secret squirrel
nounEtymology From Secret Squirrel, a 1960s secret-agent cartoon character parodying James Bond.
1
Informal Someone who is being secretive.
- I said, ‘Well, you can say what you like about Joe, I've never known him to give anything away — even when he should have done because I was working with him! Secret squirrel syndrome we used to call it in the army.’2008, Terence Strong, President Down, Simon & Schuster:
- Christian was working on some Secret Squirrel project with Mike, and Wayne had his headphones in and was coding furiously.2010, R. P. Nathan, The Second Best Man, Cassiopeia Publishing, page 46
3 more examples
- Hypnosis, contrary to perceptions perpetuated by the media, is not some highly guarded secret-squirrel procedure that loses its efficacy once the "truth" is exposed.2012, David B. Reid, Hypnosis for Behavioral Health: A Guide to Expanding Your Professional Practice, Springer, page 196:
- Meetings in the SCIF were usually limited to members of the FBI's “secret squirrel division,” as the agents referred to those who worked counterintelligence matters.2014, Oliver North, Bob Hamer, chapter 27, in Counterfeit Lies, Simon & Schuster:
- Also developing its own breed of suborbital vehicle is Blue Origin, which has maintained its secret-squirrel profile since being founded by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos.2014, Erik Seedhouse, Tourists in Space: A Practical Guide, 2nd edition, Springer, page 43: