▪ I. snickersnee, n.
(ˈsnɪkəsniː)
Also snicker-, snikker-snee.
[Alteration of snick or snee.]
1. = snick-a-snee 1.
| 1727 Boyer Dict. Royal ii, Snicker-snee (the Dutch way of fighting with pointed Knives). 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Snikker-Snee, a combat with knives. |
2. A large knife.
| 1775 Ash Dict., Snickersnee,..a long kind of knife. 1791 G. Huddesford in Salmagundi 86 He pulled out his Snicker-snee With imprecations horrid. 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. (1861) 171 A host more, armed..with swords, hatchets, snicker-snees,..and what not. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Snicker-snee, a large clasp knife. 1840 Thackeray Catherine xiv, Drawing his snickersnee, he plunged it in the bailiff's chest. 1885 W. S. Gilbert Mikado ii. 37 As I gnashed my teeth, When from its sheath I drew my snicker-snee. |
▪ II. † snickersnee, v. Obs.
Also 8 snigger-, sneaker-, sneeker-.
[f. as prec.]
intr. To fight with knives; to use a knife as a weapon. Hence † snickersneeing vbl. n. and ppl. a.
Cf. the Linc. dial. snickersneeze, used in threatening children (‘If you do that, I'll snickersneeze you’).
| 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 119 Boxing among the English; Snicker-Sneeing among the Dutch. 1704 N. N. tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. III. 16 But when the Officers came to inforce the Execution of this Decree upon the Dutch, they were ready to fall to Snigger Snee with 'em about it. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull iv. vii, He pull'd out a Case-knife, with which he used to sneaker-snee, and threaten'd to cut his own Throat. 1738 [G. Smith] Curious Relat. i. iii. 443 He that acted the Character of the Insolent Sailor, humour'd it to the Life..: He wanted to fight, or Sneeker-snee. 1778 Brydges Homer Trav. (1797) II. 268 An ugly dream, Wherein a Dutch-built thief did seem To shake a snickersneeing knife. |