(noun) pronounced with a hard 'i' sound
1. A person who is conniving, and manipulates situations or
people for their own benefit. Selfish. (insult)
2. Friendly jab at mutilative, often crafty behavior which is self serving, selfish.
3. Someone who pleads, whines, begs for something, which they don't deserve.
Originated in Pueblo, CO skateboard culture in the late 80's when an overeducated medical student attempted to insult a young skateboarder by calling him a sniveler (
soft 'i' sound), a
college dictionary word meaning a whiner, complainer, i.e. the Zorlac skateboard motto of the time 'Shut up and Skate'. Instead, a new word was born out of the manipulative behavior that was going on at the same time, likely borrowing
money in a whining voice, maybe related to the use here of sniveller. Sniveler expanded in meaning to include behavior such as
people stealing tips off tables to pay for their coffee, and any behavior that was self serving, or selfish. While an inside joke, term with skateboarders, it has since expanded coast to coast.
Okay, this isn't fair, you owe more
money on the bill, don't be such a sniveler!
Dude, I don't like that
guy, he is such a sniveler, always borrowing my stuff and never returning it. I think he sold that deck he borrowed.
He really should be paying rent for how long he has been crashing here, total sniveler.
Did you hear that
guy running for office, what a sniveler.
