1887. Henley, Villon's Good Night. Likewise you copper's narks and dubs What pinched me when upon the snam.
Snap, subs. (old).—1. A sharper;
a pilferer; a cheat: spec. a thief
claiming a share of booty (in quot.
1731 = a sharking lawyer). Also
snapper and snapper-up. As
verb. = to claim a share; to nap
the regulars (q.v.); on the
snap = (1) waiting a chance of
robbery; and 2 (modern) looking
out for odd jobs.
1604. Shakspeare, Winter's Tale, iv. 3, 26. A snapper-up of unconsidered trifles.
1611. Middleton, Roaring Girl [Old Plays, vi. 113]. Then there's a cloyer, or snap, that dogs any new brother in that trade, and snaps—will have half in any booty.
1622. Fletcher, Spanish Curate, ii. 1. Take heed of a snap, sir; h'as a cozening countenance.
1653. Wilson, James I. Butler, being a subtle snap, wrought so with his companion, with promises of a share, that he got the possession of it.
d. 1704. Lestrange, Works [Ency. Dict.]. He had no sooner said out his say but up rises a cunning snap then at the board
d. 1731. Ward, Honesty in Distress. Brother snap . . . here's a welcome guest.
2. (old).—A scrap; a portion; a share: cf. snack. Hence a small standard of value: e.g., not a snap = nothing; not worth a snap = worthless.
1561. Awdeley, Frat. Vacabondes, 4. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 575. A man gets a share or snap unto himself; hence comes to go snacks, with the usual interchange of c and p].
1648-58. Fuller, Holy and Prof. States, v. xiv. 1. Alms of learning, here a snap, there a piece of knowledge.
3. (common).—A project; a business—any happening: e.g., a cold snap = a sudden spell of cold weather; a soft snap = a pleasant time, a profitable affair; to give the snap away = to discover. Also snap (theatrical) = a short engagement.
1886. Field, 9 Jan. If we are to be interned for a cold snap it will be a pleasure to think of this Tuesday's sport.
1887. Francis, Saddle and Mocassin. I want fifty dollars for an hour or two . . . I've got a soft snap on, can't miss it.
18[?]. Freund, Music and Drama, xiv. xvi. 3. Actors and actresses who have just come in from summer snaps, to prepare for the work of the coming season.
4. (common).—A hasty meal; a snack (q.v.).
d. 1880. Eliot, Janet's Repentance, i. Two hearty meals that might have been mistaken for dinners if he had not declared them to be snaps.
5. (American).—Knowledge; energy, go (q.v.); snappy = lively, amusing.
18[?]. Book of Sports [Century], 118. [Lacrosse] . . . a game well suited to the American taste, being short, snappy and vivacious, from beginning to end.
1885. G. S. Merriam, S. Bowles, II. 375. The vigorous vernacular . . . gave zest and snap to many a paragraph.
1888. Lester Wallack [Scribner's Mag., iv. 722]. That act went with the most perfect snap.
1896. Lillard, Poker Stories, 90. I thought you had more business snap.
Adj. (colloquial).—On the spur of the moment; without preparation: as subs. = a chance (or scratch) comer, player, crew, team, &c). Thus, a snap-division = an unexpected vote; snap-judgment = a verdict hastily got or given; snap-shot = (1) a shot fired without deliberate aim, and (2) a photograph taken unawares. As verb. = to take an instantaneous photograph with a hand camera: also to snap-shot.
1860. Russell, Diary in India, 1. 346. Our appearance attracted shots from all quarters. Fellows took snaps at us from balconies, from doors, on the roofs of houses.
