The Pinkerton Agency's logo inspired the term "private eye".

[Skeptic]

The agency's logo, an eye embellished with the words "We Never Sleep" inspired the term "private eye".

Is it true that the term private eye came from the large eye logo used by the Pinkerton Detective Agency? I found a few sources stating this, but they all seem to be quoting each other. I always thought that the "eye" was a phonetic joke on the letter "I" for "Investigator".

[Johnny Slick]

Actually, it came from the Daryl Hall and John Oates song.

I am pretty sure it comes from the term "private investigator" or "private I" for short, but I am not 100% sure.

[greenfrog78]

On Wiki's Pinkerton Page it says the same thing as your post and they have a pic of the logo.

It sounds like a odd thing to come from the logo, it coming from "private (I)nvester" sounds much more plausible.

[rogue74656]

Originally Posted by greenfrog78

On Wiki's Pinkerton Page it says the same thing as your post and they have a pic of the logo.

It sounds like a odd thing to come from the logo, it coming from "private (I)nvester" sounds much more plausible.

Actually, it makes a lot of sense to come from both. The PA logo has the eye in the middle and the type looks like a larger eye. Using the term could then have multiple meanings:

1) Private "I" for Investigator
2) Private "eye" refering to the logo
3) Private "eye" refering to the infiltration and spy activities (such as in unions) that the PA did.

The question then becomes what is the earliest documented usage of the term (and the related "private investigator"

Any linguists/librarians want to take a crack at it?

-Rogue

[Kutter]

Well, as a former private investigator and Pinkerton Security guard, I can honestly say that I have no frickin' idea.

I will say that "private investigator" is a term that is generally used to seperate investigators who work compensation or divorce cases from those who work police cases, who prefer to be called private detectives (some juristictions contract out cases to private firms).

Of the two, investigator is newer both as a term and an institution. The original Pinkertons were called detectives (with no modifier except Pinkerton) and had duties and abilities that a modern private citizen would never be allowed.

I should also point out that Pinkerton doesn't really exist anymore. The company merged with Burns Internation about 10 years ago, then was bought out be Securitas Security Services in 2003. The only part that still uses the Pinkerton name is Pinkerton Government Services, which does things like provide security for nuclear plants.

I don't think, however, that Private Eye comes from Pinkerton's eye logo. They probably both come from the idea of keeping on eye on something.

[Aud 1]

Oxford English dictionary gives this etymology

[< PRIVATE adj.1 + EYE n.1 (cf. EYE n.1 3d), punningly after the initial letter of INVESTIGATOR n. (cf. earlier private investigator n. at PRIVATE adj.1, adv., and n. Special uses 2).]

And this as the first print usage

1938 R. CHANDLER in Dime Detective June 23/1 We don't use any private eyes in here. So sorry.

This doesn't really answer the question but it looks like Pinkerton Decective were around for a number of years before the term made it's way into print.