subs. (old).—1. A miser; a curmudgeon. Hence as adj. (SNUDGE-LIKE, or SNUDGING) = miserly, mean, crabby; as verb. = to grasp, to screw; SNUDGERY = meanness.
1531–47. COPLAND, The Hye-way to the Spyttel-hous. Scrapynge and SNUDGYNGE without ony cease.
1544. ASCHAM, Toxophilus, i. Your husbandry … is more like the life of a covetous SNUDGE that ofte very evill proves.
1553. T. WILSON, The Arte of Rhetorique. SNUDGYNGE wittely rebuked … she beeyng greved charged hym … that he should saie she was such a pinchpeny as would sell her olde showes for mony.
1562. LEWICKE, Titus and Gisippus.
| Oh Lord, thought he, what man wold judge | |
| Titus to have been such a SNUDGE. |
1577. T. KENDALL, Flowers of Epigrammes, 9.
| Perchaunce thou deemst me in thy minde, | |
| Therefore a sneek bill, SNUDGE vnkinde. |
1579. T. NORTH, Grecians and Romanes, 135.
| This bribing wretch was forced for to holde | |
| A tippling boothe, most like a clowne or SNUCHE. |
1581. HAKLUYT, Voyages, I. 240. They may not say, as some SNUDGES in England say, I would find the Queene a man to serue in my place.
1587. HOLINSHED, Description of Ireland, iii. SNUDGING peniefathers would take him vp verie roughlie.
1597. W. WESTERMAN, Verses prefixed to J. GERARD, The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. Of hir faire flowring brats she [Mother Earth] is no SNUDGE.
1599. NASHE, Lenten Stuffe [Harleian Miscellany, VI. 147]. Their miserable SNUDGERY.
1600. DEKKER, Old Fortunatus [Old English Plays (1814), iii. 124]. Shad. SNUDGES may well be called jailers: for if a poor wretch steal but into a debt of ten pounds, they lead him straight to execution.
1602. J. COOKE, How a Man may Choose a Good Wife from a Bad, iii., 3 [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, ix. 66]. Hugh. My master … is such an old SNUDGE, he’ll not lose the droppings of his nose.
1694. MOTTEUX, Rabelais, V. xvi. We find that the filthy SNUDGE is yet more mischievous and ignorant than these ignorant wretches here.
2. (old).—A thief concealing himself under a bed (B. E. and GROSE).
