cloak-and-dagger

involving secrecy and plotting. A great deal of cloak-and-dagger stuff goes on in political circles. A lot of cloak-and-dagger activity was involved in the appointment of the director.

cloak-and-dagger

cloak-and-dagger behaviour is when people behave in a very secret way, often when it is not really necessary

Usage notes: A cloak is a type of long, loose coat and a dagger is a small sharp knife used as a weapon. In 17th century Spanish theatre, cloak-and-dagger was worn by a dishonest character in the play.

(always before noun) Is all this cloak-and-dagger stuff necessary? Why can't we just meet in a café like everyone else?

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Marcos	MAHR-kos (Spanish), MAR-koos (Portuguese)	Spanish, Portuguese
Neville	NEV-əl	English (British)
Almast	-	Armenian
Hilary	['hiləri]
Jen	[dʒen]
Yafa	-	Hebrew