snook

snook¹ (SNOOK) - n., any bass-like fish of the genus Centropomus, esp. C. undecimalis, of warm Atlantic waters, valued as food and game; any of several similarly shaped ray-finned fishes, including pikes, perches, mackerels, and barracudas.

snook² (SNOOK) - n., a disrespectful gesture made with the tip of a thumb on one's nose and the fingers spread, typically while wiggling the fingers.


The standard phrase for snook² is "to cock a snook." The phrase is largely British English, though the gesture's also used in North America, where many who use it don't have specific name for it. The word's origin is unknown, though it's possibly related to snoot or snout, and dictionaries record its first usage anywhere from the 1790s to the 1870s. That darn slang, always riding under the radar. As for snook¹, C. undecimalis, often specifically the common snook, is also called sergeant fish or robalo -- its name dates to the 1690s, from Dutch snoek, meaning both snook and pike. Regardless of which one you mean, snook is just a fun word to say.

The so-called common snook:


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The more commonly seen snook:


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Snooks to you!

---L.