shammus

shamus

slang A private detective or police officer. Possibly derived from the Yiddish term shammes (a synagogue attendant) or from the Irish name Seamus (alluding to the prevalence of Irish-Americans in US police forces, especially in the early 20th century). He put his military training to good use as a shamus for hire, tracking down errant spouses and runaway debtors. There's been some shamus snooping around our activities in the docks, boss? You want us to send him to sleep with the fishes?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

sham(m)us

(ˈʃeməs)
n. a police officer or a detective. (Probably from Yiddish.) One thing that a shamus always knows is when another shamus is following him.

shamus

verb
See shammus
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • shamus
  • you can't sit in two chairs at once
  • you can't sit in two chairs at the same time
  • mazulla
  • mazuma
  • you can't dance at two weddings at once
  • you can't dance at two weddings at the same time
  • shickered
  • shikkered
  • shlimazel
References in periodicals archive
You light the middle candl called the shammus,AaAeAeA firstAaAeAeA and recite the blessingAaAeAeA while holdi candle.
Hanukkah Prayers To Say This Year
from left, Islam Farooq, Sarah Harper, Stefan Jones and Philip Holmes in class; the school in Hallmoor Road, and right, Shammus Mohammed uses a circus buggy on a circus skills day.
Every day is a new challenge; WHO'S WHO IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS The Birmingham Mail's regular School of the Week feature recently turned the spotlight on Hallmoor School, in Kitts Green. Education correspondent TONY COLLINS spoke to head teacher Sue Charvis to learn more about the work that goes on there