1600. Weakest to Wall, i. 3. Beest thou a snyder? snip, snap, mette shears.
1605. Chapman [B. Dobell, on Newly Discovered Documents of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Periods (Athenæum, 13 Ap., 1901, 466, 1)]. Taylors and Shoo-makers, and such snipper-*ados.
1643. Randolph, Muses' Looking Glass. Lup. Where's my wife? Colax. Shee's gone with a young snip, and an old bawd. Ibid., iv. 3. Sir, here's Snip the taylor charg'd with a riot.
d.1701. Dryden, Hist. of League, Postscr. Our snippers go over once a year into France, to bring back the newest mode.
1709. Ward Terræfilius [Works, i. 5, 35]. Poor Crespin was laugh'd at thro' the whole parish, . . . and the Gentleman and yonder snip-cabbage his Taylor, commended for their Ingenuity.
1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 529. He swears . . . (Like Snip the tailor with his suit) He'll find some way to piece it out.
1849. Kingsley, Alton Locke, xiii. Alton, you fool, why did you let out that you were a snip?
1852. Bristed, Eng. Univ., 292, Note. A fashionable snip . . . 'breeches-maker to H.R.H. Prince Albert.'
1898. Pink 'Un and Pelican, 153. Mr. Commissioner Kerr . . . once informed a snip . . . that there was no such thing as taking credit.
Snipe, subs. (old).—1. A thin
thing, male or female: in America
= a small child. 2 (old) = a
simpleton; snipe-knave (Cotgrave):
'So called because two
of them are worth but one snipe.'
1602. Shakspeare, Othello, i. 3. I mine own gained knowledge should profane, If I would time expend with such a snipe.
1859. Kingsley, Geof. Hamlyn, xxxi. I sat there like a great snipe.
3. (old).—A lawyer: hence (4) a long bill.
5. (thieves').—In pl. = the fingers.
1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, iii. v. No slour'd hoxter my snipes could stay.
6. (Old Cant).—Scissors (Grose).
7. (American street).—A half-smoked cigar.
8. (American S. Exchange).—A curbstone broker; a gutter-*snipe (q.v.).
1870. Medbery, Wall St., 131. Solid brokers . . . scoffingly declare its [the Open Board] members . . . are simply snipes and lame ducks.
Verb. (military).—To fire at random into a camp.
Snipper-snapper, subs. (common).—An
insignificant person;
a whipper-snapper (q.v.).
1677. Poor Robin's Visions, 12. This seeming gentile whipper-snapper vanisht . . . and I was left alone.
Snippy (Snipenny, Sniptious,
or Snippish), adj. (American).—Vain;
conceited; pert.
Snip-snap, subs. phr. (colloquial).—A
neat verbal effect. As adj.
= quick, sharp, smart (q.v.).
1594. Shakspeare, Love's Lab. Lost, v. i. A sweet touch, a quick venue of wit! snip snap, quick and home! it rejoiceth my intellect.
1597. Harvey, Works [Grosart, iii, 72]. If heer I have been too prodigall in snip-snaps, tell me of it.
1728. Pope, Dunciad, ii. 240. Snip-snap short, and interruption smart.
1870. Judd, Margaret, iii. I recollect . . . overhearing . . . a sort of grave snip-snap about Napoleon's return from Egypt . . . and what not.
Snirp, subs. (old).—An undersized,
contemptible wretch.
Snitch, subs. (thieves').—1. In pl.
= handcuffs: also snitchers.
2. (old).—'A Filip on the Nose': also snitchel (B. E.); also the nose.
