Before we leave this discussion of The Maltese Falcon, I'd
like to clarify the source of the story about Hammett's use
of slang to prank Shaw. Much as I admire both Gardner and The
Atlantic, the squib is actually an uncredited paraphrase of
an introduction to one of Hammett's stories that appeared in
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and was repeated in a
slightly longer version in In the Queens' Parlor (1957), a
fascinating collection of anecdotes and reminiscences from
the Queen authors. In that piece, the Queens credit critic
James Sandoe as being the first to point out in print the
meaning of "gunsel."
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