Is there a term for a masked / veiled question to find sensitive information?

I came across a phrase for a type of question which is designed to discover someone's religious background, particularly in the context of sectarianism and divided societies but can't for the life of me remember it.

For example, if you are in Scotland and I ask you what football team you support, that may reveal your religion. Or in N.Ireland, if I ask what school you attend, likewise that may do the same.

It's like a 'veiled question' only that's not the term I'm looking for. Any help appreciated. I've a feeling that the second part of the phrase is (question) as in, a INSERT TERM question, but not 100% sure.

Solution 1:

A probe for seeing if someone belongs to a particular group can be called a shibboleth. Wikipedia link

[Merriam-Webster]

1 a : a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning
- the old shibboleths come rolling off their lips —Joseph Epstein

b : a widely held belief
- today this book publishing shibboleth is a myth —L. A. Wood

c : truism, platitude
- some truth in the shibboleth that crime does not pay —Lee Rogow

2 a : a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group
- accent was … a shibboleth of social class —Vivian Ducat

b : a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others
- for most of the well-to-do in the town, dinner was a shibboleth, its hour dividing mankind —Osbert Sitwell

Solution 2:

I think it is worth mentioning the term fishing which is commonly used in job interviews, for instance, where the interviewer is not really interested in hiring the person in question, generally a professional, but just to obtain sensitive information about them or their company with the excuse of a possible new job.

The term is related to the idiomatic expression fishing expedition. 


a search or investigation undertaken with the hope, though not the stated purpose, of discovering information.

(ODO)

Solution 3:

I think "veiled question" is actually perfect here. From the OED:

veiled, adj.

2. b. Not openly declared, expressed, or stated; implied or inferred. Also: covert, disguised.

In the case of "what school do you go to?" The "veiled question" would be "what's your religion?"

If you're looking for one term to describe both the surface question and the veiled question, I'd go with "double-meaning question." Again from the OED:

double meaning, n.

Double or ambiguous signification; the use of an ambiguous word or phrase, esp. to convey an indelicate meaning

Solution 4:

It's not exactly "a term" - just a natural combination of the relevant adjective and noun - but you could reasonably say that one way to "surreptitiously" elicit sensitive information would be to...

ask a proxy question (18 hits in Google Books).

The relevant definition in Collins Dictionary is...

A proxy is a person or thing that is acting or being used in the place of someone or something else.

(Actually, looking at dozens of written instances of proxy questions are [whatever they are], I suspect the term is in fact quite well established in domains such as social science / market research (devising and analysing election polls, market research questionaires, etc.)

Solution 5:

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone answer

a probing question

Are you going to need more information? Are you looking to find a deeper meaning? Perhaps asking a probing question will help you get to the bottom of things. Probing questions are not just about clarifying specific details; instead, these questions dig much deeper than the surface. An effective probing question helps to get a person to talk about their personal opinions and feelings, and promotes critical thinking. -- study.com