1855. Haliburton, Human Nature, 173. My knowledge of horse-flesh ain't to be sneezed at.
1857. A. H. Elton, Below the Surface, xxvii. My professional reputation is not to be sneezed at.
Sneeze- (or Snuff-) lurker,
subs. phr. (thieves').—A thief
working with snuff, pepper, and
the like. To give on the
sneeze (or snuff) racket = 'to
dose a man in the eyes, and then
rob him' (Grose).
Sneezer, subs. (common).—1.
Severe weather: as a hard frost
or a violent gale. Whence (2) =
anything exceptional—a stiff
glass, a knock-out blow: see
Whopper. Also (army) = a
martinet.
c.1812. Maher, The Night Before Larry was Stretched. He'd fence all the duds that he had, To help the poor dog to a sneezer.
1855. Haliburton, Human Nature [Bartlett]. It's awful to hear a minister swear; and the only match I know for it is to hear a regular sneezer of a sinner quote Scripture.
1878. Century Mag., Dec., 602. Caught in a north-west sneezer.
1902. Dowling, Tempest Driven, xxiv. 'It will be a sneezer,' said the boatman.
2. (common).—The nose: also sneeze: see Conk. Whence (3) = a pocket-handkerchief; and (4) = a snuff-box: also sneezing coffer (Grose and Vaux.)
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood. Fogies and fawnies soon went their way To the spout with the sneezers in grand array.
1838. Dickens, Oliver Twist, xliii. To think of . . . the Artful Dodger going abroad for a common twopenny-halfpenny sneeze-box.
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, xxxv. 'What is cly-faking,' said Charles. 'Why, a prigging of wipes, and sneeze-boxes . . . and such.'
Sneezy, subs. (old).—The second
month [Brumaire = foggy] of the
French Republican Calendar.
Snell, subs. (hawkers').—A
needle. Hence snell-fencer
= a needle-hawker. [Cf. (Scots')
snell = sharp.]
1891. Carew, Auto. Gipsy, 415. A chiv, blink and snell-fencer.
Snib, subs. (Scots').—A prig, q.v.
(Grose).
Verb. (venery).—To copulate: see Ride.
Snicker, subs. (old).—1. A drinking
cup; horn-snicker = a
drinking-horn (Hotten).
2. (old).—A glandered horse (Grose). See also Snigger.
Snickersnee, subs. (nautical).—1.
A knife; and (2) a combat with
knives: also snick-and-snee.
c.1617. Howell, Letters, i. i. 41. None must carry a pointed knife about him [in Genoa]; which makes the Hollander, who is used to snik and snee, to leave his Horn-sheath and knife a shipboard when he comes ashore.
1673. Norfolk Drollery, 64. But they'l ere long come to themselves you'l see, When we in earnest are at snick a snee.
1698. Fatal Friendship. What hand that can design a history Wou'd copy lowland boors at snick a snee.
d.1701. Dryden, Parallel of Poetry and Painting. The brutal sport of snick-or-snee, and a thousand other things of this mean invention.
1707. Ward, Hud. Rediv. By their sides knives for snick-a-snee.
1869. Thackeray, Little Billee. 'Make haste, make haste,' says Guzzling Jimmy, While Jack pulled out his snickersnee.
Snick-fadge, subs. phr. (thieves').—A
petty thief.
