I got a kick out of this word when I found it. I doubt that any kind of detective would appreciate being called a “gumshoe”. It doesn’t have quite the same pizzazz as “secret agent”, for example. Nor does it carry the same air of impressibility as the title of “detective”. Finding this word reminds me of when I was a “kennel attendant” at a vet clinic years ago; it was my first job. Essentially, I was a maid-of-all-work; I did all of the cleaning at the vet clinic. But “girl who cleans kennels and tends to the lawn” doesn’t have quite the same ring as “kennel attendant”. The glorious power of using one word or phrase over another is strong indeed!
Gumshoe
Noun: 1) a galosh; 2) N Amer. informal a detective
Intransitive verb (-shoed, shoe-ing) N Amer. informal 1) move or act stealthily; 2) act as a detective.
I wonder what little kids would say if their babysitter suggested that they play at gumshoeing?