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  • 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.

Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms number 294. The idiom today is to make it

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