Skulduggery: Word To Use Today.

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.