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

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 144549

La Gatta:
> 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."

Ceridwen:
Right about now, I'm not going to get involved in the Pensieve incident 
again.  Too much of a run-around and headache.  I defer to Nora's post, 
that the incident we see in the Pensieve is not 'The Prank'.  'The 
Prank' involved Snape finding out Lupin's secret, and James saving 
Snape's life, leading to the life-debt mentioned in PS/SS.

On 'Snivellus' - Checking dictionary.com, using 'snivel', the 
phrase "Stop snivelling--you got yourself into this mess!" is used as 
an example.  It sounds like it could be exactly what the nickname came 
from.

'Sniveller' is defined as:
sniveller - n : a person given to excessive complaints and crying and 
whining [syn: whiner, complainer, moaner, crybaby, bellyacher, 
grumbler, squawker]

If Snape tattled on the Marauders, for reason or for no reason, they 
could have come up with this one.  And, it seems that people are 
ignoring the name 'Severus', which lends itself to that sort of change, 
whether it's true or not.  When a name is so adaptable to a good 
insult, some people don't really care if it applies or not.

Ceridwen.