private, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

private adj.

used in comb. with n. to euphemize the genitals.

1835		‘The German Sausage’ in Secret Songster 7: There lived in town, Mr. Mungo a black; / So tall was his figure, but the cause of surprise / Was his private concern was a monstrous size.
1841		‘Toasts And Sentiments’ in Gentleman’s Spicey Songster 48: The private passage but d--n the back door.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 116: Lay some bread on her, man, an’ she show your private person tricks yuh not know exist in this world.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

private dick (n.) (also private D) [dick n.⁵ (2)/D n.² (1)]

(orig. US) a private detective.

1912		A.H. Lewis Apaches of N.Y. 128: But w’at wit’ th’ stores full of private dicks a booster can’t do much.
1931		C.B. Yorke ‘Snowbound’ in Gangster Stories Oct. n.p.: ‘I’m working for an agency now — private dick’.
1939		R. Chandler Big Sleep 33: I’m a private dick on a case.
1947		B. Schulberg Harder They Fall (1971) 255: All the time you’re just snooping around like a private dick.
1955		D. Hitchens Sleep with Strangers (1983) [ebook] ‘I took for granted you were a cop. But you’re not. What are you, a private dick?’.
1978		F. Norman Dead Butler Caper 113: He’s the private dick I was telling you about.
1986		R. Campbell In La-La Land We Trust (1999) 98: One of my friends saw this private dick, name of Whistler, down to Rampart.
1992		K. Lette Llama Parlour 63: C.J. — that private D I told ya about, right? — is bleedin’ me dry.
2003		Observer Crime 27 Apr. 34: Private dicks ‘fill the gap’ left by police staff shortages.
2021		T. Swerdlow Straight Dope [ebook] [T]he black eye caught me by surprise. It gives me a certain Private Dick gravitas.

private eye (n.) [the orig. eye was that displayed as a badge of the Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency (founded 1852)]

(orig. US) a private detective.

1939		R. Chandler Big Sleep 127: Ohls pulled a chair up and sat down and said: ‘Evening, Cronjager. Meet Phil Marlowe, a private eye who’s in a jam.’.
1948		J. Evans Halo For Satan (1949) 59: There was a movie at the Apollo about a prvate eye.
1956		I. Fleming Diamonds Are Forever (1958) 141: You’re a cop or a private eye of some sort.
1964		H.S. Thompson letter 28 Jan. in Proud Highway (1997) 433: A week of private eye work.
1978		F. Norman Dead Butler Caper 15: The sinister private eye who’d been prowling around the house was quite unrecognizable.
1986		C. Hiaasen Tourist Season (1987) 223: Tell me about being a private eye.
1992		Maurice John Vaughn ‘I Want To Be Your Spy’ 🎵 I wanna be your private eye / Wanna be your spy baby, Wanna be your private eye.
1998		R.G. Barrett Goodoo Goodoo 24: I’m not from the missing persons bureau. And i sure ain’t no private eye.
2007		W. Ellis Crooked Little Vein 51: ‘We’re private detectives,’ Trix grinned [...] ‘Private eyes!’ he thought this was terrific.
2010		J. Ellroy Hilliker Curse 14: He told me he had private eyes tailing my mother.
2012		(con. 1943) G.S. Manson Coorparoo Blues [ebook] ‘I’m what you’d probably call a private eye’.

private fly (n.) [fly cop n. (1)]

(US) a private detective.

1903

Nebraska State Jrnl (Lincoln, NE) 14 June 9/6: They’re in the hands of private flys — the unofficial gum-shoe people with the badges.

private pry (n.) [SE pry, punning on private eye ]

(US) a private detective.

1945

R.L. Bellem ‘Ruby Ransom’ Hollywood Detective Dec. 🌐 ‘I presume you are the confidential investigator?’ ‘Not me, sis,’ I said. [...] ‘I’m a private pry. It’s less refined.’.

private skulk (n.)

(US) a private detective.

1944

R.L. Bellem ‘Focus on Death’ Hollywood Detective Jan. 🌐 I’m a private skulk in Hollywood and adjacent points.

private star (n.) [a star-shaped badge of identification]

(US) a private detective.

1958

R. Chandler Playback 130: I’m a private star.

private stuff (n.)

(US) a steady, monogamous girlfriend.

1955

B. Appel Tough Guy [ebook] [S]he was the original Miss Need-It: always needing stockings, perfume [...] Also, you couldn’t exactly call her private stuff.