Also 6–8 snippe, 6 snypp, 7 snipp. [Related to SNIP v., and in some senses perh. directly of LG. origin: cf. LG. snip (G. dial. schnipf, schnipp) and snippe a small piece, etc., Du. and Fris. snip a snappish girl or woman.]
I. 1. A small piece or slip, esp. of cloth, cut off or out; a shred.
1558. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 27. In to Iagges and Snippes for defacinge of torche bearers.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. I. Tropheis, 1103. Her lips two snips of crimsin Sattin are.
c. 1620. Moryson, Itin., IV. 489. To weare a litle snipp of yellowe lace vpon the left syde of their Clokes.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 95. Cut a snip from the thickest and thinnest part.
1756. Connoisseur, No. 115, ¶ 7. A snip of hair, or the portrait of a cherry-cheeked gentleman,… are the only remaining proofs of those beauties.
1787. Cowper, Lett., 10 Dec. I thank you for your snip of cloth commonly called a pattern.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. VI. viii. Patriotism has torn their red coats into snips.
1849. Alb. Smith, Pottleton Legacy (1854), 24. Snips of the metal used in packing tea.
1864. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., IV. 542. A snip of paper.
b. transf. or fig. (Freq. in Fuller.)
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, III. vi. 370. No snip, or shred of empty space cut off from the squareness of the Oracle. Ibid. (a. 1661), Worthies (1840), III. 391. Yorkshire hath … Lancashire and a snip of Cheshire on the west.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, III. 280. There might be some Mediterranean Snip of Land, running down between Ionia and Lydia.
† c. spec. Of glass: (see quot.). Obs.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 385/2. A Snip, is the upper halfe, and sometymes a quarter or lesse of a Quarry, Three Snips goes for a quarry.
2. A white or light mark, patch or spot on a horse, esp. on the nose or lip.
Cf. G. dial. schnippe a horse with a mark on the nose, schnipp a horse or cow with a narrow blaze.
1562. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 202. A younge baye geldinge with a whyte snypp off [= on] ye nose.
1607. Markham, Caval., II. 4. Your redde Sorrell, and your darke Chesnutte, are much graced, if … they bee accompanied with any white markes, as … white snippes on the nose.
1679. Poor Robin’s Intelligence, in Sporting Mag., XXXIX. 61. Her colour was now coal black, with a star, snip, and one white foot.
1726. Brice’s Weekly Jrnl., 25 March, 3. A Brown Bay Nag, with … a white Snip in one of the hinder Feet.
1799. Hull Advertiser, 10 Aug., 2/2. A stout handsome chesnut gelding,… a white snip on his nose.
1820–. in Sc. and north. dial. use (Jam. and Eng. Dial. Dict.).
1891. E. Kinglake, Australian at H., 118. That brown horse over there with a snip.
1893. M. H. Hayes, Points of Horse, xx. (1897), 222. A white or pink patch on either lip is called a ‘snip.’
3. A small amount, piece or portion; a little bit (of something). Every snip, every bit.
(a) 1588. Shaks., L. L. L., III. i. 22. Keepe not too long in one tune, but a snip and away.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, New Gagg, iii. 42. I like not that the ancient Fathers should be … sent away like school boys with snips.
1749. Smollett, Gil Blas, VII. xii. (1782), III. 89. Let me know what is the business, and I promise you shall get some snips out of the minister.
1833. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), III. 185. Picking up a few residuary snips.
(b) 1624. J. Gee, New Shreds of Old Snare, Induct. B 1 b. Some snips of … their legerdemaine trickes … here I display.
a. 1668. Davenant, Man’s the Master, II. i. May not a man see a snip of her face?
1700. Dryden, Epilogue Dryden’s Benefit, 14. The Poets … Tainted the Stage for some small Snip of Gain.
1831. Carlyle, in Froude (1882), II. 179. Sunday morning had a snip of a note from Empson.
1894. Blackmore, Perlycross, 50. My hair is such a trouble, I have half a mind sometimes to cut off every snip of it.
b. Applied to persons in depreciation or contempt. In later use: A young, slight or diminutive person.
