snap

The word "snap" can be a verb, an adjective, or a noun when describing a sharp clicking sound or when describing an activity that is easy.

You can snap your fingers by placing your middle finger or your ring finger against your thumb and then releasing the finger so that it strikes against your palm. A sound is produced. (listen)

• The musicians snapped their fingers as they kept time to the music.
• The teacher snapped his fingers to get everyone’s attention.
• It’s rude to snap your fingers at a worker in a restaurant or a hotel, but some people do it anyway.
• The person demonstrating the machine snapped her fingers to indicate that it was easy to operate.

Buttons on a shirt or a pair of pants make a snapping sound when they are pushed together:

• Roberto snapped the buttons on his shirt.
• Elisa snapped together the buttons on her pants.
• Mittens are often snapped onto a child’s winter coat so that they don’t get lost.
• Buttons that snap are sometimes referred to as "snaps." His coat has snaps. Her shirt has snaps.

Toys and other items that customers need to assemble at home can be snapped together.

• Johnny snapped the Legos together to build a tower.
• The model plane didn’t require any glue. It just snapped together.
• We bought a table at Ikea that we snapped together quickly and easily.

When something is simple, easy, or fast, we use the word "snap" as an adjective:

• It’s a snap. (It’s easy.)
• That’s a snap.
• This will be a snap.

This word is also used as a noun when describing cold weather:

• We had a cold snap last week. (It got cold last week.)
• The cold snap lasted for about three days. The temperatures went below zero and stayed there.

The word "snappy" is also an adjective:

• Come on, make it snappy. (Hurry up.)
• He’s a snappy dresser. (He wears nice clothes.)
• The snappy dialogue in the movie made everyone laugh. (snappy = quick and witty)

The word "snap" is used in some expressions and slang:

• Snap to it. (Wake up. Prepare yourself.)
• She snapped at her mother. (She said something in anger.)
• The guy just snapped under pressure. (He went crazy.)
• I’m going to snap you in two. (I’m going to hurt you.)
• The quarterback dropped the ball after the snap. (snap = a football is given to the quarterback to begin action on the field.)

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September 19, 2013