Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. of objects or places, smart, fashionable, brightly coloured.

1937		Charleroi (PA) Mail 30 Apr. 1/1: Outside border rim of the bowl painted with bands of black, blue and white (your choice) with schnazzy designs of roosters, vegetables and sailboats in colors.
1938		W. Chambers Once Too Often 9: It was indeed a very snazzy setup.
1944		Lancaster (OH) Eagle Gazette n.d. 10: [comic strip, ‘Dixie Dugan’] I wantcha t’come out an’ see th’ schnazzy-lookin’ showcase I built.
1949		J. Archibald ‘State Penmanship’ Popular Detective Jan. 🌐 Penrod Snerr would look as out of place in a snazzy bank as an elephant would at a flower show.
1949		F. Brown Dead Ringer 165: A really snazzy necktie.
1953		R. Chandler Long Good-Bye 175: Who’s going to pay for all those snazzy parties Gifford is throwing in London.
1963		A. Baron Lowlife (2001) 18: Play the millionaire and buy myself something snazzy.
1971		L. Bangs in Psychotic Reactions (1988) 86: The only non-snazz aspect of the set is the cornball liner notes by one Marc Crawford.
1979		‘Iceberg Slim’ Airtight Willie and Me 137: We gonna buy you a ritzy house [...] a great big slew of snazzy furniture.
1989		R. Dahl Rhyme Stew (1990) 68: A snazzy scarlet racing-car.
1994		N. McCall Makes Me Wanna Holler (1995) 259: I went out and bought a few snazzy neckties.
2007		R. Smith Men’s Style 99: This is beyond snazzy; it moves you into the terrain of swanky.
2018		Herald & Rev. (Decatur, IL) 28 Jan. F3/4: [cartoon caption] ‘How about some snazzy new shirts [...] Boss?’.
2021		L. McInerney Rules of Revelation 310: ‘Cork’s changed,’ Mel said. ‘It just put on a snazzy outfit and said I can hang out’.
2023		(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 190: Four Mexicali pilots squeezed by me. They wore snazzy blue uniforms.

2. of individuals, fashionable, smart.

1931		L.A. Times 13 Dec. III 1/4: I had an idea, I actually did, what they meant, but they just followed along like lambs to the slaughter, ab-so-lutely innocent, and looking so snazzy.
1933		Nicholson & Robinson Sailor Beware! II iii: Say, don’t you look snozzy tonight?
1943		W. Guthrie Bound for Glory (1969) 389: ‘Next! Woody Guthrie!’ a snazzy-looking gent was saying over the mike.
1950		Mirror (Perth) 15 Apr. 12/2: Jean humphrey looked snazzy in her new short hair do.
1961		Mad mag. July 48: One of the snazziest looking girls in town was named Cinderella.
1977		Aus. Women’s Wkly 14 Sept. 86/2: ‘You look snazzy!’ said Pip.
1989		M. Amis London Fields 77: Some of the snazzier ones look at me with incredulous distaste.
2006		W. Chen Chutney Power and Stories 16: Apart from being a snazzy dresser, he could also dance.

3. (Aus. teen) excellent, wonderful.

1947

Argus (Melbourne) 15 Nov. 7/1: Wacko the beaut: the school dance is next Saturday, so bake a cake and call me cookie! I’m going to another dance the following Saturday, which will be darby, snazzy, groovy .