Why were American private investigators nicknamed Shamus?
When they emigrated to America, many Irishmen joined the police. Presumably, many became detectives and, later, private eyes. Seamas – pronounced shame-us – is a common Irish name, the equivalent of James. Another possible connection is from the Yiddish word ‘shammes’, meaning a sexton or caretaker. Put the two together and you’ve got some sort of ‘Irish guardian’.
