes they wore (which were so called from 1863); from gum (n.1) + shoe (n.).
Obvious, yes. But still fun. =) And a nice start to the week I plan on preparing my “History of Spies in Early America” home school group class. 😉 Got the Creative Writing one mostly done yesterday. Yay!
Hope everyone has a great week!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
What a fun word to look up! Have fun with your class – preparing AND teaching!
I must say I've never heard the term gumshoe before. It's quite in interesting little word, isn't it? Blessings!