Oh, Snap!
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- This article is about the slang catchphrase. For the man who done said it, see Biz Markie.
The phrase "oh, snap" is a common slang term used to convey surprise, shock, or an unpleasant mixture of both. It was coined by American Rap superstar Biz Markie in his hit single "Just a Friend", then popularized even further by accomplished character actor Peter Stormare in a recent Volkswagen TV ad, and through use by the title character of the Disney Channel's That's So Raven as her catchphrase. It has become a staple in pop culture and catchphrase history as one of the more popular rap-inspired phrases. It has also seen success as a sort of retaliation to an insult or your mom joke, in the same manner as, "oh, no (s)he didn't!"
Examples
Friend #1: "Hey, how you doin'?"
Friend #2: "Not so good, my car was stolen."
Friend #1: "Oh, SNAP!"
And,
Friend #1: (to Friend #2) "Yo momma so fat, she wore Guess Jeans and the answer popped out."
Outside Party: "Oh, SNAP!"
Etymology
Scholars have yet to find an origin of the phrase, which might mean that it's simply an obscure slang phrase with no important history, or that scholars have failed or not looked hard enough. Some say that the original phrase might have been olde snapp, and would have meant something back in the day.
Further variants of the phrase include...
- Oh snap!
- Awww Snap!
- Oh Snap, It's Sambo!
- Oh, SNAP!
- Snap snap snappey snap snap!
- OhSNAP2.0
- Ah, snap!
- Snap comma Oh!
- Oh... snap!
- No snap!
- Oh, and might I add, Snap!
Cultural References
"Oh, Snap!" has seen much usage over the years because of it's flexibility, and writers don't have to pay royalties to use it in jokes.
- In the famous American film Zoolander, Ben Stiller uses it in responce to Owen Wilson being dissed.
- On the show That's So Raven, Raven uses it too often and at extremely inappropriate times, like a funeral.
- Homer Simpson utters it in a memorable scene.
- Rails are narrow strips of plastic that are fastened under the deck lengthwise along the edges. Used for additional grip for grabs, and to enhance sliding while protecting the deck's graphics at the same time. "The Oh Snap" is a virtually unknown skateboarding trick involving rails.
- Yo Momma is a show on the television where players come up with mother-based insults. "Oh snap!" may be said after a good insult.
- It is the catchphrase of Joy Darville on My Name is Earl. Earl also wears many flannel shirts.
- The latest version of Firefox is said to contain an Easter Egg involving the phrase.
- In one of their numerous countdown shows, VH1 mentioned "Oh snap!" in a countdown of memorable catchphrases.