▪ I. snaffle, n.1
(ˈsnæf(ə)l)
Also 6–7 snafle, snaffel (6 -ell, -ul).
[Of doubtful origin: connexion with (M)Du. and (M)LG. snavel (late OFris. snavel, snaul, WFris. snaffel mouth), OHG. snapal (MHG. snabel, G. schnabel), beak, bill, mouth, is not clear; but cf. the use of G. schnabel for a forked instrument used in training hunting-dogs to keep the head up.]
1. a. A simple form of bridle-bit, having less restraining power than one provided with a curb.
| 1533 Frith Another Bk. agst. Rastell A vj b, I verye well lyken yow to him that hath a wilde horse to tame,..when he perceueth that he can not holde him with a scottyshe snafle. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 15 b, Geue a Horse the whip, an Asse the snaffell, and a Foole the rodde. c 1618 Moryson Itin. iv. i. (1903) 48 Their bridles are like our snafles but commonly sett with Copper studds guilded. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 377 They make also great variety of bridles, both Snaffles and Bitts: such as the wheel and joynted Snaffle, the neck-Snaffle [etc.]. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1862) I. 252 They are rid generally in a snaffle, without spurs. 1833 Reg. & Instr. Cavalry i. 75 Great care must be taken not to press the horse too suddenly up to the snaffle. 1882 B. D. W. Ramsay Rough Recoll. I. v. 95 Finding [the horse]..would bear no pressure on his mouth, I at last tried him with a plain light snaffle. |
b. fig. or in fig. contexts.
| 1542 Brinklow Compl. xii. (1874) 28 This were a good snafful for the tyrannes and oppressers. 1579 North Plutarch (1896) V. 168 Rome also not being used to be brideled with the snaffle of such insolencie. 1639 Fuller Holy War iii. xxvii. (1840) 167 Being a place of such importance, it would always be a snaffle in the mouth of the Egyptian king. 1679 Alsop Melius Inq. ii. v. 264 The ἄνοµος or Lawless person, who has a curb for every mans Conscience, but will not endure a snaffle upon his own. 1813 Moore Post-bag i. 49 His Lordship proposes ‘The new Veto-snaffle to bind down their noses’. 1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. ii. vii, Give your own passions the curb, and allow mine the snaffle. |
c. to ride (one) in, on, or with the snaffle, to rule easily, to guide with a light hand.
| 1577 Holinshed Chron., Hist. Scotl. I. 249, I perceyue this man will neuer obey my commaundements, till he be rydden with a snaffle. 1593 Nashe Christ's T. To Rdr., Ile..ride him with a snaffle vp & down the whole realme. a 1668 R. Lassels Voy. Italy (1670) ii. 281 Such a wanton Courser as Naples is not to be ridden with snaffles. 1844 Ld. Ashburton in Croker P. (1884) III. xxiii. 18 As old Hunt said of Manners Sutton as Speaker, he rode them in a snaffle. 1904 Benson Challoners i, The world has begun..to ride life on the snaffle instead of the curb. |
2. attrib. and Comb., as snaffle-bit, snaffle-bridle, snaffle-rein; snaffle-bridled, snaffle-mouthed adjs.; snaffle-mouth, the mouth of a horse which can be managed with a snaffle alone.
| 1576 Gascoigne Steele Gl., Philomene (Arb.) 90 A snaffle Bit or brake, Bebost with gold. 1668 Lond. Gaz. No. 272/4 He took away with her a deep skirted Saddle..and a snaffle Bridle. 1814 Earl of Dudley Lett. 7 May (1840) 35 There is no riding the French in a snaffle-bridle. 1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Brit. Rural Sports 395/1, I have never yet ridden a snaffle-bridled horse comfortably through a run. 1856 Lever Martins of Cro' M. xv, An old worsted bell-rope formed the snaffle-rein of his bridle. 1862 H. H. Dixon Scott & Sebright IV. 308 Early in the ensuing year, Becher was again on the snaffle-mouthed Grimaldi. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 2228/2 Price's bridle-bit..combines the snaffle-bit with a lever-bar. 1910 Chambers's Jrnl. 1 Oct. 703/1 A jungle-fowl which..causes my horse to dance a gavotte.., a feat for which his snaffle mouth and indolent disposition eminently unfit him. 1932 J. E. Hance School for Horse & Rider x. 85 From time to time one hears of such and such a horse possessing a ‘snaffle mouth’. To be entitled to such a designation the animal would have to be capable of flexing and bending to this form of bit at all paces, and such animals are extremely rare. 1977 Horse & Hound 14 Jan. 36/3 (Advt.), Chestnut gelding... Snaffle mouth, quiet in every way. |
▪ II. † ˈsnaffle, n.2 Cant. Obs.
