HOOKUM-SNIVEY also HOOK AND SNIVEY, HOOK AND SNIVVY, HOOK 'EM SNIVEY, HOOKEM SNIVEY ADJ. deceitful, tricky, sly ...1892 Eng. dial. & sl. NOUN 1. an imposture or deceit ...1781 Eng. dial. & sl. (for the criminal trick, see the EXAMPLE below) 2. a contrivance for undoing the bolt of a door from the outside ...1802 ETYMOLOGY probably from hook (n. a length of metal or other material adapted for catching hold, sustaining suspended objects, or the like), or from hook (vb.) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1781 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...This practice is executed by three men and a dog; one of the men counterfeits sickness, and has a white handkerchief tied round his head, or wears a nightcap. They go into an ale-house, and are shown a room: having hid the dog under the table, they ring the bell and call for a pot of beer, and desire to know of the landlord if he has got any cold meat in the house, and what two of them must give a-piece to dine, as the third man is very ill? He leans his head against the mantel-piece, keeps groaning and sighing, and says he can't eat a mouthful if the whole world were given to him. This trick had once been attempted on a landlord, who was a man of the world and up to their gossip. He informed them that he should charge them only sixpence a-head, and sent them in part of a cold round of beef; He watched them, and saw them give the counterfeit sick man above a pound of beef, and another to the Buffer under the table. When they called to know what was to pay, he told them two shillings for eating, for he would be paid a sye-buck a-piece, and would stand no hook and snivey, or Nix the Buffer....." (sye-buck = a sixpence) From: A View of Society and Manners in High and Low Life, Being the Adventures of G. Parker - George Parker
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