Cocking a Sn00k(s)

Started by Blunt, April 05, 2011, 01:45:17 PM

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Blunt

April 05, 2011, 01:45:17 PM
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Cock a snook

 
 Meaning

 A derisive gesture.
 Origin

 
In  trying to explain the origin of 'Cock a snook' it would be helpful to  know what a snook is. Unfortunately we don't really.
There is a species  of fish called snook, but it isn't that, unless there's a form of  derisive gesture that I've had too sheltered an upbringing to be aware  of.
A snook is also a promontory of jutting out land. That could have  something to do with the gesture as it does involve sticking fingers  out.
Apart from this single phrase, snook isn't a word you would expect  to hear very often. It is sometimes reported to be derived from snout,  as in thumbing one's nose.
That's possible but, although snout and snook  are somewhat similar, why didn't they just 'cock a snout'. That term  doesn't appear to be recorded.
 The general understanding of what's meant by  'cock a snook' is the spread hand with thumb on the nose, preferably  with crossed eyes, waggling fingers and any other annoying gesticulation  that comes to mind at the time.
 It's what the Americans call 'the  five-fingered salute'.
 The use of cock is also difficult to explain.  Again it might refer to the sticking out and turning up of the fingers.  That would be in line with the term cocked-hat in which the brim is  turned up jauntily.
It could also be a reference to the shape of a  cock's comb, which is rather like the shape of the gesture. It took some  time for the gesture as we now know it to be established

But enough of that, time to congratulate the latest Black-Ops badgee...

Sn00ks
:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
Regards
Blunt

People who blow things out of proportion are worse than Hitler.

BrotherTobious

#1
April 05, 2011, 01:52:23 PM
Wow I am so mixed with learning and wanting to congratulate.  Well done Snooks :)
"It's hard, but not as hard as Arma!!!" Tutonic
"Over the centuries, mankind has tried many ways of combating the forces of evil... prayer, fasting, good works and so on. Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun. Eat leaden death, demon.." Terry Pratchett

Tutonic

#2
April 05, 2011, 02:21:25 PM
I always thought a Snook was a man who wore impossibly loud trousers.

Congrats on the badge fella :)
Hero of the Battle Of Chalkeia
"Don\'t worry, none of this blood is mine"


Toxteth

#3
April 05, 2011, 02:23:36 PM
I always thought Snooki wanted smoosh smoosh?

[video=youtube;32xfwUUUUm8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32xfwUUUUm8[/video]

T-Bag

#4
April 05, 2011, 02:51:44 PM
Well done.
Juggling Hard Disks over concrete floors ends in tears 5% of the time.

Penfold

#5
April 05, 2011, 03:02:57 PM
Nicely done Sn00kums

DuVeL

#6
April 05, 2011, 04:26:02 PM
Nicely done sn00ks!
Survivor of LAN V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII, XIV, XVI, XVIII, XX, XXIV, XXX, XXXII, XXXIV and XXXVI so far...
[QUOTE]Lionheart; Grolsch to DuVeL is like spinache to Popeye [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Cheesepuff...A cyborg is sent from the future on a deadly mission. He has to kill Ninja_Freak, a young Man whose life will have a great significance in years to come.Ninja has only one protector - DuVeL - also sent from the future. The Terminator uses his exceptional intelligence and strength to find Ninja_Freak & attempt to terminate him.
[/QUOTE]

Icarus

#7
April 05, 2011, 10:50:02 PM
wp snookems
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