One day Holmes and Watson are flying a dirigible balloon. It is foggy around, they have lost their way. Suddenly they see - a shepherd is grazing sheep below. The men are very glad and shout:
- The dear, tell us, please, where we are now?
- You are in the dirigible balloon.
- I understand... - Holmes says. - We are flying over Russia.
- But why? - Watson is surprised.
- It’s elementary, Buddy! Only a programmer could give such an exact and useless answer at the same time. And only in Russia programmers can look after sheep.
- tear in material etc. —v. (-gg-) catch or tear on a snag. [probably scandinavian]
SNAP
—v. (-pp-) 1 break suddenly or with a cracking sound.
- (cause to) emit a sudden sharp crack.
- open or close with a snapping sound.
- speak or say irritably.
- (often foll. By at) make a sudden audible bite.
- move quickly (snap into action).
- photograph. —n. - act or sound of snapping.
- crisp biscuit (brandy snap).
- snapshot.
- (in full cold snap) sudden brief spell of cold weather.
- a card-game in which players call ‘snap’ when two similar cards are exposed. B (as int.) On noticing an (often unexpected) similarity.
- vigour, liveliness. —adv. With a snap (heard it go snap). —adj. Done without forethought (snap decision). snap out of slang get rid of (a mood, etc.) By a sudden effort. Snap up accept (an offer etc.) Quickly or eagerly. [low german or dutch snappen seize]
SNIP
—v. (-pp-) (also absol.) Cut with scissors etc., esp. In small quick strokes. —n. - act of snipping.
- piece snipped off.
- slang a something easily done. B bargain. [low german or dutch snippen]
SNOB
n. Person who despises those inferior in social position, wealth, intellect, taste, etc. (intellectual snob). snobbery n. Snobbish adj. Snobby adj. (-ier, -iest). [origin unknown]
SNOG
slang —v. (-gg-) engage in kissing and caressing. —n. Period of this. [origin unknown]
SNOT
n. Slang nasal mucus. [probably low german or dutch: related to *snout]
SNOW
goose n. White arctic goose.
- white adj. & n. (as adj. Often hyphenated) pure white.
- —n. - frozen atmospheric vapour falling to earth in light white flakes.
- fall or layer of this.
- thing resembling snow in whiteness or texture etc.
- slang cocaine. —v. - (prec. By it as subject) snow falls (it is snowing; if it snows).
- (foll. By in, over, up, etc.) Confine or block with snow. be snowed under be overwhelmed, esp. With work. [old english]
SNUB
nose n. Short turned-up nose. snub-nosed adj.
- —v. (-bb-) rebuff or humiliate with sharp words or coldness. —n. Act of snubbing. —adj. Short and blunt in shape. [old norse, = chide]
