snipe

a kind of bird – wading (water) song bird – related to the ‘woodcocks’ – medium-sized stocky with brown upper side with dark (or buff) stripes and dark streaks on the chest, and pale under side, round head with a very long pointed beak (bill), pointed wings, short legs, males with longer tails; size: 9-12 inches, and weight: 150-300 grams (female larger than male); feeds on water insects and insect larvae, worms, small soft bodied shellfish (mollusc), and seeds of  water plants; lives for (varies widely) minimum 2 years to maximum 16 years; 15-20 species, found world-wide

male ~~ cock

female ~~ hen

baby ~~ chick

group ~~ wisp; walk

voice (call) ~~ {no particular name} ‘trill-like’ sound

home ~~  nest

Special Features:

The snipe is considered a challenging game bird because they hide so well in the undergrowth that it is difficult to spot them.  In fact it gets its name from the difficulty in hunting it.

sniper

[The word ‘snipe’ means ‘a shot fired from a hidden place; and ‘sniper’ is the person who fires the shot’!]

The common snipe drinks a lot of water, and, like an owl, spits out the pellets (= the undigested parts of the prey – hair, bones, shell, etc.)!

Figures of Speech:

1.

snipe (noun)  =

(a)  a lawyer, advocate

(b)  a gunshot fired from a hidden place

2.

to snipe (verb)  =

(a)  to shoot somebody from a well-hidden place

(b)  to shoot exactly at a given target

(c)  to make harsh or insulting remarks, comments or attacks at somebody

3.

snipe hunt  =

(a)  {also known as ‘fool’s errand’} a practical joke the seniors or older people play on the juniors or younger people by giving impossible or imaginary tasks or jobs

(b)  a practical joke in which an innocent but enthusiastic person is made fun of by others by taking him/her to the lonely field, mostly at night, and making them wait there for ever until a snipe bird appears [but the snipe never appears]

4.

mire-snipe (common snipe)  =  a hard-featured person

5.

guttersnipe =  a dirty child who plays in filth, and often gets into troubles with others or the law

6.

enough to sicken a snipe

7.

to catch (or meet with) a mire-snipe  =  to meet with an accident

[Return to "guttersnipe" in People & Professions.]

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