hawkshaw Look up hawkshaw at Dictionary.com
"detective," U.S. slang, from name of the detective in "The Ticket-of-Leave Man," 1863 play by Eng. dramatist Tom Taylor (1817-80); it also was used in the comic strip "Hawkshaw the Detective" (1913-1947) by U.S. cartoonist Gus Mager (1878-1956).