Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms number 294. The idiom today is to make it snappy. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If you tell someone to make it snappy, you are telling him or her to do it quickly, very quickly. Perhaps because it is urgent. Or this phrase is often used as an imperative. Remember as an imperative means when you order someone to do it. Yeah. Come on. Make it snappy. Don't fool around. Do that right away. So we say make it snappy. All right. Let's continue. The origin of snap seems to come from Dutch or German meaning to bite or seize. All right. Remember even today we still use the word to snap. Like a dog could snap at someone like trying to take a bite or seize is another thing that we usually do quickly. We try to take something quickly. All right. So let's continue. Snap as a noun could also mean a breaking or cracking sound. We also have the phrase to snap ones fingers. So some think it may have come from that. Like to you know, (snapping finger sounds) snap your fingers like that. Yeah. In the past we often associate snapping ones fingers with you know, to get attention and order someone to do something. So therefore some people think the origin of this phrase may have come from that idea. Like you know, somebody snapped for like a waiter or somebody's snap somebody to do something. So maybe the idea of make it snappy might have come from that idea of snapping your finger or the noise ordering someone to do something. Something quickly. So well all them combined could have somehow formed in to make it snappy. Anyway, let's give a couple of examples of how we use it. Run down to the store and buy some photocopy paper. Don't fool around and look at other things. Make it snappy. We need to get those reports out right away. All right. So don't fool around. Come on. Get back here with that paper. We got to send this out immediately. Make it snappy. Or number two here. The boss wants you to run to Starbucks and get his favorite coffee. You had better make it snappy. He hates to wait. Okay. Anyway I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.
B1 US snappy snap snapping quickly fool imperative English Tutor Nick P Idioms (294) Make It Snappy 10 0 anitawu12 posted on 2020/01/16 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary