| 释义 |
▪ I. sneak, n.|sniːk|
Also 7 sneake.
[app. f. sneak v.
By earlier writers used as a suggestive personal name:—1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 12 See if thou canst finde out Sneakes Noyse.1633B. Jonson Tale of Tub v. viii, Was she..wench to that Sneake-Iohn?]
1. a. A sneaking, mean-spirited, paltry, or despicable person; one who acts in a shifty, shabby, or underhand manner.
Jerry Sneak: see jerry n.1 6.
a1643W. Cartwright Ordinary iv. v, I'll suffer no such sneaks As you to offend this way. 1668Pepys Diary 8 Mar., When all is done, he is a sneake; who owns his owing me {pstlg}10..and yet cannot provide to pay me. 1677W. Hughes Man of Sin ii. x. 159 The Devil,..being baffled, packs away, like a silly Sneak as he was.
1840Thackeray Shabby-genteel Story iii, We call him tuft⁓hunter, lickspittle, sneak. 1848― Van. Fair v, The sneak of an usher jeered at him no longer. 1848B. D. Walsh tr. Aristophanes' Knights ii. iii, I knew not..that you had been so long..a sneak and a shuffler. 1874L. Stephen Hours Libr. (1892) II. v. 174 A penitent is generally a bit of a sneak.
b. One who robs or steals in a sneaking manner, or who enters places clandestinely for that purpose. (See also area-sneak s.v. area 2 b.)
1785Grose Dict. Vulgar T., Sneak, a pilferer. 1839Slang Dict. 34 Sneaks, boys who creep into houses, down areas, or into shops, etc. to enter the premises. 1902Westm. Gaz. 30 June 2/3 The genuine poacher—the real article we mean, not the commercial midnight game sneak.
2. Cant.
a. The act or practice of stealing in unperceived in order to rob; a robbery effected in this manner. Usu. in phr. upon the sneak. Also more generally on the sneak, on the sly, by stealth, under concealment.
a1700B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew s.v. Ken-miller, 'Tis a bob Ken, Brush upon the Sneak, 'tis a good House, go in if you will but Tread softly. 1812J. H. Vaux Flash Dict. s.v. Gammon, A thief detected in a house which he has entered, upon the sneak, for the purpose of robbing it. Ibid., Morning-sneak, going out early to rob private houses or shops by slipping in at the door unperceived [etc.]. c1863T. Taylor Ticket-of-Leave Man i. 9 Pottering about on the sneak, flimping or smashing a little when I get the chance. 1930Amer. Mercury XXI. 458/1 You got to work strictly on the sneak. All the spots are hot. 1935Sun (Baltimore) 13 July 9/6 A few of them [sc. betting spots] were ‘sneaking’ with just as many customers as ever... These spots ‘on the sneak’ usually are located in the upper floors of Loop skyscrapers. 1955Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. xxiv. 86 If the road mob decides to work on the sneak, that is, without advance arrangements in any locality, [etc.]. 1982Chicago Sun-Times 6 Aug. 71/1 He does so with all the glee of a schoolkid reading Playboy magazine on the sneak.
b. The act of stealing away or running off in a sneaking manner.
1812J. H. Vaux Flash Dict. s.v., One or more prisoners having escaped..by stealth, without..alarming their keepers, are said to have..given it to 'em upon the sneak. 1901Wide World Mag. VI. 478/1 Geronimo and his blood⁓thirsty cut-throats had ‘made a sneak’, that is, left their reservation and were on the war-path.
3. Cricket. A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter.
1851J. Pycroft Cricket Field vii. 105 Cowley..put on one Tailor Humphreys to bowl twisting underhand sneaks. 1862― Cricket Tutor 52 Sneaks jump about and twist with the ground. 1886― Oxford Mem. II. 93 Once, when good bowling was unsuccessful, they put in Tailor Humphreys to bowl twisting sneaks. 1899Lubbock Mem. Eton xviii. 278 A long hop to leg would have been a more suitable ball than a straight sneak.
4. slang. A soft-soled, noiseless slipper or shoe.
1862Female Life in Prison I. xvii. 211 The night⁓officer is generally accustomed to wear a species of India⁓rubber shoes or goloshes on her feet. These are termed ‘sneaks’ by the women [of Brixton Prison]. 1883Greenwood Strange Company (ed. 2) 321 ‘Sneaks’..are shoes with canvas tops and indiarubber soles. 1904A. Griffiths 50 Yrs. Public Service xiv. 204 His footsteps were..deadened by the ‘sneaks’, or cloth slippers, worn to conceal his whereabouts.
5. U.S. colloq. = sneak preview s.v. sneak- a.
1941B. Schulberg What makes Sammy Run? iv. 60 We'll know better after the sneak... And..when we see whether Mr. and Mrs. Public buy tickets. 1967Boston Globe 5 Apr. 57/1 (heading) Sneaks slated at music hall. 1978E. Tidyman Table Stakes ii. vi. 265 The studio agreed to give the production three previews... The first ‘sneak’..took place at a small theater in Redlands.
Add:[1.] c. colloq. A tell-tale, an informer.
1886H. Baumann Londinismen p. v, Are smashers and divers And noble contrivers Not sold to the beaks By the coppers an' sneaks? 1915W. S. Maugham Of Human Bondage xxi. 86 ‘It would serve you right if I told him,’ said Mr. Carey. ‘If you like to be a perfect sneak you can.’ 1934Ld. Berners First Childhood iii. 33 She was a spoil-sport and a sneak. 1959I. & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolch. x. 189 One who blabs to a teacher or to a senior is a..‘rotten sneak’. 1989Independent (Mag.) 11 Feb. 22/1 It started with a tip-off... The Sun was told by one of its regular sneaks, paid on a story-by-story basis that [etc.].
[2.] Restrict Cant to sense a. [b.] Substitute for def: A stealthy movement; a sneaking departure or expedition. quarterback sneak: see quarterback n. 3. slang (chiefly U.S.). (Later examples.)
1904‘O. Henry’ Cabbages & Kings xvii. 303 Well, we three made a sneak around the edge of town so as not to be seen. 1930Liberty 11 Oct. 30/3 Rube copped a sneak on the joint to find out if it was ready. In twenty minutes he gives us the O.K. 1936Wodehouse Laughing Gas iv. 51 She had said something about her chances of doing a quiet sneak to bed at a fairly early hour.
▪ II. sneak, v.|sniːk|
Also 6 sneke, 7 sneek, sneake. pa. tense and pple. also (orig. and chiefly U.S.) snuck.
[Of doubtful origin: the form does not agree with that of early ME. snīken, OE. snícan to creep, crawl (cf. ON. sníkja, Norw. snikja, Da. snige, in senses similar to ‘sneak’), and the historical gap is very great. The stem sneak- appears a little earlier in sneakishly a. and adv.]
I. intr.
1. To move, go, walk, etc., in a stealthy or slinking manner; to creep or steal furtively, as if ashamed or afraid to be seen; to slink, skulk:
a. With advs., as away, down, in, off, out, etc.
1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iv. iii. 58 A poore vnminded Out⁓law, sneaking home. 1604Dekker Honest Wh. Wks. 1873 II. 138, I hope he will not sneake away with all the money. 1625B. Jonson Staple of N. ii. iv, Where's Madrigall? Is he sneek'd hence? 1709Steele Tatler No. 9 ⁋3 Miss having heard enough, sneaks off for Fear of Discovery. 1740–2Richardson Pamela (1824) I. xix. 31 [The cook] was hot with her work; and I sneaked away. 1844Dickens Mart. Chuz. xlvii, To avoid people, and sneak on unobserved. 1877Black Green Past. i, The two women were sneaking off by themselves. 1887Lantern (New Orleans) 17 Dec. 3/3 He grubbed ten dollars from de bums an den snuck home. 1932J. T. Farrell Young Lonigan ii. 55 They had all snuck in and were having a good time, making trouble. 1969Oz May 3/1 It was sticking out of a dustbin—the mag I mean..so I snuck off to the park and had a good old read. 1976S. Brett So Much Blood xvi. 191 At the interval Charles and Frances snuck out to the pub. 1979Vassar Q. Summer 17/3, I have come around the back way and snuck up, as we say in Nebraska, on my subject.