1625. Massinger, New Way, II. ii. This term-driver, Marrall, This snip of an attorney.
1838. [Miss Maitland], Lett. fr. Madras (1843), 221. Half the experienced men are kept in subordinate situations, and young raw snips placed over their heads.
1902. Brownsville Daily Herald, 5 Feb., 1/3. Why, this snip is no better than anybody else when he lands here.
† 4. A share or portion; a snack. Obs.
1655. trans. Sorel’s Com. Hist. Francion, I. 13. The Justice of the place … not willing to lose his Snip [etc.].
1672. Wycherley, Love in Wood, I. ii. 12. He watches them like a younger Brother that is afraid to be mump’d of his snip.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 140. The Governor distributing to the Officers, and they to the Soldiers, every one having their Snips.
1702. Steele, Funeral, III. ii. Take care of their Young Ladyships; you shall … have a Snip in the Sale of ’em.
b. To go snips († or snip), to go shares (with some one, or in something), to share or participate in the profits. Now dial.
In very common use c. 1680–99, esp. by Hickeringill.
(a) 1668. Dryden, Even. Love, V. i. Pray, Sir, let me go snip with you in this Lie.
1687. R. L’Estrange, Fairfax’s Tasso, Pref. A 2. I recommend it to the Bookseller, for the common benefit, and … I go no snip with the Stationer.
(b) 1677. Thoresby, Corr., etc. (1830), II. 408. Some of our company went snips with them.
1682. G. Topham, Rome’s Tradit., 209. The Subtil Old Gentleman … offered him (if he would promote the Trade) to go Snips.
1706. Baynard, Cold Baths, II. 202. Those that go Snips with their Apothecaries, are Villains of the first Magnitude.
1725. Bailey, Erasm. Colloq. (1733), 322. The Gamester … promises I shall go Snips with him in what he shall win.
a. 1800. Pegge, Suppl. Grose, s.v. Snaps.
1861–. in Sc. and north. dial. use (Eng. Dial. Dict.).
II. 5. A small cut or incision made by, or such as that made by, a pair of scissors; a wound of this nature. Also dial., a small hole or crack.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. iii. 89. Whats this? a sleeue?… Heers snip, and nip, and cut, and slish and slash.
1600. Surflet, Countrie Farme, I. xxv. 159. If there be any snips in their skins, you shall apply vnto them melted waxe.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, III. 219. Long sharp leaves … without snips at the Edges.
1698. J. Crull, Muscovy, 136. Caps or Bonnets, with a little Snip open before and behind.
1775. Ash, Snick, a small snip or cut as in the hair of a beast.
1867. Waugh, Tattlin’ Matty, ii. 24. Squirtin’ wayter into my ear through a snip i’th corner o’th window.
1886. C. Scott, Sheep-Farming, 149. The snip and hole are used alternately, to designate with more certainty the exact part of the ear intended to be marked.
b. Pottery. A small projection on the lip of a vessel, the place for which is prepared by cutting a notch.
1834–6. Barlow, in Encycl. Metrop. (1845), VIII. 455. These manipulations fix on the clay vessels their handles, snips, spouts [etc.]. Ibid. For snips of jugs, &c., a piece is cut out of the upper edge of proper size and shape.
6. An act of snipping; a single cut or clip of scissors, etc.
1676. Wiseman, Surg. Treat., 256. I laid it open by a snip of a pair of Scissors.
c. 1765. Flloyd, Tartarian T. (1785), 103/2. Four snips of a pair of scissars will initiate you.
1831. Carlyle, Sartor Res., I. v. Every snip of the Scissors has been regulated … by ever-active Influences.
1886. Daily Telegr., 14 Jan. (Cassell). A few snips of the scissors … and last year’s robe will do duty for this.
b. A nip, pinch, bite, etc.
1767. S. Paterson, Another Trav., II. 41. He has a snip, or a flip, or a sting, or a fling, at almost every body!
1840. Hood, Miss Kilmansegg, Education, 509. He got … Scratches, and pinches, snips, and snaps, As if from a Tigress or Bearess.
