An entanglement.
1825. There being “a pootty consid’r’ble snarl o’ gals, I guess,” the supper was bravely furnished.—John Neal, ‘Brother Jonathan,’ i. 76.
1825. In they goes, both on ’em, by gosh! plump—into a snarl o’ Mohawks camping out.—Id., i. 105.
1825. Ever seed a snarl o’ black sneks thawin’ out—in sugar time—under a pooty smart rock heap?—Id., i. 143.
1834. I must go right back to Washington and try and put things strait if I can, but I’m afraid they’ll git the Goverment in a plaguy snarl afore I git there.—C. A. Davis, ‘Letters of Jack Downing, Major,’ p. 87.
1834. Folks have been thinking a good while there was a pesky snarl of rats round the Post Office.—Vermont Free Press, June 28.
1839. There’s nothin in this wide world like wimen when a man’s got into a snarl.—Yale Lit. Mag., iv. 361 (June).
1847. You’ve got yourself into a kingdom-come snarl, if you only know’d it, without half tryin’.—Robb, ‘Streaks of Squatter Life,’ &c., p. 102 (Phila.).
a. 1848. There are snares, as well as snarls, in her dark flowing tresses.—Dow, Jun., ‘Patent Sermons,’ i. 140.
1853. You make me think of a child that is trying to make rope of a parcel of old thrums, until he gets the whole into snarls.—Brigham Young, April 6: ‘Journal of Discourses,’ i. 133.
1856. They ’d ought to have a cheaper minister, and one that had n’t such a snarl o’ young ones.—Whitcher, ‘The Widow Bedott Papers,’ No. 23.
1862. Things have ben in a kind of a dubbel and twisted snarl here lately.—Seba Smith, ‘Major Jack Downing,’ May 13.