fig. and transf.1643Wither Campo-Musæ 72 That Delusion Which had so hotly charg'd me, sneaked thence. a1661Fuller Worthies, Sussex iii. 96 When the Sun ariseth the Moon sneaketh down obscurely. 1857S. Osborn Quedah xii. 159 Towards dusk a small canoe sneaked out, under the plea of fishing.
b. With preps., as about, after, from, into, etc.
1599Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 171 To her vnguarded Nest, the Weazell (Scot) Comes sneaking. 1607Fletcher Woman Hater v. iv, There are they still poor rogues,..sneaking after cheeses. 1609Rowlands Dr. Merrie-man (Hunterian Cl.) 20 The Rusticke..softly sneaking out of doores, About his message goes. 1714Pope Let. to Caryll 25 Sept., I have..sneaked along the walks with that astonished and diffident air [etc.]. 1749Smollett Gil Blas i. xiii, But I made no reply, and very wisely condescended to sneak into the straw. 1825T. Hook Sayings Ser. ii. Man of Many Fr. II. 51 They..sneaked from my door with every mark of..servile cowardice. 1835Sir J. Ross Narr. 2nd Voy. ii. 22 Appearing disorderly and dirty, as they..sneaked about the ship. 1879E. K. Bates Egypt. Bonds II. viii. 191 Like truant schoolboys who sneak into the busy schoolroom. 1940R. Chandler Farewell, my Lovely vi. 36, I snuck in there and grabbed it. 1958J. Kerouac On Road ii. viii. 159 Four sullen fieldworkers, snuck from their chores to brawl in drinking fields.
fig.1726De Foe Hist. Devil ii. v, Being ashamed, as well as discouraged, they sneaked out of the world as well as they could. 1838Emerson Address, Cambridge Wks. (Bohn) II. 200 Now man is ashamed of himself; he skulks and sneaks through the world. 1871Browning Balaustion 1549 To thee who livest now Through having sneaked past fate apportioned thee.
c. Without const. (Freq. used to denote want of courage, independence, or straightforwardness, without reference to place or movement.)
1665Boyle Occas. Refl. (1848) 358 As these Russians could not take a better way than that of not sneaking, to avoid the having their Rites and Persons undervalu'd. 1682N. O. Boileau's Lutrin ii. 184 For he..scorn'd to stand, and sneak with hands in Pocket. 1699Bentley Phalaris xi. 266 He sneak'd like a Cock, that hangs down his wings when he's beaten. 1732Pope Ep. Cobham 154 Tom struts a Soldier,..Will sneaks a Scriv'ner, an exceeding knave. 1779Johnson L.P., Pope, Pope was reduced to sneak and shuffle, sometimes to deny, and sometimes to apologize. 1845Nonconformist V. 133 Law..may allow..them to sneak—but law cannot wipe away the reproach of sneaking. 1861Geo. Eliot Silas M. ix, If you know where he's sneaking..you may tell him to spare himself the journey o' coming back home.
fig.1633G. Herbert Temple, Ch. Militant 121 Thus Sinne in Egypt sneaked for a while. 1692Vindication 15 Vice..always sneaks when bravely born up to. 1765Beattie Judgm. of Paris cii, Coward Office..sneaks secure in insolence of state. 1821Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 83 How blest she'd been,..If, ere want sneak'd for grudg'd support from pride [etc.].
d. U.S. colloq. To make off quietly.
1896G. Ade Artie 7 I'd a' sneaked early in the game. 1901Scribner's Mag. Apr. 409/1 When you get over the fence,..yell fire till the crowd comes, then sneak.
