# Snipe Hunting **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2000, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711 "2000-04-18T08:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711/21 "2000-04-19T07:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Revtim: > \*\*When I was in college I was working as a stockboy in a supermarket, and we had our own versions: > > 1. “Go unlock the parking lot.” Throw the shmoe a keyring with fifteen thousand keys. (there was nothing to unlock) > > 2. “Go into the meat dep’t and get a bucket of cold steam.” > > 3. “I need you to shake up the salad dressings.”\*\* Ahhhhh yes. Good old tormenting of the newbies. I also like to tell them to get a twelve pound cornish game hen and then watch them dig through the cooler. But you just can’t beat the comedic quality of the classic, the-district-manager-is-coming-and-you-need-to-make-sure-that-none-of-the-salad-dressings-settle. _WHAT?_ You think that we care about your groceries? ---
**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711/22 "2000-04-19T16:35:00Z")
I have heard (on the History Channel, a.k.a. “The Hitler Channel”) that the origin of the term “sniper” is one who could manage to shoot a snipe, from the days of flintlock guns. The guns were not necessarily all that accurate and snipes are small and very wary targets. Sniping, being a sniper, or snipe hunting was therefore something difficult to do that takes a great deal of stealth, skill, and practice. I would imagine that the current version of the snipe hunt descends from sending some greenhorn shooter out to go shoot and bring back a snipe. If they succeed, great; if not, at least you’re keeping them usefully busy for a while. ---
**Author:** ![VATech22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/df788c/32.png) [@VATech22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VATech22)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711/23 "2000-04-19T20:27:00Z")
Good Info JC, never even thought of that possibility before. I may look into that. ---
**Author:** ![InutilisVisEst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d2c977/32.png) [@InutilisVisEst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InutilisVisEst)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711/24 "2000-04-19T20:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Dragwyr: > _snip_ > \*\*and my personal favorite: > > - Looking for a “Left-handed Smoke Bender” > \*\* We called it a “Left-handed Smoke Shifter,” since the alliteration sounded neat. My Scoutmaster went ahead and built one (it was convertible to right- or left-handed) so he could watch the pranksters’ (usually other Scoutmasters) reactions when the Tenderfoot came back with it. Webster’s gives the same Scandinavian root for both the bird and the occupation, so History may have gotten it right on. * * * I lead a boring life of relative unimportance. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711/25 "2000-04-19T23:38:00Z")
DVous Means, Problem is, they make metric adjustable cresents now. (The metric is how wide they open and how long the handle is.) Back when I was in college and sold paint, used to call up the newbies and ask if the store had any extra cans of Gangrene premixed. * * * \>\>Being Chaotic Evil means never having to say your sorry…unless the other guy is bigger than you.\<\< —The dragon observes ---
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711/26 "2000-04-20T04:47:00Z")
I’m transferring to Vtech next summer to complete a C.S. degree. I’ll probably be spending more time copulating with the female student body than eating birds. 😉 * * * Two wrongs do not make a right…but three lefts do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snipe-hunting/10711.md?page=1)