The grave of Charles Spicer of the 17th Light Dragoons, in Stretton, England. Photo by Keith Williamson.
The lovely word skulduggery describes a secret activity that's designed to make an unfair profit, but is probably not seriously illegal.
If Macavity, Mungojerrie and Griddlebone had a confederate (though they are of course each much too smart to have anything of the kind) then I'd expect him to be called Skulduggery.
Skulduggery...it has a galloping rhythm and an inescapable flavour of grave-digging that are together irresistible. In fact I don't know why we don't all use the word skulduggery far more often.
The stuff is everywhere, after all.
Word To Use Today: skulduggery. This word is an altered version of the Scots sculduddery, obscenity. Before that there was a form sculdudrie, which meant adultery.
As far as can be ascertained, the word doesn't necessarily have anything to do with either skulls nor digging.
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