Richard Snary

English Etymology A pun involving the name en Dick (short for en Richard) and the Early Modern English pronunciation of en dictionary as /ˈdɪksnæːrɪ/ /ˈdɪksnɛːrɪ/ (see en dixnary, en dixery). Noun en rhyming slang humorous archaic A dictionary. en 1627 William Hawkins Apollo Shroving, Composed for the Schollars of the Free-schoole of Hadleigh in Suffolke Talke not to me of Dick snary, nor Richard-snary; I care not how little I come neare them. en 1796 Francis Grose A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue A country lad, having been reproved for calling persons by their Christian names, being sent by his master to borrow a dictionary, thought to show his breeding by asking for a Richard Snary. I still didn’t see anything in it but the meaningless sort of humor that used to make richardsnary the thieves’ word for dictionary. en Dictionaries