The Case of the Missing Spy Affair

by Aithine & Veronica

Dames and Dicks; Or, How We Came Up With This Stuff

Act Titles

Act I: Devil In A Blue Suit

From: Walter Mosley's first Ezekial "Easy" Rawlins mystery Devil in a Blue Dress

Act IV: Man in the Dark

From: Dashiell Hammett's Woman in the Dark: A Novel of Dangerous Romance

Character Names

Della Chandler

From: Della Street, Perry Mason's secretary and author Raymond Chandler

Sam Marlowe

From: Dashiell Hammett's hero Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's hero Philip Marlowe

Vasily Borodin

From: Sam Neill's character in The Hunt for Red October—second in command on the Russian sub and the one who "would have liked to have seen Montana" (Veronica: "We rewatched Red October together one weekend and we both love the Sam Neill character ::sniff::—so in he went. No other good reason." *g*)

Illya's Malapropisms

Act I

What he said: If that was why Solo needed my help, I'd eat my tie.

What he meant: "eat my hat"

What he said: But first, I'd better at least give the appearance of taking the worm.

What he meant: "taking the bait"

What he said: "Take that, you big slug!"

What he meant: "you big lug" (man)

What he said: "Yes, we look like rubies just standing here."

What he meant: "rubes" (a bumpkin or easy mark)

Act II

What he said: "Ah, yes, I've had a fair amount of dealing with nosepieces."

What he meant: "mouthpiece" (lawyer)

Act III

What he said: "You have delusions of being a bubble foot?"

What he meant: "gum-shoe" (detective)

Act IV

What he said: "I apologize," he murmured as he moved to stand at the end of my bed, "but do I have the look of a dumb bazooka to you?"

What he meant: "palooka" ("man, probably a little stupid"); Bazooka is also a brand of cheap bubble gum

What he said: "We all have our secrets. All I ask is that you trust me enough to tell me what I need to know to get the job done—anything to keep me out of a jelly."

What he meant: "out of a jam" (out of trouble)

Feedback: email.

Missing Spy indexHome