[Ads-l] sleeper agent, sleeper

[Jonathan Lighter]

OED: 1973   ("sleeper" 1955)

1945 Barre' Lyndon, Charles G. Booth, John Monks, Jr. _The House on 92nd
Street_ (film) : Right now you're what we call a sleeper agent. The Nazis
planted you here long ago.

1950 Phila. Inquirer (Oct. 5) 27: Any release of such information would
have to include the names of the Communist Party's "sleeper agents." These
"sleepers" are silent party members, and invariably unknown to the
community or factory in which they work, and unknown to the local Communist
Party chiefs. "Sleepers" are the agents assigned by the CP underground to
special spots, in key classified production units of secret war plants, or
on railroads near vital switches, or in unions or in Government departments.

JL

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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