Why do we call Snape "greasy git' and what other names can we call him. WAS

[lagattalucianese]

No: HPFGUIDX 144520

>
>                          ...First, I'll take your word on what 
> Snivellus means as I've never heard the word prior to HP. And I 
> don't doubt James et. al. saw Snape in the negative way you
> describe.
> 
Per the Concise Oxford Dictionary, which is the most authoritative 
thing I've got, "to snivel" means "1. intr. To run at the nose; to 
emit mucus from the nose; also to draw up mucus audibly. 2. To make s 
snuffling sound expressive of real or assumed emotion; to be in, or 
affect a tearful state. 3. trans. a. To affect in some way by 
snivelling; to address in a a snivelling manner (rare). b. To utter 
with a snivelling or sniffling sound, to shed (tears) snufflingly."

All the name really indicates is that young Snape was tearful, or 
even that he had a runny nose, reasons or reasons unknown but 
possibly the result of illness. Nowhere is it assumed that his 
emotional was faked, or even that the cause of his sniffles was 
emotion. And IMHO, it would be just like Sirius and James to pick up 
on the effect and put the worst possible spin on the cause 
(babyishness or faked emotion). These are two very vicious kids (and 
I'm not sure "vicious" is even a strong enough word for Peter; to me 
he seems downright perverted), and I think Harry's initial reaction 
to the Prank was right on the money (don't take my word for it, 
here's Canon comin' atcha--OotP, Am.Ed.): 

"What was making Harry feel so horrified and unhappy was not being 
shouted at or having jars thrown at him--it was that he knew how it 
felt to be humiliated in the middle of a circle of onlookers, knew 
exactly how Snape had felt as his father had taunted him, and that 
judging from what he had just seen, his father had been every bit as 
arrogant as Snape had always told him." (p. 650)

"Harry tried to make a case for Snape having deserved what he had 
suffered at James's hands--but hadn't Lily asked, 'What's he done to 
you?' And hadn't James replied, 'It's more the fact that he *exists*, 
if you know what I mean?' Hadn't James started it all simply because 
Sirius said he was bored? Harry remembered Lupin saying back in 
Grimmauld Place that Dumbledore had made him prefect in the hope that 
he would be able to exercise some control over James and Sirius.... 
But in the Pensieve, he had sat there and let it all happen....

"Harry reminded himself that Lily had intervened; his mother had been 
decent,yet the memory of the look on her face asshe had shouted at 
James disturbed him quite as much as anything else. She had clearly 
loathed James and Harry simply could not understand how they could 
have ended up married. Once or twice he even wondered whether James 
had forced her into it...." (p.653)

"...he even wondered whether James had forced her into it...." Now 
*there's* an interesting rag for us to chew. (Unless it's been chewed 
to death already before my time, which wouldn't surprise me a bit.) 

I still say that anybody who misses the sexual implications of the 
Prank has been spending their life under a rock.

Finally, interesting insight into how Voldemort's mind works: I 
wonder how Snape likes having little Peter Pervert dodging his 
footsteps around Spinner's end, listening at doors and peeking 
through keyholes. Since Snape is still alive, we have to assume that 
LV still thinks of him as one of his supporters at that point.
> 
> The scenes Harry saw of Snape's life during the Occlumency lessons, 
> and especially the Pensieve scene, did inspire Harry to identify 
> with Snape for a moment. I'm suggesting there will be more along 
> those lines. 
> 
> At this point Harry seems to hate Snape pretty vehemently; I'm not 
> certain what *more* hatred would do for the story. Perhaps that's 
> my personal preference as I'd like to see the reversal now when 
> Harry's feelings for Snape are at their nadir.
> 
...
> 
> Jen
>
Thanks, Jen.

How about the stronger the action, the stronger the equal and 
opposite reaction? What will it do to Harry's feelings about Snape if 
(Note: Please observe that I'm saying IF) he discovers that Snape was 
DDM all along and died (or whatever happens to him) fighting for the 
Order and risking everything to help him to destroy Voldemort?

--La Gatta (one corner of whose mine would love to see Snape giving 
Occlumency lessons to little Miss Granger. Bets on which one would 
end up refusing to come out from under the desk? >;D)