Comments on: The Mysterious Origins of “Oh Snap!”

By: JKM

JKM — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:29:28 +0000

I actually heard the phrase “oh snap” used in a classic black and white movie from the 40s. (cannot remember what the movie was called now though). i remember hearing it while watching the film and thinking- “huh, so that’s where that came from, guess it’s been around longer than i thought”.
whether it was used by the hip-hop community first i doubt soley because of that movie…but i do know that rappers tend to bring back old things- beats, rhythms, styles, and so it’s not a stretch to think they’d bring back old sayings as well.

By: Tongue-And-Groove, Egg-And-Dart | Whimsy Speaks

Tongue-And-Groove, Egg-And-Dart | Whimsy Speaks — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:22:45 +0000

[...] Then, there’s this from “The Mysterious Origins of Oh, Snap“: [...]

By: What’s In A Word: Oh, Snap! « Steve of Upland

What’s In A Word: Oh, Snap! « Steve of Upland — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:35:11 +0000

[...] Edward Champion’s online article The Mysterious Origins of “Oh Snap!” he traces the phrase back 60 years to England and says oh, snap was first popularly used in America [...]

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:15:45 +0000

The first time I heard it was from Biz Markie too and wondered why Tracy Morgan always gets credit. I went on a mission to find the answer and this post helped out greatly! Thank you!!

By: Brendan

Brendan — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:57:58 +0000

Around 79′ Irvington, NY went “Oh snap” crazy afterI brought it there from the Bronx, where I was born and still hung around. We were Bronx Irish Catholic teens immitating blacks from the projects. I certainly didn’t coin the phrase, but it spread through Westchester like wildfire after that. I would have copywritten my plagerism, had I known it would be so big.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:39:26 +0000

My understanding is that a “snap” is a witty insult related to the African American verbal game known as “the dozens.” So when Person A says something particularly funny about Person B’s mother, the observers will say “oh snap!” to mark the occasion. Perhaps the word “snap” relates to the speed of the rejoinders.

By: Gene Lawson

Gene Lawson — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:40:03 +0000

I remember as a kid getting together with some other kids trying to come up with a word that we could use instead of cussing. After awhile we came up with snap (which would mean shit) the idea was to cuss but not get into trouble) so if something funny or surprising happened we could say ‘oh snap!’ this was upperstate new york 1977 so the word ‘or the idea for it’ used in this way has been around for awhile. My theory is a bunch of kids came up with this brainstorm independent of each other and it got into the bloodstream of popular culture that way.It fits, and may even explain why it’s so hard to trace the origin of it’s modern usuage, because it has multiple origins.

By: Maitresse

Maitresse — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:54:31 +0000

The Bobbsey Twins series was published that early? 1910? really???

But as to the topic at hand– this is not at all how “oh, snap!” is being used these days– as a synonym for “touché,” or more colloquially,”gotcha!” My guess is that it came into use in its present form sometime after the popularization of the hand gesture involving a snap and drawing the letter Z in the air.

By: Bill Ectric

Bill Ectric — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:48:35 +0000

Everyone I know uses “Oh, snap” the way Alonzo Westbrook defines it, “like a light turned on” or a sudden realization.

As in, “Aren’t you forgetting your cars keys?”

“Oh, snap, thanks. I wouldn’t have gone far without those.”

By: Black Market Kidneys » floating on

Black Market Kidneys » floating on — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:38:30 +0000

[...] Move over William Safire: The Mysterious Origins of “Oh Snap!” [...]

By: tito

tito — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:07:39 +0000

rumors of break dancing’s demise are greatly exaggerated.