Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
By Barbara McAllister
Word of the Day: Sniper
The term sniper, meaning a marksman capable of shooting from a long distance, is named after a bird! A snipe is a medium-sized wading bird with short legs and a long straight bill. It looks similar to a woodcock and is hunted as a game bird. Its meat is said to taste somewhat like dove, but stronger, which is less than useful information for those of us who have no idea what dove tastes like. A snipe is considered one of the hardest types of game to shoot. Its size, flight speed and nervous disposition make them difficult to get close to and so must usually be shot from a distance.
In the 1770s a “sniper” was someone, literally, who shot snipe, and the term is said to have originated by the British in India to describe a hunter skilled enough to shoot the elusive bird. Today, a sniper is a highly skilled marksman in the military or law enforcement with specialized skills and high-precision weapons.
Although it is a real bird, a common practical joke known as a “snipe hunt” is still associated with summer camps and other types of outdoor camping. The victim is tricked into hunting an imaginary creature with a bag or pillowcase, alone in a dark spot. The pranksters promise to chase the snipe to the unsuspecting newcomer but instead return to camp. Eventually the poor dupe discovers he has been left “holding the bag,” another expression popularized by this hazing ritual. A snipe hunt has come to mean a fool’s errand or, in to use another bird-inspired expression, a wild-goose chase.
