Richard Snary

English

Etymology

A pun involving the name Dick (short for Richard) and the Early Modern English pronunciation of dictionary as /ˈdɪksnæːrɪ/, /ˈdɪksnɛːrɪ/ (see dixnary, dixery).

Noun

Richard Snary (plural Richard Snaries)

1. (rhyming slang, humorous, archaic) A dictionary.
   • 1627, William Hawkins, Apollo Shroving, Composed for the Schollars of the Free-schoole of Hadleigh in Suffolke:

     Talke not to me of Dick snary, nor Richard-snary; I care not how little I come neare them.

   • 1796, Francis Grose, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:

     A country lad, having been reproved for calling persons by their Christian names, being sent by his master to borrow a dictionary, thought to show his breeding by asking for a Richard Snary.

   • 1929, Dashiell Hammett, Red Harvest:

     I still didn’t see anything in it but the meaningless sort of humor that used to make richardsnary the thieves’ word for dictionary.