Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US Und.) house-breaking.

1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 215: It was not until the party returned to London that the chance came, and then it developed into an ordinary sneak-job, and the chief of the expedition did not get the profit or glory.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Breach of Promise’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 21: I am greatly opposed to house-breaking, or sneak jobs.

a surreptitious entrance and exit from a brothel.

1986–7

Maledicta IX 150: The original argot of prostitution includes some words and phrases which have gained wider currency and some which have not […] sneak play (furtive entrance and exit from whorehouse).

1. (Aus.) to inform against, to tell tales on.

1905

‘Jimmy Sago, Jackaroo’ in ‘Banjo’ Paterson Old Bush Songs 49: When the boss wants information, on the men you’ll do a sneak.

2. (also make a sneak, make one’s sneak, take a sneak) to leave, to escape.

1895		J. London ‘’Frisco Kid’s Story’ in High School Aegis X (15 Feb.) 2–3: He gives de push de shake, and does de swift sneak.
1895		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden Explains 115: I taut de geezers would make a sneak, but not on you life.
1900		A.H. Lewis ‘Hamilton Finnerty’s Heart’ in Sandburrs 66: I was dead aware that you might do a sneak at the last minute.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 61: sneak, n. In phrase ‘take a sneak’, to go away.
1902		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden and Mr Paul 56: How can we make a sneak?
1903		A.H. Lewis Boss 313: ‘Get out, or I’ll have you chucked out!’ [...] ‘Do a sneak!’.
1903		‘Hugh McHugh’ Out for the Coin 77: I don’t do no sneak until I pull off a meeting with the High Card.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 24 Aug. 3/5: [H]ad the same John Hop seen three rats of larrikins kicking an old man to death [...] he’d have done a sneak round tho corner and ducked into a pub for safety.
1906		S. Ford Shorty McCabe 34: Just as I was makin’ my sneak this quiet-speakin’ chap falls in alongside and begins to talk to me.
1911		G. Bronson-Howard Enemy to Society 294: So Stevey takes a ‘quiet sneak’ while this here Miss Duress is a-talkin’ to th’ mayor.
1911		S. Ford Torchy 159: Mr. Pepper don’t like the idea, though, of doin’ the gumshoe sneak.
1920		F. Packard White Moll 177: So youse just take a sneak wid yerself, an’ fix a nice little alibi fer us so’s we won’t be takin’ any chances.
1922		S. Lewis Babbitt (1974) 56: If a man is bored by his wife, do you seriously mean he has the right to chuck her and take a sneak.
1927		(con. 1900s) S. Lewis Elmer Gantry 31: Whadja take a sneak for?
1933		‘Paul Cain’ Fast One (1936) 205: We’d better take a sneak while we’re all in one piece.

3. (US) to approach surreptitiously.

1905

F. Hutchison Philosophy of Johnny the Gent 66: ‘[Y]ou could go to him an’ break him, provided you done a sneak on him while he was asleep an’ worked on him wit’ the chloroform bottle.

(UK Und.) to go out working as a sneak-thief or petty pilferer.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Sneak c. goes upon the Sneak at Munns, c. he privately gets into Houses or Shops at Night, and Steals undiscover’d.
1718		C. Hitchin Regulator 21: His Wife Looks to a parcel of Young lads that goes on the Sneake, that is, to creep into a House in the Evening and taking what they can find.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: sneak Goes upon the Sneak at Darkmans; He privately gets into Houses or Shops at Night, and steals undiscover’d.
1728		J. Dalton Narrative of Street-Robberies 31: He could not wholly support himself [...] and was therefore oblig’d to go upon the Sneak.
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. 1725].
1749		Proceedings Old Bailey 9 Dec. 8/1: We thought it too late to go on what they call the evening sneak.
1753		J. Poulter Discoveries (1774) 8: I went on the Sneak and stole a Silver Tankard without a Lid, from the Black-Moor’s Head.
1770		Proceedings Old Bailey 21 Feb. 142/1: Going on the sneak, is to go into houses that are open to take things: going on the budge, is to burst the doors open.
1788		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd edn) n.p: .To go upon the sneak; to steal into houses whose doors are carelessly left open. Cant.
1816		Proc. Old Bailey 18 Sept. 376/2: He told us he was going out that night with Batts and Rawley; they were going upon the sneak. Q. What is that, among thieves - A. It means going into a house slyly; and that is distinguished from breaking forcibly.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 162: ‘Sneak — to go upon the,’ to walk about [...] to see what may be picked up, and what houses stand exposed to the next evening’s depredation.
1836		‘A Blowen in a Alley Pigg’d’ in Comic Songster and Gentleman’s Private Cabinet 34: Now Joe, at night went on the sneak.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 8/2: They go in strong on the ‘sneak’ when dark, or at the break of the races, when in the confusion [...] a ‘tog’ or ‘spread’ is sure to change owners.

surreptitiously, on the sly.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew : n.p.: Ken-miller, ’Tis a bob Ken, Brush upon the Sneak, ’tis a good House, go in if you will but Tread softly.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 207: Friend John, or sweet Tom, ’tis a bob ken, brush upon the sneak, i.e., ’tis a good house, go in if you will, but tread softly and mind your business.
1728		J. Dalton Narrative of Street-Robberies 44: He fell into the hands of some sly Prig upon the Sneak.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1842		Bell’s Penny Dispatch 3 Apr. 3/1: And when I’m short of tin my boys, / I get it on the sneak, / [...] / For I’m the boy for cheek.
1863		T. Taylor Ticket-Of-Leave Man Act I: Pottering about on the sneak, flimping or smashing a little when I get the chance.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 85/1: One day she had made a visit on the ‘sneak’ to a small chandler’s close by, the owner being engaged in a room on one side of the shop.
1906		A.H. Lewis Confessions of a Detective 12: Barney got the hunch on the sneak that, if you wanted to pass, you’d have to come up with the long green.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 177: There were hundreds more roping against unprotected stores which ran ‘on the sneak’.
1953		‘Curt Cannon’ ‘Now Die In It’ in I Like ’Em Tough (1958) 56: She used to meet him on the sneak.
1974		E. Wilson Show Business Laid Bare 270: ‘If there’d been any whispers about Piaf being up there on the sneak, I’d have known about it’.

(US black) surreptitiously, deceitfully.

1995		(con. 1985–90) P. Bourjois In Search of Respect 155: My boss, Bill, be drinking on the sneak cue. [Ibid.] 289: I knew Primo was having a simultaneous relationship with both Maria and Jaycee. I had no idea, however, that he was also seeing Flora ‘on the sneak tip.’.
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 sneak-tip Definition: to be done without anyone knowing Example: Yeah I did his old lady on the sneak tip so as he would not find out.

1. (US black) to act in a surreptitious manner.

1942

‘Digg Mee’ ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 24 Jan. 9/4: For give me for pulling off the ‘sneak’, for foraaking you last week.

2. (US black/gang) to enter a rival gang’s territory, usu. to harass or fight.

1964

P. Marshall ‘Some Get Wasted’ in Clarke Harlem, USA (1971) 349: Them Crowns been messing all over us. Pulling sneaks on our turf.