Question: Is "Dick" Tracy's first name, or his occupational designation?
raywest
29th Jul 2020
Dick Tracy (1990)
Chosen answer: It's a bit ambiguous. Tracy's creator, Chester Gould, originally named his character, "Plainclothes Tracy," until an editor suggested changing it to Dick Tracy. A "dick" is a dated slang term for a cop or a private detective. Dick appears to be Tracy's first name, but it is also descriptive of his profession. This is called a "double entendre." It's typical for authors to contrive a name that reflects their characters.
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Answer: His full name was Richard Tracy, but it was used seldomly.