# Have you used snigger in conversation?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-used-snigger-in-conversation/560431
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 12, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-used-snigger-in-conversation/560431 "2010-11-12T15:08:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 3

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### Author: ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)
#### Post date: [November 17, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-used-snigger-in-conversation/560431/41 "2010-11-17T02:55:10Z")

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> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#):
>
> It is useful as it describes a specific type of laughter (Scooby-do “sniggers”) and other words like “snicker” don’t work (Mutley “snickers”).

I’m not quite sure from your phrasing if we’re actually disagreeing, but… I’d argue that Muttley’s laugh is just about the perfect demonstration of sniggering… a sort of contemptuous snorting giggle that would accompany the latest spectacular failure of Dastardly’s foolproof plan. (And that Scooby’s laugh is more of a snicker… just because Scooby is nicer). 😛

NZ English is heavily UK based but with a strong US influence (pretty much post-WWII) from the entertainment industry… snigger seems completely normal and harmless to me (with no other connections or overtones). Snicker is less common (other than for the Mars company’s peanut-stuffed novelty bar) but it wouldn’t seem out of place.

That said, if I saw “snicker” without the context of a laugh I’d probably say it was a reference to a swishing, cutting sound, as in: “The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!”

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