[f. SNEEZE v.]
1. One who sneezes.
1648. Hexham, II. Een Nieser, a Sneeser.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., III. 65/2. The Ancients said, that Sneezers and Apophlegmatisms were indicated by excrementitious humours gathered in the Ventricles and substance of the Brain.
1801. Monthly Mag., XII. 224. He proves from Petronius … that the custom of blessing sneezers was established among the Romans.
1882. Lubbock, Orig. Civilis., App. 495. A sneeze … is evidence … that the sneezer was possessed by some evil-disposed spirit.
2. In various slang, colloq. or dial. senses: a. A snuff-box. b. The nose. c. A dram or drink, esp. a stiff one. d. A pocket-handkerchief.
The Eng. Dial. Dict. gives other purely dial. uses.
a. 1725. New Cant. Dict., Cog a Sneezer; Beg an Handkerchief, or Snuff-box.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict.
1839. Slang Dict., 34.
b. 1820. Sporting Mag., VI. 271/1. Hawkins put in a tremendous nobber on the tip of Paddy’s sneezer.
c. 1823. E. Moor, Suffolk Words, Sneeser, or Sneezer.… It also, in a like figurative mode, means a dram.
1841. J. T. Hewlett, Parish Clerk, I. 290. He knew he should get sneezer of something short for his trouble.
1868. Dickens, Lett. (1880), II. 363. My New York landlord made me a ‘Rocky Mountain sneezer.’
d. 1857. Slang Dict., 19.
e. Something exceptionally good, great, strong, violent, etc., in some respect (cf. quots.).
1823. E. Moor, Suffolk Words, Sneeser, or Sneezer. A severe blow.
1836. Haliburton, Clockm., I. viii. 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. Ibid., xiii. I have one [horse] a proper sneezer, a chap that can go ahead of a rail-road steamer.
1859. F. Francis, Newton Dogvane (1888), 242. What a fine breeze we have—a regular sneezer!
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Sneezer. A stiff gale of wind.
1902. Westm. Gaz., 22 July, 3/1. The ball he bowled Fry with … was what he would himself describe as a ‘sneezer.’
