snitty

adjective snit·ty \ ˈsni-tē \

Editor's Note: snitty Has a Mysterious History

Definition of snitty

snittier; snittiest

: disagreeably ill-tempered

snitty was our Word of the Day on 01/19/2011. Hear the podcast!

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snitty Has a Mysterious History

Those of Germanic descent might know the word snit as a noun meaning "an apple slice," but this doesn't help etymologists much. In fact, it just gets them into a "snit" (a "state of agitation"). No matter how they slice and dice the word snitty, they can't get to its core. All we know is that "snit" was being used as early as 1939 and "snitty" appeared some 40 years later, and that both words are mainly used in the United States.

First Known Use of snitty

1978

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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