By incredible coincidence, I read the Biz Markie Wikipedia page last night after seeing him mentioned in the “All time worst one hit wonders” thread in Cafe Society. The Wikipedia article credits that song with “popularizing” the expression.
Oh, so I did get it right! Next time Betsy Bloomingdale makes a sly retort to Pat Buckley at “21,” I can appropriately go, “oh, snap!!”
Here’s my take on it. First, people snapping their fingers for various reasons has been going on for awhile.
Then, Zorro came along and used his sword to slash a “Z” onto things, basically leaving his logo behind and saying “ha, take that!”
Then Zorro the Gay Blade came along and did the same thing. Don’t know who ran with it first; gay men or black women. Sometimes in pop culture the two are for practical purposes, culturally synonymous.
But both groups started making the Zorro sign in the air with a “snap, snap, snap,” as they made it. It basically meant the same thing. “Take that, Zorro was here!” Sometimes people would express their approval and appreciation of something cool and well done by giving it “three snaps” and making the Zorro “Z” in the air with three snaps.
Eventually it got shortened to a single swish and a snap.
Somewhere along the way pop urban culture started snapping to punctuate “take that,” “that’s cool,” and “yo, check it out,” meaning, “hey, pay attention. This is important.”
Snap? Hm… oh no, not Schnappi! :eek:
Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil.
Komm aus Egypten, das liegt direkt am Nil.
Zuerst lag ich in einem Ei,
dann schni-,schna-,schnappte ich mich frei
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil,
hab scharfe Z�hne, und davon ganz sch�n viel.
Ich schnapp mir was ich schnappen kann,
ja ich schnapp zu, weil ich das so gut kann.
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil,
ich schnappe gern, das ist mein Lieblingsspiel.
Ich schleich mich an die Mama ran,
und zeig ihr wie ich schnappen kann
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil,
und vom Schnappen, da krieg ich nicht zu viel.
Ich bei� dem Papi kurz ins Bein,
und dann, dann schlaf ich einfach ein.
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp (schnapp!)
Schni Schna Schnappi (ja!)
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp (schnapp!)
Schni Schna Schnappi (mhmm!)
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp (ja!)
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi (hmm) Schnappi Schnapp
I thought it was supposed to come from the MUD emote, as in “snapping your fingers.” I know people who can’t do it physically but they try… they just can’t get to make the noise. Shows how much of a nerd I am, eh?
My son says “Aw snap!” all the time when he really means “crap” or “shit.” Hmmm, wonder what that says about me? Maybe he finally fears me (muwahh ha ha haaaa).
He’s five, by the way.
Yup. Here it means what Mame wrote. It’s something you’d say when two things (events, objects, whatever) matched. Here’s Wiki on the card game. Do you not play snap elsewhere in the world?
Hi, Eve–
This is probably totally not what you’re looking for, but your question reminded me of something I read a quarter-century ago, so I thought I’d put it in here.
During the late '70s-early '80s, there were a set of horror/supernatural anthologies published by Octopus Books, Ltd. out of London that were edited by a woman named Mary Danby. I collected all that I could find, and each volume contained one short story by the editor herself.
The collection entitled “Realms of Darkness” (pub. 1985, which boasted a introduction by Christopher Lee) contained a Mary Danby story entitled “Robbie.”
Robbie was a mentally challenged (tho’ well-meaning) child of a family who struggled with his inabilities to understand normal limits in behavior. One of his quirks was to fixate on a verbal pattern and repeat it until everyone wanted to smack him shitless out of frustration, even though they knew he didn’t mean any harm.
“Had yer snap?” was one of his favorite expressions. It drove his family meganuts.
The story is at once horrific and distressingly poignant, because he never realizes what he does wrong.
Your post just reminded me of that story, which I haven’t read in 25 years. Probably not what you meant at all, but memories stick sometimes.
Just thought I’d throw it in, in case anyone’s interested.
Does “snap” have anything to do with lighting one’s cigarette, snapping one’s purse shut, and haughtily exiting stage left?
And of course one must wear a stylish little hat with a veil.
Same here, and yeah, it came from Britain originally. Heaven only knows why it’s mutated. 
I don’t think it’s a mutation as much as it is the same word having different meanings. I played snap as a kid in England and in America. The expression in America is “oh snap!” which does not mean you said/are wearing the same thing as someone else in America. If you said “snap” on its own you’re using it incorrectly. I guess our Commonwealth friends have something else going on altogether. Totally different origins, for different meanings. Sort of how y’all talk about fags and fannies, which have very different meanings over here.
This thread makes me think of a Conan sketch where he had Ghandi going “Oh snap!” in his thick accent.
It was funnier than I make it sound.
I submit to you Snaps: The Original Yo’ Momma Joke Book, first published in 1994.
I recently found myself saying, “oh, snap!” even though I never did before. I blame Joy from My Name Is Earl.