Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 6.pdf/278

 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.