Snickersnee. While this word sounds like something funny or possibly cute, it is actually referring to a long, dangerous knife. It was first used in reference to cut-and-thrust fighting in the 1700s and is still occasionally used when referencing the knife, though it is becoming more and more obsolete.
\SNIK-er-snee\
noun
1. a knife, especially one used as a weapon.
Quotes
The commander of the sloop was hurrying about and giving a world of orders, which were not very strictly attended to, one man being busy in lighting his pipe, and another in sharpening his snicker-snee.
— Washington Irving, Bracebridge Hall, 1882
Origin
Snickersnee came to English in the late 1600s from the Dutch steken meaning “to stick” and snijden meaning “to cut.”
The only photo I can find that even remotely matches this word is from Nepal. The women in Nepal were really the toughest I have seen around the world. You meet a Nepali woman on a hike and their look alone is compelling.
You pass them and realize what they are holding behind their back.
“blessed be
she
who is
both
furious
and
magnificent”
―
No way we could pass without a closeup. Though it is not long.. it is as dangerous as it looks and as you can imagine.
I seized him by his little pig-tail,
And on his knees fell he,
As he squirmed and struggled,
And gurgled and guggled,
I drew my snickersnee!W. S. Gilbert
dangerous: words; brave; bohotea; ron; ennenbach; Lorne; lotte