"cloak and dagger" was a fighting style that was popular during the Renaissance. It involved using a knife that was hidden under a cloak. Over time, the term was used as a metaphor to describe situations that involved secret plans, hidden activities, spying, or puzzles.

Overview

The phrase first appeared in writing in a story by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, titled "The Knight's Tale," which was published around the year 1400.

The symbolic meaning of the phrase began in the early 1800s. It comes from the French phrase "de cape et d'épée" and the Spanish phrase "de capa y espada," which both mean "of cloak and sword." These phrases described a type of adventure play where characters wore cloaks and swords. In 1840, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about a play called "La Dama Duende" by Calderón, calling it a good example of "cloak and sword" drama. A year later, the writer Charles Dickens used the phrase "cloak and dagger" in his book Barnaby Rudge as a mocking reference to this style of play.

Over time, the image of a cloak and a dagger became linked to the typical spy or assassin. The cloak was used to hide a person’s identity or avoid being seen, while the dagger was a small, quiet weapon that could be hidden easily.