Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a share, a portion; thus go snaps, to share half-and-half.

1552		G. Walker Detection of Vyle and Detestable Use of Dice Play 30: Yet did I use him always honestly, and give him his whole snap.
c.1561		Awdeley Fraternitye of Vacabondes in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 4: An Upright man [...] may cal them to accompt, and commaund a share or snap vnto him selfe, of al that they have gained by their trade in one moneth.
1592		Greene Disputation Betweene a Hee and a Shee Conny-Catcher (1923) 22: The diuell a snap he would giue to our citizen Foystes.
1659		Greene & Lodge Lady Alimony I iii: I [...] got a snap by a Neapolitan Ferret at the very same time.
1663		W. Davenant Play-House to be Let Act III: Like the true sons of trusty old mothers, Make equally haste to a snap of the plunder, Then justly divide, and spend it like brothers.
1699		Farquhar Love and a Bottle II i: I’m quite starv’d. I’ll just take a snap.
a.1800		S. Pegge Supp. Grose’s Provincial Gloss. 146: To go snaps is to go halves in anything.
1818		W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian (1883) 308: First taste a snap of right Hollands.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.

2. (UK Und.) a cut-purse’s assistant.

1591

Greene Notable Discovery of Coosnage n.p.: snap He that is halfe with him [i.e. the cutpurse].

3. a pickpocket, cut-purse or card-sharp, spec. an experienced one who demanded a share of his younger peers’ profits.

1591		Greene Art of Conny-Catching in Grosart (1881–3) 9: The foist, the nip, the stale, the snap, I meane the pick-pockets and cut purses are nothing so dangerous to meete with all, as these Coosening Cunny-catchers.
1608		Dekker Belman of London H1: He that cuts the Purse is called the Nip. He that is halfe with him is the Snap, or the Cloyer.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: There’s a cloyer, or snap, that dogs any new brother in that trade, and snaps will have half in any booty.
1622		Fletcher Spanish Curate II i: Take heed of a Snap, Sir, h’as a cozening Countenance.
1630		J. Taylor ‘A Brood of Cormorants’ in Works (1869) III 8: Liues like a Gentleman by sleight of hand, / Can play the Foist, the Nip, the Stale, the Stand, / The Snap, the Curb, the Crossbite, Warpe and Lift, / Decoy, prig, Cheat (all for a hanging shift).
1658		R. Brathwait Honest Ghost 89: A roaring Haxter, Pandor, Palliard, Bolt, Pimp, Snap, Shark, Cheat, or any such like Colt.
1668		Etherege She Would if She Cou’d II i: Thou may’st as reasonably expect, that an old Rook should bring a young Snap acquainted with his Bubble.
1675		W. Mercer ‘The Moderate Cavalier’ in Carpenter Verse in English from Tudor & Stuart Eng. (2003) 443: While they’re crow’d o’re / By ev’ry Snap.
1682		Buckingham Chances II i: duke: Sir, have you lost anything? jo.: Only my Hat i’ th’ Scuffle; sure these Fellows Were Night-snaps.
1705		N. Ward Honesty in Distress II 16: Zooks, Brother Snap, a Wonder I protest, Pray look behind thee.
1895		J. Caminada Twenty-Five Years of Detective Life I 162: It was only when he saw the ‘snaps’ that he understood the situation.

4. (US) a job.

1895		Anaconda Standard (MT) 15 Dec. 10/1: [headline] Moocher Has a Snap.
1896		Wash. Standard (Olympia, WA) 11 Dec. 4/2: That was the easiest snap I ever saw.
1911		S. Ford Torchy 6: ‘Do you like hard work?’ ‘Think I’d be chasin’ up an office boy snap, if I did?’.