Word of the Day: Snickersnee

     snickersnee (plural snikcersnees) A large sword-like knife, especially one used as a weapon. (archaic) A knife fight.Etymology An alteration of snick or snee




Apparently, it's a word that had been common in Victorian Britain. William Makepeace Thackerary used in Burlesques:

"Otto, indeed, had convulsively grasped his snickersnee, with intent to plunge it into the heart of Rowski…"  

I found snickersnee thanks to an iPhone app, Vocabology. Unfortunately, it's too archaic to be much use, unless I ever decide to write a period piece. (Not bloody likely.) I admire writers who pen period fiction - the amount of research needed to be done is mind-boggling in itself. Then you get the language just right; it needs to sound right for the time, but has to be clear and easily readable for a contemporary audience.

I recently read Willing Flesh by J.S. Scott. It's a Victorian m/m mystery, in which Inspector Philemon Raft and Constable Freddie Crook chase a killer on the loose in post-Jack-the-Ripper London. I not only had a damn good time reading it but also learned a slew of archaic words, like "ameliorate"(make better) and "threnody" (lament). Scott also uses some delicious terms of phrase:

"In lieu of an actual balcony, the orchestra had been installed in one corner of the ballroom and were even now gnawing their way through on of Mr. Strauss' waltzes..."

"Presently, a butler-shaped man appeared and gazed down on his long nose at Raft."  

I'm a sucker for such modest displays of humor. They're like a snickersnee straight to my funny bone.


P.S. I hate bloody LiveJournal and its bloody tendency to fuck up formatting at every bloody chance.