Snog

[Dr. Goodword]

• snog •

Pronunciation: snahg • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb, intransitive

Meaning: To hug and kiss romantically, i.e. to bill (1890s), to bill and coo (1910s), to spoon (1920s), to make whoopee, to smooch (1930s), to pet (1940s), to neck (1950s), to make out (1960-1970s), to suck face (1980-1990s).

Notes: In our definition today we listed all the US terms for hugging and kissing over the past century in (probable) chronological order: they reflect a rampant decline in sensitivity and wit as the age of practitioners dropped. Today's good British term, however, begs this service in the 21st century. Although the usual noun from this verb is snogging, how can we ignore snoggery? It is standing out there right beside snobbery—you can't miss it. And 'a snoggy embrace' is self-evident, isn't it? We can even say, "They embraced snoggily in front of everyone." This Good Word has every form we need.

In Play: I can just hear how English-speakers around the world would replace Lover's Lane with this new possibility: "Mulholland Drive is a lonely street at night, better known as Snoggers Alley to teenagers who stop there for a bit of snoggery before going home." At least we can all move away from the horrid US expression, sucking face: "Blanche Dwight almost fainted when she saw her daughter on the front porch, snogging in the arms of their next-door neighbor's son, Dewey Trite."

Word History: Let us hope that today's word is not onomatopoetic. We would prefer thinking that the noises that emerge during snoggery are universally romantic ones. However, no one really knows where this exceptionally Good Word came from except, of course, it had to pass through Scotland on its way to London. It may have arisen as a Scottish pronunciation of snug (whence snuggle), since the Scots and northern Englishmen have an expression, 'snod and snog', which means "snug and smooth". But who knows?

[jaa67]

Oh, I enjoyed this immensely—but was disappointed that 'smooch' from the 30's was left out. We used that a lot when I was a teenager in the 40's

[LukeJavan8]

Sometimes on TV shows whatever you want to call it is almost
repulsive. The noise of all the snogging has me muting the sound
until the show moves on.

[David Myer]

Yes, smooch is an important omission. But well before my time, of course.

I do like the suggestion that it might have a Scottish origin. It all reminds me of a girl I knew who had been propositioned (in the 60s) by a young Scotsman with the words "Hoo aboot a bash of the pash?"

I don't think she took up the offer.

[Dr. Goodword]

Thanks jaa67 for reminding me of the slang of the 30s. I remember smooch from the 40s, by which time it had become a risible slang word. I've added it to snog in the archive.

--RB

[Philip Hudson]

Did you ever notice that many words beginning with sn have reference to the nose? As a child I was told that Eskimos kiss by rubbing nose together. That kind of snogging just might occasion the exchange of snot.

[David Myer]

Perhaps all related to the Yiddish schnozz.

[George Kovac]

Luke Javan wrote:

Sometimes on TV shows whatever you want to call it is almost repulsive. The noise of all the snogging has me muting the sound until the show moves on.

Years ago, when my kids were young, we toured the studios at Disney World. I was fascinated by the demonstrations in the Foley lab. Until then, I did not realize how many sounds in movies and television (e.g, the ignition of an automobile, a door slamming) were entirely dubbed after filming. The give-away is often how intrusive and distracting is a sound--ice cubes clanging, the actor slurps his drink and slams the glass on the table. The demonstrations of absurdly loud kissing noises added after-the-fact were particularly amusing, revealing the effect's stark artificiality. Sometimes the audio smooch is not even in sync with the on-screen Iips. Ever since that visit, I often get the giggles when I watch a scene in which an overly enthusiastic Foley technician amped up the snogging sounds to ridiculous levels in post-production.

So Luke, don't get upset by all that noise. It's just fake mews.

[George Kovac]

Perhaps American viewers could take some comfort knowing that snogging is more blatant on British television. I read this use of “snog” today in a New Yorker article describing the British reality show “Love Island,” which apparently is raunchier, smuttier and much snoggier than its American counterparts like the Bachelor/Bachlorette “dating” shows:

For British contestants, likely weaned on the screaming matches and snogs of “Big Brother” and “The Only Way Is Essex,” the precedent is to be sassier, unbridled, more candid.

—Lou Stoppard, “The Glorious Depravity of the British ‘Love Island,” @ newyorker.com August 12, 2019

[call_copse]

I guess your sources are probably right George it seems our national viewing tastes swing that way. I'll sadly never know in reference to Love Island.

I have recently watched some of the US show Euphoria though, you seem to manage racy OK nowadays to be fair I do actually like the show mind you.

Anyhow, nice to see you commenting regularly.