Snoop Came From Dutch and Meant Eating Sweets Secretly
To snoop is to investigate secretly. The Dutch verb behind it described children sneaking sweets.
To snoop is to investigate or pry into other people's affairs secretly. The Dutch source is oddly specific: *snoepen* means to eat sweets or delicacies on the sly, especially as a child sneaking treats. American English took it in the 1830s, through Dutch settlement in New York, and generalised the sneaking part while dropping the sweets. *Snooper* and the informal *snoop* for a private detective followed later.
- To pry secretly. *Snooping around.*
- A snooper. *A nosy snooper.*
- A detective (informal). *A private snoop.*
- Dutch — *snoepen*, to eat sweets on the sly. *The source.*
- American English — from the 1830s. *New York Dutch.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | snoop | Snoop around. |
| Past | snooped | Snooped. |
| Noun | snoop | A snoop. |
| Agent | snooper | A snooper. |
| Dutch | snoepen | To sneak sweets. |
- Someone had been snooping in the files.Prying.
- Snoepen means sneaking sweets.Etymology.
- He hired a private snoop.Informal.
Dutch words in American English
- Snoop — from *snoepen*
- Cookie — from *koekje*, a little cake
- Boss — from *baas*, a master
- Stoop — from *stoep*, a front step
- Coleslaw — from *koolsla*, cabbage salad
Dutch *snoepen*, to eat sweets or delicacies secretly, adopted into American English in the 1830s.
What did snoepen mean?
To eat sweets or treats on the sly, especially as a child sneaking them. English kept the sneaking and dropped the sweets.
Why are there Dutch words in American English?
From the Dutch settlement of New Netherland, centred on what became New York, which left a lasting layer in local vocabulary.