[Cf. prec.]
† 1. Making a snipping sound; working or acting by snipping or clipping. Obs.
1600. J. Lane, Tom Tel-troth, 120. These snip-snap sheers.
1643. Mercurius Brit., No. 28. 211. Barbers and every Snip-snap Jack which can tell the King a faire tale in his eare.
2. Of the nature of snip-snap; characterized by snip-snap or smart repartee.
1673. [R. Leigh], Transp. Reh., 139. His snip-snap wit, hit for hit, and dash for dash.
1702. Motteux, Prol. to Farquhar’s Twin-Rivals. With volleys of small shot, or snip-snap wit.
1752. A. Murphy, Gray’s Inn Jrnl., No. 5. Run off from the Point, in a snip-snap Stile, with pert Question and Answer.
1830. H. Lee, Mem. Manager, I. iv. 152. A snip-snap mode of expression.
1861. C. W. S. Brooks, Silver Cord, viii. (1865), 45. It is not a bit of snip-snap impertinence … that will frighten me.
1884. Fortn. Rev., Dec., 785. The snip-snap dialogue about prodigies.
b. Of persons: Given to snip-snap. rare–1.
1785. [R. Graves], Eugenius, II. xix. 126. He found she … was not that pert, snip-snap formidable Beatrice, which he at first had some reason to think her.
3. Snappish, quarrelsome, irritable. rare–1.
1770. C. Jenner, Placid Man, IV. iii. II. 23. In this kind of snip-snap disposition the family arrived in town.