[perh. the same word as prec., but cf. snaffle v.4]
(See quot.)
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Snaffle, a Highwayman that has got Booty. |
▪ III. snaffle, v.1
(ˈsnæf(ə)l)
[f. snaffle n.1]
1. trans. To put a snaffle on (a horse, etc.); to restrain or guide with a snaffle. Freq. fig.
| 1559 Mirr. Mag. (1563) L iv, For hytherto slye wryters wyly wittes..Have been lyke horses snaffled with the byttes Of fansye, feares or doubtes. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 139 If thou wylt brydell me, I wyll snafell the. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 295 Their arrogaunt insolency, beyng a long tyme reasonably well snafled by the Greeke and Frenche Emperours. 1603 Dekker & Chettle Grissil 2622 Asse, Ile haue you snaffled. 1679 Bunyan Fear of God Wks. 1855 I. 478 The guilt and terror that thy sins will snaffle thee with. a 1849 J. C. Mangan Poems (1859) 279 The animal snaffled by Boileau. 1875 Tennyson Q. Mary v. iii, If you marry Philip, Then I and he will snaffle your ‘God's death’, And break your paces in. |
2. slang. To arrest; to seize.
| 1860 Slang Dict. 220 Snaffled, arrested, ‘pulled up’. 1902 Essex Weekly News 24 Jan. 2/6 On one occasion we snaffled a Cape cart in which were two females dressed in male attire. |
Hence ˈsnaffled ppl. a., bridled.
| 1877 Blackie Wise Men 335 Their powers..discharge Their snaffled wrath at Jove's high beck. |
▪ IV. ˈsnaffle, v.2 ? Obs.
[Of obscure origin.]
intr. To saunter.
| 1611 Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girl D.'s Wks. 1873 III. 208, I haue gon snaffling vp and downe by your dore this houre to watch for you. a 1743 Relph Poems (1747) 5 Mun I still be..shamefully left snafflen by my sell? |
▪ V. snaffle, v.3 Now dial.
(ˈsnæf(ə)l)
[Imitative: cf. WFris. snaffelje and snuffle v.]
a. trans. To utter through the nose. b. intr. To speak through the nose; to make a snuffling noise.
| 1616 B. Holyday Persius i. B 4 If forsooth one clad in purple cloth's Snaffle some mustie stuff through's muffling nose. 1647 Corbet Poems (1807) 95 To Saint Denis fast we came To see the sights of Nostre Dame, The man that shews them snaffles. 1826 in Hone Every-day Bk. II. 549 A hare-lip..caused him to speak through the nose, or to snaffle, as they term it in Yorkshire. 1869 Blackmore Lorna D. (1889) 286 Snorting, snaffling, whinnying and neighing. |
Hence ˈsnaffling vbl. n.
| a 1668 R. Lassels Voy. Italy (1698) II. 259 The snafling through the nose made all the edification that I saw in it. |
▪ VI. snaffle, v.4 dial. or slang.
(ˈsnæf(ə)l)
[Of obscure origin; cf. snaffle n.2]
1. trans. To steal, purloin.
| 1725 New Cant. Dict., Snaffle, to steal, to rob, to purloin. c 1850 Bagnall Songs 24 (E.D.D.), He cud snaffle the raisins an' currins away. 1897 Longm. Mag. Aug. 372 Archy did not ‘snaffle’ {pstlg}6000 and invest it in business. |
2. To appropriate, seize, catch, snatch. Also with up.
| 1895 Kipling in Century Mag. Dec. 273/2 A year's leave was among the things he had ‘snaffled out of the campaign’, to use his own words. 1915 D. O. Barnett Let. 7 Aug. 218, I see they've snaffled Warsaw. 1916 ‘Peter’ Trench Yarns 10 A certain airman had engine trouble up aloft and had to come down behind the German lines. Of course they snaffled him. 1928 Sunday Express 15 Apr. 11/6, I soon snaffled a double role in a big spectacle. 1959 Times 28 May 4/7 Slade threw down Cook's wicket when Meyer tried to snaffle the strike. 1964 M. McLuhan Understanding Media xxxi. 331 Jack discovered how to extend the TV mosaic image..seemingly snaffling up just anybody from anywhere. a 1974 R. Crossman Diaries (1975) I. 149 There was a good deal of bleating, but I got my way and was able to snaffle the Statement for myself in the process. |