James and Snape. Was. Re: Snape and Harry again.

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 113888

> > > feklar:
> > >
> > no, that's the standard American figurative understanding
> > of "lapdog" as well.  Same for "snivel" and "snivelling," tho' I
> > think the term might be considered a bit archaic here.
> > >
> >
> > Valky,
> > Thankyou Feklar, I find the word archaic a bit amusing, though. 
I am only 30 and "Lapdog" has been in common use, > feklar
>
Feklar: 
> the archaic comment was part of the snivelling sentence, not the 
lapdog one. 

Valky:
Ahh I see, but for snivelling it is much the same for me anyway, 
although it is generally people a little older that use it this way. 
To be honest with you I didn't actually realise that snivel's 
literal meaning was remote from the definition I had been so used to 
all this time. Initially in HPFGU discussion about the pensieve it 
took for someone to point out that there *was* a literal meaning to 
me. As I said, I am only 30 and I was more accustomed to this word 
being used figuratively as well. So for me its the same story with 
snivelling, AFAIK snivelling as a figurative dissaproving adjective 
is not before the time of Sirius as a 15 yr old.


Feklar:
> OTOH, "snivelling" seems kind of old-fashioned, possibly even
> overwrought.  Ironically, in ref. to the other def. potioncat 
produced, "snivelling child" does immediately produce the image of a 
snot-faced, sniffling kid to me.  I expect sniffling and sniveling 
are closely related, but snivel has a derogatory import that sniffle 
doesn't...Ironic that Padfoot's alternate name is Snuffles, eh?
> 

Valky:
On the Irony, I did notice, and I find it quite amusing. 
Also it is intersting to me that while both have the same literal 
meanings they are entirely opposite in figurative terms, snuffles is 
endearment and snivelling is berating. Since Sirius bestowed both 
names, it appears, there seems to be some insight there into Sirius' 
veiws on snottiness. They don't seem to be so one-eyed after all.