snipper-snapper

English

Etymology

From late 16th c.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsnɪpəˌsnæpə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsnɪpəɹˌsnæpəɹ/

Noun

snipper-snapper (plural snipper-snappers)

1. (colloquial, dated) A worthless or insignificant person.
   • 1883, Mary Jane Holmes, Queenie Hetherton: A Novel, page 406:

     Why, I thought you liked it immensely : women generally do; but it shows your good sense not to want to be stared at and written up by a lot of snipper-snappers.

   • 1914, Devabrata Mukherjee (translator), Rabindranath Tagore (original), The Post Office:

     Let me find him once and I'll make him dance. Oh, you snipper-snapper! I'll get the King's letter sent to your house indeed I will!

Further reading

• “Snipper-snaper”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.