1812. Coombe, Dr. Syntax, 1. vii. For they possess'd, with all their pother, A sneaking kindness for each other.
Sneaksby (Sneakbill, or
Sneaksbill), subs. (old).—A
sneak: cf. Idlesby, Suresby,
Rudesby, Lewdsby, Wigsby,
&c. (Grose). Also sneaking
(B. E.) = 'sheepish or mean
spirited'; sneakbill (adj.) =
sneaking.
1577. Kendall, Floures of Epigrammes. Perchaunce thou deemst me in thy minde Therefore a sneekbill snudge unkinde.
1611. Cotgrave, Dict. [Halliwell]. A checheface, mecher, sneakebill, wretched fellow, one out of whose nose hunger drops. Ibid. A meacocke, milkesop, sneaksbie, worthlesse fellow.
1651. Cartwright, Ordinary. A base thin-jaw'd sneaksbill, Thus to work gallants out of all.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, i. xxv. Scurvy sneaksbies, fondling fops, base loons.
1685. Barrow, Sermons, iii. xxxiv. A demure sneaksby, a clownish singularist.
Sneck-drawer, subs. phr. (Scots').—A
latchlifter; a slyboots.
Sneck-drawing = crafty, cheating.
c.1401. Political Poems, ii. 98. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 192. Among the nouns sneck-drawer; used by Scott.]
d.1796. Burns, Address to the Deil. And you, ye auld sneck-drawing dog, Ye came to Paradise incog.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, xxxviii. Sydall is an auld sneck-drawer.
Sneck up! intj. (old).—Go hang!
Also snick up.
1599. Two Angry Women of Abingdon [Nares]. If they be not, let them go snick up.
1602. Shakspeare, Twelfth Night, ii. 3, 101. We did keep time, sir, in our catches. Sneck up!
1610. Beaumont and Fletcher, Knight of Burning Pestle, iii. 1. Let him go snick up!
1611. Chapman, Mayday, iv. But for a paltry disguise she shall go snick up.
c.1620. Healey, Disc. New World, 106. I am in great perplexitie, least my country-women should have any understanding of this state; for if they have, wee may go snic up for any female that will bide among us.
1630. Heywood, Fair Maid of West [Pearson, Works (1874), ii., 268]. She shall not rise, sir, goe, let your Master snick-up!
1630. Taylor, Praise of Hempseed. A Tiburne hempen-candell will e'en cure you: It can cure traitors, but I hold it fit T'apply't ere they the treason do commit. Wherefore in Sparta it ycleped was Snick-up, which is in English gallow-grass.
1638. Ford, Lady's Trial, iii. 2. Dost want a master? If thou dost, I'm for thee; Else choose, and sneck up!
1666. Wily Beguil'd [Hawkins, Orig. Drama, iii. 342]. If my mistress would be ruled by him, Sophos might go snick up.
Snee. See Snick-and-snee.
Sneerg, subs. (back slang).—Greens.
Sneering, adj. (B. E. and Grose).—'Jeering,
flickering, laughing
in scorn.'
Sneeze, subs. (old).—1. Snuff:
also snish.
2. (common).—The nose: see Sneezer.
To sneeze at, verb. phr. (common).—To despise; to scorn: usually in phrase 'not to be sneezed at' = worth having or considering.
1820. Coombe, Syntax, ii. 5. A . . . dame . . . who wish'd . . . to change her name, And . . . would not perhaps have sneezed at mine.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, s.v. Sneeze. A handsome girl with a few thousands tacked to her arse is not to be sneezed at.
1837. Barham, Ingolds. Leg., 'The Coronation., If any bould traitour or infarior craythur sneezes at that, I'd like to see the man.
