snow job
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Puzzle #265 · February 21, 2026
A snow job is an elaborate lie meant to bury the truth under so much persuasive language that the person can't dig out. The term came from WWII GI slang around 1943, when soldiers would tell their commanding officers elaborate fictional stories to excuse why they'd messed up. A snow job was so thick with elaborate details and excuses, you couldn't see through them.
The phrase is almost transparent in its meaning—it's one of the clearest folk etymologies in American slang. You're not being confused or tricked in a subtle way. You're being buried. Like snow. The OED's earliest documented evidence is from 1943 in the American Mercury magazine, right when American servicemen were creating slang that would reshape English forever.
The phrase is almost transparent in its meaning—it's one of the clearest folk etymologies in American slang. You're not being confused or tricked in a subtle way. You're being buried. Like snow. The OED's earliest documented evidence is from 1943 in the American Mercury magazine, right when American servicemen were creating slang that would reshape English forever.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression snow job has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #265 on February 21, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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