1880. Blackmore, Mary Anerley, xxxix. The bruising snip a hungry cow makes.
7. slang or colloq. A tailor. Also employed as an allusive personal name for a tailor.
(a) 1599. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., IV. v. [iv]. Well, now, master Snip, let mee see your bill.
a. 1634. Randolph, Muses’ Looking Gl., IV. iii. Sir, here’s Snip the Taylor Charg’d with a riot.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. lii. At Paris … Snip Groignet the Taylor had turn’d an old Clementinæ into Patterns and Measures.
1824. W. E. Andrews, Rev. Fox’s Bk. Martyrs, I. 252. Both Snip and Snob were burned for their pains.
a. 1849. H. Coleridge, Ess. (1851), I. 206. Snip can do more—he can make you an impeccable pair of inexpressibles by simply taking the girth of your thumb.
1858. Trollope, Dr. Thorne, II. iii. 56. Well done, Snip; go it again with the wax and thread.
(b) 1630. B. Jonson, New Inn, V. i. Hang him, poor snip, a secular shop-wit! He hath nought but his sheers to claim by, and his measures.
a. 1634. Randolph, Muses’ Looking Gl., IV. ii. Lup. Where’s my wife? Colax. Shee’s gone with a young Snip, and an old baud.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., Snip, a taylor.
1808. J. Mayne, Siller Gun, III. xxi. ‘A ring, a ring!’ the sutors cried; ‘A ring, a ring!’ the snips replied.
1853. R. S. Surtees, Sponge’s Sp. Tour (1893), 26. ‘Very neat, sir; would look remarkably well on you, sir,’ replies the obsequious snip.
1871. Miss Braddon, R. Godwin, II. i. 6. Shall I give you a line to my snip?
8. pl. (See quot.)
1846. Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 915. Hand shears … are often called snips, to distinguish them from bench shears.
9. pl. Handcuffs. slang.
1891. Newcastle Even. Chron., 21 Feb., 3/2. Accused did not offer to go quietly till the police had the ‘snips’ on him.
1895. A. Patterson, Man & Nat., 141. In a moment the slop … had the snips (handcuffs) on me.
10. slang. Something easily obtained or won; a sure thing, a certainty.
1894. Astley, 50 Yrs. Life, II. 181. The event looked a dead snip.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 24 July, 5/3. The half-mile was described by the supporters of the Americans as a ‘snip’ for their men.
III. 11. attrib. and Comb., as snip-like, snip-nosed adjs.; snip-bag, a bag for holding snips of cloth, etc.; † snip-cabbage, a tailor; snip-faced a. (of a horse), marked with a snip; snip-jack, a person of little account or worth (cf. quot.); snip-nose (see quot. 1753); † snip-work, Glazing (cf. 1 c above).
1703. [R. Neve], City & C. Purchaser, 154. Ordinary Houses … are Glazed with Quarries, which is Bevel Work, so likewise is a great deal of Fret, and all Snip-work.
1708. E. Ward, Terræfil., v. 35. The Gentleman and yonder Snip-Cabbage, his Taylor, [were] Commended for their Ingenuity.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), II. XV. iv. 420. This man was from that time called binnie buride, or snip-nose.
1814. Moore, New Cost. Ministers, v. While Y—rm—th, with snip-like and brisk expedition, Cuts up, all at once, a large Cath’lic Petition.
1846. Marryat, Privateer’s-man, xiv. ‘I can do without such snip-jacks as you are.’ ‘Snip-jacks!’… replied I, ‘if I must say it, we are better born and better bred than you or any of your connections.’
1878. Dickinson, Cumbld. Gloss., Snip feàsst.
1880. Plain Hints Needlework, 35. Take one yard of ‘cheese cloth’ … out of the snip bag.
1880. Day, Fishes Gt. Brit., I. 130. Trachinotus Cumberlandi,… the fisherman’s name is Snip-nosed-mullet.