2. To cringe or be servile to (a person, etc.).
c1660South Serm. (1715) I. 32, I need salute no great Man's Threshold, sneak to none of his Friends or Servants. a1704T. Brown Oxford Scholars Wks. 1730 I. 10 Pitiful curates and chaplains, that must sneak to the groom and butler. 1796Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 383 We sneak to the regicides, but we boldly trample on our poor fellow-citizens. 1873Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country iv. 257 Why else to me..Sneak, cap in hand, now bribe me to forsake My maimed Léonce, now bully, cap on head.
transf.1707Hearne Collect. 30 Sept., Our Bishops sneak to the old Cause.
3. School slang. To peach, inform, tell tales.
1897Daily News 3 June 7/2 Sneaking, in the ethics of public school boys, is the unpardonable sin. 1902Spectator July 46/2 The boys..usually prefer to suffer rather than ‘sneak’ of one of their companions.
II. trans.
4. To turn or draw aside, to put or thrust in or into, to move or slide to, etc., in a stealthy manner.
1648J. Beaumont Psyche i. xlvii, Stout Trees..From this dire Breath sneak'd their faint heads aside. 1684Otway Atheist iii. i, Sneak what Ready-mony thou hast into my Hand. 1754Connoisseur No. 32 ⁋3, I see a man every minute stealing out a dirty muckender, then sneaking it in again. 1889Macm. Mag. Aug. 253/1, I lay stirless, softly sneaking my right hand to the pistol. 1892Gunter Miss Dividends (1893) 275 When Lawrence's name comes up for membership, he sneaks in a black-ball, as many another prig..has done before. 1968J. M. Ullman Lady on Fire (1969) xii. 160 You've got a new lead. Maybe something the sister told you after you snuck her out of that hotel. 1971D. E. Westlake I gave at Office (1972) 12 There was some suspicion that a couple of guests had snuck friends in. 1979R. Jaffe Class Reunion i. vii. 69 He wanted to sneak her into his room.
refl.1680Advice to Soldier ii. in Harl. Misc. (1753) I. 467, I have seen some of those Gallants..in the Middle of a Sea-fight,..sneak themselves behind the Main-mast.
b. To keep out of sight; to hide. rare—1.
1701Wake Ration. 222 (Todd), Some sins dare the world in open defiance, yet this [sc. slander] lurks, and sneaks its head.
c. To pass through in an underhand or stealthy manner.
1891Daily News 29 Jan. 2/4 Mr. Stephens..objected.. to this cruel and unjust Bill being ‘sneaked’ through Parliament. 1896Voice (N.Y.) 5 Mar. 2/4 A most important measure is being sneaked through the general assembly.
†5. To do or act (one's part) in a sneaking or cringing manner. Obs.—1
1649G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. V, ccxcii, Something hidden lifts the Thought To Noble Actions, when they heare 'em told, And Hee who Sneaks his part, will praise 'em bold.
6. a. Cant. (See quot.)
1812J. H. Vaux Flash Dict. s.v., To sneak a place is to rob it upon the sneak. Ibid., One or more persons having escaped from their confinement by stealth, without..alarming their keepers, are said to have sneak'd 'em.
b. colloq. To steal in a sneaking or stealthy manner; to filch; to take or partake of surreptitiously.
1883Daily News 14 Sept. 3/7 The various kinds of people who visit public libraries for other than legitimate purposes, such as..those who sneaked umbrellas, and those who stole books. 1889Jerome Three Men in Boat ix. 142 Somebody must have sneaked it, and run off with it. 1900Dialect Notes II. 61 Sneak, to appropriate. 1921E. O'Neill Emperor Jones i. 160 When I sleeps, dey sneaks a sleep, too, and I pretends I never suspicions it. a1953― More Stately Mansions (1964) ii. iii. 136 Each sneaks a suspicious, probing glance at the other. 1955J. H. O'Hara Ten North Frederick (1956) 34, I can sneak us another drink. 1956M. Duggan Immanuel's Land 107 The conductor stood on the bucking platform, sneaking a cigarette. 1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 6/2 If they did have these smoking areas..the students wouldn't have to sneak a smoke in the washroom. 1978J. Irving World according to Garp ii. 30 He was happy to run errands for the patients, deliver messages, sneak food. |
